Urgent Local concerns
Please get involed in you local government. A State Representative out of the Grand Rapids area is proposing legislation listed below that would affect the entire State. Whereas this might work in the more metropolitan areas, it could cause severe negative impacts on our more rural area where we live. A cookie cutter approach for the entire State of Michigan is certainly not the answer. We need to keep local control on zoning matters.
She is citing zoning regulations as the cause for the housing shortages in the State.
1. Allow residential duplexes in single family residential zones.
2. Require local governments to allow for accessory dwelling units. This would be a second
dwelling space on a parcel or lot.
3. Prohibit local municipalities from requiring more than 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit for
a residential use of property
4. Set a Statewide minimum lot size of 5,000 sq ft, prohibiting local municipalities from setting a
minimum that is higher.
5. Prohibit local municipalities from imposing a minimum dwelling size of more that 500 sq ft.
6. Require construction code commission to recommend modification to the code that would
allow for a single exit stairway to serve multi family residential structures up to 6 stories.
7. Require construction code commission to recommend modification to the residential code to
allow for construction of 3-4-5-6 plex dwelling, rather than the commercial code.
8. Expand the definition of “near neighbor” on a protest petition of a zoning ordinance from 100
feet to 200 feet. Increase the threshold of protest petitions on “upzoning from 20% to 50%
and lower the supermajority requirement of overriding a protest petition to a 3/5 majority.
Attached, are her proposals. Many residents have indicated that they would like to support Lockport Township n opposing such legislation.If you would like to support this opposing, please sign the attached letter and return it to the Township. You can email it to municipalzoning@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support on this matter.