Planning commission interviews two firms to rewrite city's zoning code, first time since 1984


Mount Pleasant's Planning Commission interviewed two community planning and design firms at its Monday meeting — one of which will write a new zoning code, shaping the city for decades to come.

Planning commissioner Keith Cotter asked representatives from both McKenna Associates and Town Planning and Urban Design Collective questions following a brief presentation from both companies on a zoning concept called "form-based code."

Unlike the traditional code, which regulates how a building is used internally, form-based code regulates a building's external form and how the building appears on the street in relation to its surroundings.

Mount Pleasant's code has not changed since 1984. 

"There are multiple goals," said City Planner Jacob Kain about establishing a new code. "To have a strong downtown, healthy neighborhoods and to see the revitalization of some of our commercial corridors like Mission Street, which aren't suited to today's market preferences and aren't performing as strongly economically as we'd like. (Also) protect the environment and have a walkable, bikeable city are our big goals. All of these principals are interwoven throughout our master plan and this new code is hopefully going to help us achieve them." 

The planning commission will recommend a firm to the city commission next month. The city commission will make its decision on hiring the firm at its June 13 meeting. 

The firm will be responsible for gathering information from the public, developers, policy makers and elected officials to identify the city's needs, Kain said. The firm will draft a new code, which will then be refined through additional public meetings and discussions.

He said the planning commission wants to have an updated city code adopted 18 months after hiring a firm.

The project will cost the city about $100,000. Both firms bided a few hundred dollars under the budget, Kain said. A contract will be finalized this summer.

Community engagement and education and a well-written code are outcomes Kain said the planning commission is looking for from the firm.

"The code is only going to be as good as the input we get on it," Kain said. "We want a code that not only works for the community and people are excited about, but one that people will support. We want a code that's easy to use and understand and promotes the kind of development we want." 

Representatives from both firms said their assessment periods include a charrette, or a formal stakeholder meeting, to engage community members. 

Kain said he hopes Central Michigan University students voice their opinions. 

"We can't plan anything in our city without a strong consideration about the university and our students," he said. "What was talked about tonight was the energy students bring to the community, which sometimes comes out in less desirable ways, but is for the most part a tremendous resource for the city to tap into. It's about channeling that energy in positive ways."

McKenna Associates Planner Patrick Sloan said creating the new code is a "once in a generation project." He described Mount Pleasant as the quintessential Mid-West college town.

Form-based code works well in college towns, Sloan said, addressing an issue he calls "the missing middle housing."

"On one end of the spectrum, you have detached single-family homes and on the other end you might have high-rise apartment buildings and the missing middle is everything in between — duplexes, triplexes, retail with residential upstairs," Sloan said. "It's very difficult to develop something if the code doesn't allow it or it's an uphill climb to get the code to allow it."  

Share: 

About Andrew Surma

Central Michigan Life Sports Editor

Central Michigan Life Editor in Chief (Summer 2016)

Central ...

View Posts by Andrew Surma →