Planning Commission Reports

Each year, or at least most years, the Planning Department creates a report summarizing the activity and highlights of the year, including zoning text amendments, in-progress plan development, and related information. Provided here is an index of the recent Planning Department reports, starting in 2019 so as to have a pre-pandemic baseline. No report for 2020 is available. Below are tables to easily see the years in comparison.

Highlights

2019

• The first Medical Marijuana case was heard by the Planning Commission on May 9th, 2019
• Four of the five Marijuana Special Land Use petitions were approved under the new ordinances adopted by the city in 2018.
• Three zoning reforms were passed, as the death rattle of the failed Housing NOW initiative:
  • Duplexes are permitted on corner lots subject to all other existing standards.
  • Additional housing density bonuses for Affordable housing.
  • The creation of the "Qualified Review" process for permitting Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUS).
• Allowing the operation of food trucks in NOS (Neighborhood Office Service) and IT (Industrial Transportation) Zone Districts with administrative review.
• The Rapid established The Silver Line Transit-Oriented Development and Multimodal Planning Grant to determine why development had not occurred along Michigan's first BRT line; the work had a fifteen month timeline lasting into 2021.
• 2019 was the first year since 2024 which the number of cases heard by the Planning Commission declined.

2021

• The number of cases heard by the Planning Commission continued to decline, dropping below 2014's level.
• Additional liberalization of cannabis related uses. The city had seventeen (17) operating recreational or medical cannabis facilities, with fiftten (15) additional facilities under development
• A zoning amendment was proposed which would have categorized youth centers as a "sensitive use". This amendment was denied by the Planning Commission due to the potential impact on the cannabis. Cannabis regulations prevent facilities within 1,000ft of any "sensitive use".
• A zoning amendment permitting ground floor residential and office use in Traditional Business Areas (TBA) on secondary streets or in the rear of the building.
• The development of the city's new Master Plan finally began.
• The City Commission adopted the Southtown Business Area Specific Plan in December.

2022

• The number of cases heard by the Planning Commission increased slightly from 2021, however the case count still remained below 2014 levels.
• A single zoning amendment passed the Plaanning and City Commission regarding the use of prexisting lot lines after lots had been combined. The was a follow on to a city wide discussion about vacant and underused parcels.
• Rhe Rapid’s Transit-Oriented Development Study was completed.

2023

• The number of cases increased slightly again from 2022, however still well below 2014 levels.
• The Amphitheater project was presented to the Planning Commission
• Four zoning amemndments were adopted; related to floodplains, the downtown height overlay district, billboards, and other miscellania

2024

• The number of cases heard by the Planning Commission declined slightly. It appears a new baseline caseload, post pandemic, has been established.

• The Soccer Stadium project was presented to the Planning Commission
• Six zoning amemndments were proposed, and subsequently adopted by the Planning Commission. This finally delivered, after nearly a decade of dithering, a meaningful increment of land-use reform to address the "Housing Crisis". These amendments were adopted by the City Commission on April 23rd.
  • Accessory Dwelling Units are now permitted, boardly, by-right and have no owner-occupancy or parking requirements.
  • Accessory Dwelling Units are allowed on lots with duplexes as well as single-unit houses.
  • Small scale infill are permitted on primary streets with no parking requirement although lot-size, greenspace, and setback requirements largely neutralize the impace of this change.
  • Single Room Occupancy (SRO) and transitional housing regulations are liberalized.
• Chicken coops and beehives are now permitted in the rear of residential lots without neighbor veto power.
• The new Master Plan, "Bridge to our Future", is presented to the City Commission

The Numbers

Note that the categorization of cases can change over time as ordinances changes, some categorization is also subjective. Thus totals may not necessarily always match the details provided in any table; some small variances are to be expected.

Types Of Cases

"SLU" is Special Land Use, this is the typical process by which a development is brought before the Planning Commission for approval or denial. Administrative approvals are performed by various levels of staff depending on the type of request, without being heard by the Planning Commission.

Zoning Violations