Module SP1: Planning and Zoning Tools for Developers and Realtors
Rezoning, variances, land divisions, and site condominiums are all common development issues facing property developers and realtors. Through the four units in this series, you will learn the essential tools for dealing with land development at your own pace and schedule. Register online now!
Land Development Options
This unit will review land development tools, starting with the methods authorized in the Michigan Land Division Act. Each of these options has state-required regulations, but beyond these, regulations related to land development are necessary to work with the zoning ordinance and comprehensive plan.
- Identify three options for land development
- Recognize six major types of land division
- Identify advantages and disadvantages of each type of land division; and
- Processes required for the different types of land division
Zoning Amendments
Often, a community will have a zoning ordinance in place but something changes that requires the ordinance to be updated or amended. In this unit, we will consider reasons why you would amend an ordinance and the processes associated with doing so.
- Amending a zoning ordinance
- The two types of amendments: rezoning and text amendments;
- Steps performed to amend the zoning ordinance; and,
- Roles of the planning commission and elected body
Variances and appeals
What happens if the zoning ordinance has requirements that cannot be fulfilled on a particular property? What happens if the zoning ordinance is unclear as it applies to circumstances? How should landowners in your community go about seeking relief from the ordinance requirements when they prevent a reasonable use of land?
- Identify the practices used by the ZBA to execute these processes;
- Recognize when to use the appeals process and when to use the variance process
- Recognize when to seek an interpretation
Master Plan Impacts
What is meant by future land use classifications? How does this apply to the comprehensive plan and the future land use map? Most land use decisions are also key in creating and implementing the zoning ordinance.
- Identify an appropriate and inappropriate use for each classification
- Identify how past land uses have played a role in classification; and
- Identify how to ensure that land use classifications and locations are properly assigned.
