After your plans have met all the requirements of the staff review, your site plan will be placed on an upcoming agenda of the Planning Commission.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission is a group of citizens appointed by the City Commission under the State of Michigan Planning and Enabling Act. They serve as the final stamp of approval for your site plan, which means that it meets all zoning requirements.
The Planning Commission meets on the third Tuesday of the month. If your plan has received City administrative approval, it will be placed on the next Planning Commission agenda.
At the Meeting:
- City staff provides a report on the project which is given to the Planning Commission ahead of time.
- A representative from the group is asked to give an overview of the project,
- The Planning Commission asks questions
- The Planning Commission and staff review the staff report, questions are shared, and discussion is held as necessary.
- The Planning Commission deliberates and votes.
- There is one single meeting action for site plan approvals (no separate meetings for preliminary and final site plan approval).
- The Planning Commission will approve, approve with conditions, table / postpone, or deny the application at their meeting. If the application is tabled / postponed, specific requirements for bringing the project forward on a future Planning Commission agenda are stated by the Planning Commission.
Public Hearing
A public hearing is required for certain instances, including rezoning applications and when your use is a special land use in the zoning district of the desired site.
Public hearing procedures can be found in Section 1.0602.C of the Zoning Ordinance.
Sometimes, there are other meetings too
In rare situations, we may also direct you to additional boards or commissions for review and recommendation or approval.
Design Review Committee
The most common such review is from the Design Review Committee. The Design Review Committee is a three-person citizen group that verifies exterior design elements are in compliance for buildings and structures in the Central Business District (B-C). The B-C Zoning district covers the area surrounding downtown. If necessary, their review and either recommendation or approval takes place before the Planning Commission for consideration.
City Commission
Meetings with the City Commission are also required in certain instances, in most cases, following your meeting with the Planning Commission. These include, but are not necessarily limited to the following:
- Rezonings (2 meetings).
- Special Land Use approvals.
- Planned Development District (PDD) Projects.
- Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments (2 meetings).
Zoning Board of Appeals
Meetings with the Zoning Board of Appeals may also be required in certain instances, including the following:
- Hearing and deciding appeals from and review orders, requirements, decisions, or determinations made by an administrative official or body charged with enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance, as brought before the board;
- Dimensional variances;
- Certain temporary land use applications
- Interpretations of the Zoning Map
My site plan was approved! Now what?
Once your site plan is formally approved by the Planning Commission, you and your design professional will start the construction plans process.