Prosposed Mass Rezoning of Midtown
Midtown Inc is working with the city to rezone the neighborhood west of Woodward and north of the arena to making it easier to do mixed used development.
Quote:
We invite you to attend an information meeting to learn more about the potential Midtown rezoning [[more detailed information provided below) and ask any questions or express any concerns you may have. City Planning Commission staff will be present to answer any questions that may arise. In order to accommodate different schedules, two meetings will be offered.
These meetings will be held:
Monday, January 26 at 6pm and again on Wednesday, January 28 at 9am
@
University of Michigan Detroit Center [[South Studio Room)
3663 Woodward Avenue, Suite 150
Detroit, Michigan 48201
Proposed Midtown Zoning Change
Current zoning classifications within Midtown have created obstacles to new development that is desired within the neighborhood. The Midtown's current zoning code is a bit outdated and does not accurately reflect the vision of the area - a District to be developed as a dense, walkable community. Existing barriers created by the current zoning code include excessive onsite parking requirements and special hearings for desired land uses. Land use regulations that are in place today are sometimes referred to as a “single use” zoning code, meaning that the zoning of a parcel designates the use of the land as strictly residential or commercial and does not allow for a mixture of these uses in one area on a by right basis [[an example of mixed use is and apartment building with a café on the ground floor). In order for Midtown to evolve to its fullest potential as an urban walkable center, it will require appropriate zoning that will lead future development to include a mix of residential, commercial, office and/or entertainment uses, without the need for special hearings or variances.
Working with the City of Detroit City Planning Commission and Planning & Development Department, MDI is developing a zoning strategy for the area generally bounded by Woodward Avenue, Hancock, Third Avenue and Peterboro in order to better support a vibrant urban district which allows a mix of uses within a walkable geographic area. To do this, a rezoning of this land is required - a map of the proposed zoning change is available HERE.
The proposed changes would impact a majority of the land within this area that is currently zoned R5 [[Medium Density Residential) changing it to SD1 [[Special Development District: Small Scale/Mixed-Use) and most of the land currently zoned B4 [[General Business) changing it to SD2 [[Special Development District: Commercial/Residential). The change from R5 to SD1 will allow more uses than currently permitted in the R5 zone. The change from B4 to SD2 provides for a greater mix of uses than currently permitted in the B4 zone, but will also restrict some commercial uses currently permitted in B4.
The first desired outcome of this zoning change is to support a desired mix of uses within one zoning code, while encouraging transit‐oriented design [[TOD) regulations, including less restrictive setback and parking requirements. Specifically:
- The area generally delineated by Woodward Avenue, Hancock, Third Avenue and Peterboro, is zoned B4 General Business and R5 Medium Density Residential which triggers off-street parking requirements that cannot be met with available site sizes in many instances.
- Mixed Use development is not permitted by right in the described area.
- Some uses and entertainment style businesses desired in Midtown are considered conditional or regulated uses under the current code. This extends the timeframe and complexity of receiving an approval for a building permit.
Zoning map: http://midtowndetroitinc.org/sites/d...oningMapsm.pdf
Land use comparison:https://www.dropbox.com/s/f5xjlwaetq...CHART.pdf?dl=0
