Planning commission sets July 9 hearing on 157-acre rezoning, approves PRD termination

The Mount Pleasant Planning Commission on June 4 voted to set a public hearing on July 9 for Z2601, an area-wide rezoning that would convert about 157 acres around Crawford and Broomfield from Planned Residential Development (PRD) to hardline zoning, and approved termination of the PRD agreement dated May 25, 2000 that must be dissolved before zoning can change.

Staff said the proposal would reassign five parcels to a mix of CD4 (commercial/mixed-use and higher-density residential), a reduced civic zone and an SDU designation for a Central Michigan University-owned parcel. Staff described a roughly 15-acre area prioritized for workforce-oriented single-family lots, cited the CD4 allowance of up to 35 dwelling units per acre, and said the change is intended to provide more predictable rules for development and increase housing supply.

"This proposal addresses several long-standing priorities that directly affect Mount Pleasant's competitiveness and future growth," said Katie Mora, president and CEO of Middle Michigan Development Corporation, during public comment. Mora said the rezoning could help close an anticipated housing gap by 2029 of just over 500 units and estimated that adding 50 workforce households could generate about $1.3–$1.7 million in recurring annual consumer spending.

Residents who spoke during the public comment period generally supported moving the rezoning forward for affordability and supply. Joseph Arion, a resident, said affordability is the key issue and backed the proposal. Another resident, Tim Bi, urged commissioners to consider effects on workers who keep branded work trucks at home when reviewing any restrictions on vehicle signage raised in a separate written submission.

Staff detailed site-specific elements: the CD4 corner parcel was reduced from 12 to 7 acres to shift acreage toward housing; West Point Village (an existing apartment complex) retains the ability under the dissolution agreement to add several future buildings where utilities already exist; and a 54-acre CMU parcel currently zoned SDU would convert to CD3 if conveyed by the university, per a companion text amendment (TC2602) for which a hearing was also set.

Commissioners asked about traffic, environmental constraints and the role of the master plan in guiding the change. Staff said traffic capacity exists on Crawford and Broomfield and that transportation or traffic-impact studies could be required for specific large developments. Staff reported no EPA or Michigan Department of Environment mapper red flags for contamination on the site.

The commission approved a motion to set a public hearing on Z2601 for July 9, 2026, and later approved the PRD dissolution for the southwest corner of Crawford and Broomfield "as received," enabling staff to forward materials to the city commission if the zoning and related PRD termination move forward. The city commission will consider the proposal after the planning commission's public hearing and recommendation.

Next steps: The planning commission will hold the public hearing on July 9, consider public testimony and forward a recommendation to the city commission; the PRD termination and any final rezoning require subsequent city commission action.