Rochester Hills prepares master land use plan

A proposed draft of the Rochester Hills 2018 master land use plan was approved for a 42-day review by neighboring communities, as required for approval under state law.

The plan is a guide for all land uses in the city, and must be reviewed by neighboring communities and agencies under state law. It was last approved in 2012. The city worked with Giffels Webster over the past year to update the plan, which is expected to come back before the city's planning commission and city council in December for a public hearing and final adoption.

Jill Bahm with Giffels Webster said the work on the plan started last year, with the theme being "Preserve, Enhance and Diversify." The concepts, she said, are woven into the plan and serve as the direction to preserve existing neighborhoods, enhance certain redevelopment sites and diversify housing options.

Among the housing needs identified is the need for more middle housing, which would include walkable, smaller footprint homes with blended densities. There is also some need for more multiple housing uses and mixed use developments in order to provide affordable housing. That housing, she said, should be fit into redevelopment or already developed areas that exist.

Other themes included transportation, age friendly communities and sustainability. The feedback was part of several visioning sessions and public meetings, as well as a community survey with more than 700 responses.

"In general, the feedback we got was positive, but the same themes about affordable housing and other themes came up," Bahm said.