Zoning Requirements, Birmingham's Transportation Plan on Planning Board Agenda

Wednesday will be a busy night for the Birmingham Planning Board because while they don't have any hard-and-fast decisions to make, there's a lot on the docket to be discussed.

The Planning Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall. Stay tuned to Birmingham Patch all week to hear what happened, or watch the meeting live either on Public Access Channel 15 or at the city's website.

What's on the agenda?

Study Session

During a study session, site plan, design review and Special Land Use Permit reviews will not be made. Each member of the public will be allowed to speak once at the end of the session.

Little San Francisco Neighborhood Study/Transitional Zones

Earlier this month, the , located in what's commonly called the Little San Francisco neighborhood.

Last month, a developer sought to rezone the lot so that they could build six townhomes, however the City Commission denied the request after a loud outcry from neighbors. 

For $5,500, LSL will look at what kind of developments are appropriate for that area and what the proper zoning should be. On Wednesday, LSL representatives will discuss the study with the Planning Board, soliciting input on what they should consider first. 

In that same vein, the Planning Board will also discuss the topic of "transitional areas" throughout the city at their Wednesday meeting. Specifically, they'll consider properties like 404 Park St., properties that directly abut residential neighborhoods but are very close to commercial or other business areas.

Conditional Rezoning

Also on the subject of 404 Park St., the Planning Board will discuss "conditional rezoning," or the process of rezoning with several conditions attached.

City commissioners were initially concerned about the prospect of conditional rezoning, particularly the fact that Birmingham doesn't have a history of conditional rezoning.

"I think we're jumping ahead with a development that happened to come forward before we're able to develop what our standards are in this particular area," Commissioner Stuart Sherman said in late February, referring to conditional rezoning. "It's legal under state law, but that doesn't mean it's right for Birmingham."

Multi-Modal Transportation Plan

The Planning Board will hear an update from Birmingham's Multi-Modal Transportation Plan, which is currently being crafted by Greenway Collaborative, Inc., a consulting firm out of Ann Arbor.

In late February, Greenway presented a rough draft of the plan to residents during two sessions at Baldwin Public Library, receiving even more feedback in the process. In January, the group also held a visioning workshop with community members. 

Planning Director Jana Ecker said a final Multi-Modal Transportation Plan should come before the Birmingham City Commission by early summer.

For more: To download a copy of the full agenda, including reports, visit the city's website.