City approves zoning text amendments

City approves zoning text amendments

Published on April 23, 2024

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids City Commission unanimously adopted a series of Zoning Ordinance text amendments to increase housing supply, diversify housing types and promote housing affordability. The text amendments focus on accessory dwelling units, unrelated occupants in a household, single room occupancy dwellings, transitional and emergency housing, small scale residential infill and changes to certain parking regulations.

Amendments include, but are not limited to:

• Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
• A streamlined review process for and allowance of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as a permitted use
• Removal of the ADUs owner occupancy requirement
• Modification of ADUs height and setback requirements
• ADUs allowed in association with single- and two-family dwellings
• Elimination of a parking requirement for ADUs

Unrelated Occupants

• Increasing the number of unrelated occupants that can reside in a dwelling unit from four to six

Single-Room Occupancy (SROs)

• Allowing for and adding additional regulations for small-scale SROs in residential zone districts
• A tiered review process for small, medium and large-scale SROs
• Increasing the tenancy requirement from 32 to 90 days

Transitional / Emergency Shelters

• Allowing for and adding additional regulations for small-scale shelters in residential zone districts
• Requirement of Good Neighbor Plans

Small-scale Residential Infill

• Reduction of lot area and width requirements for two-family and multiple-family residential developments of six or fewer units
• Permitting by-right multiple-family residential developments of six or fewer units when located in a Traditional Neighborhood, Low Density Residential Zone District and when located on Link Residential or Network residential streets (as defined by the Vital Streets plan)
• Elimination of established lot area and width requirements
• Allowing the conversion of existing single- and two-family housing stock to higher densities
• Eliminating parking requirements for developments or fewer dwelling units on Traditional Neighborhood-Low Density Residential districts
• Modifying the required distance to transit (from 300 feet to 1⁄2-mile) to allow for increased utilization of the parking reduction

Additional text amendments, to provide clarity, and consistency include:

• Clarifying that temporary assembly or fundraising events may be permitted in residential zone districts on lot approved for institutional, educational, or governmental
• Allowing a height increase in the SD-IT Zone District with Special Land Use approval
• Allowing limited parking in the front yard in the SD-IT Zone District

The adopted zoning text amendments will go into effect May 23.

Kristin Turkelson, planning director, said, "The zoning text amendments represent significant changes from existing policies. However, it's important to remember that these changes are heavily informed by past community-informed and community engaged planning work, current Community Master Planning (CMP) work, state and national zoning reform publications and best practices from around the country.

"It shows the City's willingness to advance critical housing discussions and recommendations prior to the adoption of the Community Master Plan. The text amendments align with the community feedback we have received in the CMP process. They were carefully considered and developed along with community feedback to help increase housing supply, diversify housing types and increase housing affordability."

In spring of last year, an update to the 2020 Housing Needs Assessment showed that by 2027, approximately 34,700 dwelling units would be needed countywide - with 14,106 of the units in the City of Grand Rapids - to meet the growing needs of the community. In response to the Assessment, the City Commission asked the Planning Commission to evaluate the City's housing policies and provide it with recommendations. To ensure general alignment on potential zoning changes, the City held a joint Planning Commission/City Commission meeting in July 2023. The meeting featured a discussion around past planning work (i.e. Great Housing Strategies and Housing NOW!), current planning work (update to the 2002 Community Master Plan) and state and national zoning reform work.

Consensus at the table was that zoning amendments held the potential to increase housing supply, diversify housing types, and promote housing affordability.

Those wanting more information about the new Zoning Ordinance text amendments can download a City of Grand Rapids Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) document. The questions were posed at two City Commission meetings and answered by staff in the FAQ. CLICK HEREto access the FAQ.

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