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.
Meeting Schedule for Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals
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 ($300). 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: mike.franzak@shorelinecity.com or call: (231) 724-6702.
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