DOWAGIAC — With the city of Dowagiac’s 2019-2029 Master Plan being passed late last year, the planning commission’s next task is updating the city’s zoning ordinance.

At the city’s first planning commission meeting of 2020, Assistant City Manager Natalie Dean made recommendations to better align the current zoning ordinance with the city’s Master Plan. The updates suggested to the planning commission by Dean would also better align with requirements enforced by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Redevelopment Ready Community’s program.

This year, Dean is hoping to get the city RRC certified. To be awarded a certification, a community must meet all RRC best practice criteria, according to miplace.org. Once an area is certified, RRC communities could gain access to additional benefits and tools, as well as assistance with site marketing and development.

After reviewing the ordinance, Dean found several immediate updates, while others would require further discussion from the planning commission.

“For being an older ordinance, it’s a progressive ordinance,” Dean said. “It’s already got a lot of things in it that RRC wants it to have in it. It’s already speaking to some of the things RRC is pushing right now, like mixed-use development and things like putting businesses in residential districts.”

First, Dean suggested moving upper floor residential to permitted land use in both commercial two and commercial three districts. Currently, the zoning ordinance shows upper floor residential as special land use. Dean said special land use requires someone to go through extra items when trying to develop a top floor apartment.

“There’s a new line of rental rehab applicants coming along downtown. Do you want them to come here and have to do a special land use permit for them to develop those apartments?” Dean asked the commission.

In the last 10 years, Dean did not find any special land use permits.

“It probably was overlooked, but it would be a good idea to move it to a permitted use, so you know that’s the intention in these two commercial districts that you can develop the upstairs into residential,” Dean said.

On Jan. 15, the city announced it was a recipient of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s Mod program. The pilot program helps communities construct a modular-built home using a MSHDA repayable grant of up to $196,000 for the initial spec model.

“It’s a really good way to get new housing into a community, so we’ve joined up with that program as a city,” Dean said.

Dean recommended the commission add modular or pre-manufactured housing units to all residential districts as a permitted use.

“I can’t see any reason why we wouldn’t want a modular home in one of the infill lots where maybe the city has already taken down a blighted house,” Dean said.

Usually, modular homes are placed on a permanent foundation, Dean said.

In an effort to increase the city’s chances for economic development, Dean suggested the city write something in its zoning ordinance for breweries, distilleries and wineries.

Dean said if a brewery, distillery or winery were interested in opening today in Dowagiac, it would be zoned as a restaurant. However, Dean said those businesses would realistically belong in the industrial district.

“This is a forward move to make sure we are zoned for that when someone comes in,” Dean said. “I know that distilleries especially, look at zoning ordinances before they choose to relocate or locate to a community. If they don’t see themselves identified in a zoning ordinance, it’s sort of like a, ‘you’re not welcome sign.’”

Items that might be under consideration for future meetings include zoning for different housing types such as tiny homes, work/live studios or row houses. The planning commission might also look at zoning that would allow for alternative energy such as solar or wind power. Lastly, zoning that would allow for electric vehicle charging stations.

“It’s a good idea to keep in mind that your zoning ordinance is a living, breathing document,” Dean said. “It should never be stagnant. It should always be changing because uses change, people change and needs change.”

Unanimously, the planning commission passed a resolution to host a public hearing on its proposed zoning ordinance updates for 7 p.m. on March 2 at Dowagiac city hall.