Special Land Use Permits
The City of Muskegon Zoning Ordinance regulates land uses for all property within the
City. The ordinance establishes various zoning classification districts which are
described in the ordinance and shown on the Official Zoning Map. Some land uses are
allowed "by right" in each different district and are called Principal Uses.
In addition to the Principal Uses permitted in each zoning district, the Ordinance
provides for certain Special Land Uses that may be permitted if applicable standard
or conditions are met and after approval by the Planning Commission.
2004 Meeting Schedule for Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals  
Planning & Zoning Application
Planning & Zoning Application Page 2(Variances Only)
Procedures or steps for considering approval of these Special Land Uses are as follows:
- (1) Any person desiring to establish a Special Land Use for a specific property, as
provided in the Zoning Ordinance, may submit an application for Special Use Permit along with
a site plan or other related information to the Zoning Administrator and pay the required
fee ($250). An application form is available above or in the Planning Office.
- (2) The application is then referred to the Planning Department to schedule a public
hearing by the Planning Commission and give notice of the hearing by publication in the
Muskegon Chronicle and by mailing to each property owner and tenant of record within three hundred
feet of the property involved. Such notice is given fifteen days before the hearing. (The
Planning Commission meets at 4 p.m. on Thursday following the second Tuesday of each
month.)
- (3) The Planning Staff gathers information pertaining to the property involved in the
application and surrounding areas, prepares a map, field checks the site, takes photographs
or videos if needed and prepares a staff review report with recommendation to the Planning
Commission. The staff review report will be made available to the applicant.
- (4) The Planning Commission holds the public hearing, at which time the staff review
report, map, photographs, and any other pertinent information is presented. The applicant
is asked to explain the request and then all other interested persons are given an
opportunity to be heard and present objections or support for the requested use. After all
the information is presented, the hearing is closed and the Planning Commission determines
whether the standards of the Zoning Ordinance are met for the proposed use.
Approval may be given subject to reasonable conditions in order to assure compliance with
the intent of the Ordinance. If information presented at the hearing is incomplete, the matter may be
tabled until a later time.
- (5) Following the meeting, the Planning Staff will notify the applicant by mail of the
action taken by the Planning Commission. A record of the decision will be maintained in
the Planning Department office.
For further information regarding the procedures for Special Use Permits, please
contact the Zoning Administrator or Planning Staff
email: lonna.anguilm@postman.org
or call: (231) 724-6702.
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