A public hearing will be set to consider a new set of zoning changes meant to encourage new housing built by small local developers. It primarily affects R2 residential zoning districts that make up one-fourth of all land in the city.

On Tuesday, Detroit City Council Members Latisha Johnson, Mary Waters, Angela Whitfield-Calloway and Gabriela Santiago-Romero objected to setting the public hearing. They advocated instead for delaying all zoning decisions until next year, arguing that the complicated changes shouldn’t be rushed.

The proposal is among multiple zoning packages being considered by the council. Pitched to residents as “Let’s Build More Housing,” it aims to keep housing prices from rising by creating more units. A city report states Detroit needs to add 2,700 to 3,500 more units per year to keep up with population growth, but the city is falling behind by 1,100 units.

Several substantial changes would bring more housing density to R2 districts. This includes allowing family dwellings of up to four units and townhouses with up to eight units attached as by-right uses.

Buildings with three or four units (triplexes and fourplexes) are conditional uses in R2 now, requiring special approval. The proposal would make those by-right uses, allowing them to be built without additional authorization, but also removing the ability of neighbors to weigh in on larger housing projects.

If approved, Johnson said this would allow a triplex to be built on a vacant lot next to her house “without me being involved in the conversation.”

Other changes would reduce off-street parking requirements for various types of buildings and change dimensional rules to make it easier to redevelop vacant lots.

Santiago-Romero noted there are only three formal sessions left before the council’s work is done for the year. A new council will be sworn in next year based on the results of the Nov. 4 elections.

“I’m incredibly supportive of these ideas; these are things that are progressive, that a lot of people ask for, but we have heard from the public over and over again how confused they are,” Santiago-Romero said. “I don’t want us to move forward feeling like we’re being rushed. As someone who wants to come back here next term, I do not want to deal with the negative impacts that we did not think about and then we have to fix and amend things that we didn’t take the time to really think through.”

Durhal said there have been 27 public input meetings held by the city to engage residents, with seven more scheduled by the Department of Neighborhoods. Durhal, who declined to seek reelection so he could run for mayor instead, said allowing for a public hearing will ensure residents can learn more and provide feedback.

“We don’t know what the composition of this body will look like, nor who will lead it, nor if it will be taken up next year,” Durhal said. “I think the time is now because it’s in front of us now.”

Whitfield-Calloway said she hasn’t been able to read through all the proposed changes either. She proposed dividing the proposal into smaller pieces that would be taken up one-by-one next year, saying she’s received calls from residents asking her to slow the process down.

“This is very perplexing and complex,” she said. “I don’t know what the rush is. I don’t like to feel like I’m being rushed and probably not giving it due diligence.” 

Council delays other zoning tweaks 

The council postponed voting on a swath of substantial zoning changes that received a mixed response from residents.

Santiago-Romero asked for more time to read through the proposal. The changes represent the sixth broad adjustment of Detroit’s zoning ordinance since 2005. The council plans to vote on the proposal at its Nov. 14 meeting.

The zoning amendment affects presidential and business districts and parking requirements. It allows housing and business developments, tattoo parlors, brewpubs, wineries and other uses in new areas. See all the proposed changes here.

Some of the more impactful changes include the following:

Allow lofts as a conditional use in R1 and R2: Lofts are dwellings in a building that wasn’t originally constructed for residential uses. They’re currently not allowed in the R1 and R2 districts, making it difficult to repurpose buildings for housing. 

Allow lots and mixed-use developments by-right in B2, B3 and B4: Lofts are conditional uses in those business districts, which means they can be done with special approval. Changing to a by-right use allows lofts to be developed without additional permission.

Expand alcohol businesses in various districts: Brewpubs, microbreweries and wineries haven’t had the same negative effect on surrounding areas as liquor stores, according to the city. Planners would stop treating those businesses as controlled uses and allow them as by-right uses in several types of business and manufacturing districts.

Revise family definition: Families are defined in the zoning ordinance as two unrelated people living together in a single unit. The proposed amendment increases the number of unrelated people considered to be a family to four people.

Public parking credit: Public parking lots that are within 100 feet of a site count toward off-street parking requirements. The distance would be increased to 1,320 feet for Traditional Main Street Overlay areas, also known as commercial corridors. 

Expand body art: Tattoo parlors are banned in the B2, B3, SD1, and SD4 districts. Although at one time these businesses may have been considered an undesirable use or contributed to a blighting effect, tattoos have become more popular and socially acceptable in recent years.

Johnson voiced concerns with plans to allow residential apartments as a by-right use on commercial corridors, saying it might cause developers to ignore vacant land.

Durhal said restrictive zoning is making it more difficult to build up commercial corridors, and allowing housing would encourage walkable communities since more people could visit nearby businesses.

Editor’s Note: This story originally misstated the amount of land zoned R2.