10.26.2026 City Commission & Planning Board Joint Meeting

The City of Birmingham, Michigan, City Commission and Planning Board held a joint meeting on October 26, 2026, to review the zoning ordinance update project and discuss the consultants’ preliminary recommendations report. Planning staff and board members described the report as an initial draft for aligning the zoning ordinance with the adopted 2040 Master Plan; the Planning Board will continue reviewing it and develop recommendations over the coming months. Discussion covered accessory dwelling units, parking—including the former parking assessment district and the need for legal guidance before any policy review—transitional zoning, nonconforming lot sizes and potential lot splits, neighborhood character, tree canopy, and whether to consolidate zoning, subdivision, and sign provisions into a clearer ordinance. Commissioners and board members emphasized that the draft is not a set of adopted proposals and raised questions about preserving the Commission’s authority and limiting administrative discretion.

Public comments and member discussion also addressed residential building scale and setbacks, infill and multifamily development, clearer public explanations of the update, and opportunities for further community input. No zoning recommendations or procurement decisions were adopted, and no contracts, bids, vendor selections, or spending allocations were identified. The only motion was to adjourn, which passed; a public commenter separately raised concern about a proposed $1,700 charge for a FOIA request, but no action was taken on it.