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Commission approves ordinance to make land development code changes

From left, Marquette city commissioners Dave Campana, Pete Frazier, Jenn Hill and Marquette Mayor Fred Stonehouse are pictured at Monday’s meeting of the city commission. The commission unanimously approved city ordinance 681, which made a number of changes to the new land development code approved by the commission in February. (Journal photo by Cecilia Brown)

MARQUETTE — After much feedback from the public and business owners, several changes to Marquette’s recently adopted land development code will be taking effect Sept. 5.

The Marquette City Commission, during its Monday meeting, unanimously approved city ordinance 681, which amends, repeals and adopts several articles of the land development code, or LDC, that was approved by the commission in February.

The ordinance amends eight of the code’s 14 articles and “address all of the possible LDC amendments that are needed at this time,” city notes state.

The ordinance, which the planning commission unanimously recommended for city commission approval after a public hearing at its July 23 meeting, adds definitions, while it repeals and adopts new versions of zoning districts and maps; schedules and regulations; standards applicable to specific land uses; general provisions; parking, loading and access management; landscaping and screening; as well as signs and administrative procedures.

Many of the changes to the LDC stem from requests and comments from the public, as well as a unanimous vote from the city commission at its June 10 meeting to address that new pole and monument signs were not allowed along Third Street under the LDC after business owners there expressed their concerns and petitioned for change.

“If you recall, the city commission gave direction to the planning commission to address the pole sign issue. That is now taken care of, so pole signs are now permitted in the (Downtown Development Authority) Third Street districts,” Marquette Director of Community Development Dennis Stachewicz told the commission. “There are a number of fence issues that needed to be cleaned up. These were also in the Third Street corridor, where people can now have fences in places they couldn’t before.

“It also clears up a number of overly prescriptive standards in the code. There was a situation where the code actually described the exact size an awning might need to be in terms of a minimum requirement; and that did not leave a lot of flexibility for people that are looking to get an estimate. It also provides for outdoor recreation opportunities on private parcels as kind of a private enterprise.”

The most recent LDC, which was adopted by the commission in February, came with some major changes, including allowing chickens, rabbits and bees within city limits, as well as more contemporary zoning, sign and fence ordinances.

“This is all part of the process of this enormous change that happened, it was alluded to, but huge amounts of work went into this and there were things that needed to be cleaned up and updated,” Commissioner Jenn Hill said. “And this is all part of the process we are doing moving forward. So thank you for the work that’s being done. And folks stepping up and speaking up about what’s working and what’s not working is how this change happens. So I hope if other folks run into things, they also contact the Community Development Planning Department and let them know.”

Marquette Mayor Fred Stonehouse also emphasized that working with a brand-new LDC is an ongoing process.

“There will be changes as this massive code is tweaked and thrown into better compliance with what our citizens want and need,” he said.

For more information on the LDC, visit marquettemi.gov.

Cecilia Brown can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248.

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