KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – After years of planning and months of public hearings and discussions, and some controversy, Kalamazoo city commissioners have approved how they will handle zoning for commercial businesses from now on. It seems that most of the early opposition due to car washes and other changes that had rankled environmentalists have been addressed, at least for now, because none of them spoke out at the public hearing last night. City planner Christina Anderson has managed the work through four revisions. She says they were asked to create a zoning for green space that bans or restricts development, which is not what zoning is for.
She says she is still researching the issue to see if there is an option that would work. Retired brewer Larry Bell came forward with a last minute objection, saying he didn’t want the zoning to change on a lot he owns at East Michigan and Kings Highway.
But Anderson disputed that it would be a downgrade, or that it could be changed at the last minute, because its current zoning is being eliminated.
There was discussion about flipping it to a more preferable zoning, but Commissioner Chris Preadel said it would be wrong to give Bell preferential treatment.
City commissioners voted unanimously to approve the changes. It’s just step one of a very long process to update Kalamazoo’s Zoning. Anderson says they still have to do industrial zoning & residential zoning. Those parcels make up a majority of the city. The new commercial zoning rules will take effect in 11 days.
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