Resident urges zoning review for data centers, asks commission to ease "middle housing" barriers

A Bay City resident asked the planning commission on Dec. 17 to consider zoning changes that would both guard against inappropriate data-center development and remove barriers to "middle housing" such as duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes.

Paul Kleinau (1713 10th Street) told the commission that while Bay City is unlikely to attract large, campus-style data centers, smaller facilities or related uses could appear in fringe areas. He suggested this is the time, during the city's zoning-update process, to identify which zones (if any) should allow such uses and what public review or scrutiny should apply.

Kleinau also urged commissioners to re-examine setback and parking requirements that, he said, could make developing middle-housing types infeasible. "A lot of those setback limits in lot areas that were discussed... are gonna make it difficult for developers to be able to build those," he said, and asked the commission to consider carve-outs near transit or for affordable housing.

Commissioners acknowledged the point was timely, noting the zoning update is underway and that items such as parking will also go before the zoning board of appeals. Staff said those broader zoning chapters are under review and the consultant will return at the January meeting to continue revisions.

The commission did not take action on zoning changes at this meeting; Kleinau's comments were entered as general public comment to inform the ongoing code-update work.