Planning, Zoning & Grants
Coldwater - Above PAR
Planning for Place, Access and Redevelopment
What will Coldwater look like in the future? You tell us! Your influence is needed on Wednesday, May 1 at the “Making Place” community workshop that will reimagine Coldwater and shape its overall master plan. Attend from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1 Grand St., Coldwater.
The “PAR” in “Above PAR” stands for place, access and redevelopment. Combined, they can create a community that people enjoy and use.
This process is called Placemaking. It brings together a community’s assets, inspiration and potential to create good public spaces that promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being.
With funding from the C.S. Mott Foundation and the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), Coldwater has been working with the Michigan Association of Planning to study the community’s assets, and make system-wide recommendations that will add value to ongoing planning and development efforts.
The project started in February with project staff conducting background research and talking with focus groups about Coldwater’s most important and valuable physical assets. If you participated in interviews or focus groups, thanks! Since then, we’ve been busy compiling what you told us, to prepare for the next activities: Three community workshops, beginning with the one on the 1st. We’ll dig a little deeper into the concepts of Place, connecting places through transportation and the form of places.
Each workshop will begin with a light dinner followed by an in-depth explanation of the topic, its relationship to the others and to Coldwater. Then we’ll continue our learning and idea sharing through a feet-on experience. We’ll be walking outside so please be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. Then, we’ll hit the trail and visit some places around town via bus.
Attend and learn about Place and how it is made, share dinner, and tell us about select Places in Coldwater. We are eager to hear your ideas and thoughts. There is no cost to attend, but we do ask you to register your attendance and any guests. To register, contact Sherrie Howard, MAP’s director of operations, via email at showard@planningmi.org or phone at (734) 913-2000 and tell her your name, phone number, email, organization (if applicable), and address. Walk-ins are also welcome!
The Neighborhood Services Department is staffed by the Community Services Director, who provides staff assistance to the City Council, Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Planning Commission
The City of Coldwater Planning Commission serves as an advisory group of the city. The commission administers the Coldwater Comprehensive Plan that sets forth the policies, guidelines and land use designations for long-range development of the city. As new trends are recognized and priorities change, it is the responsibility of the Planning Commission to propose changes to the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance that will further promote the public health, safety and welfare of the community.
The Planning Commission also reviews all rezoning requests, special use permits, subdivision plats, lot splits and development site plans. The Planning Commission meets on the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber of the Henry L. Brown Municipal Building. All meetings are open to the public.
Zoning Board of Appeals
The City of Coldwater Zoning Board of Appeals has two primary responsibilities. The first of these is to interpret the language of the City of Coldwater Zoning Ordinance when its meaning is unclear, or when there is uncertainty as to whether the language applies to a particular situation. The board is also responsible for the interpretation of the zoning map, including questions concerning the location of zoning district boundaries.
The Zoning Board of Appeals also considers requests for dimensional variances. The City of Coldwater Zoning Ordinance contains dimensional requirements (distance, size, height and width) for items such as fencing, signage and building setbacks. A variance is required of anyone wishing to construct over and beyond the limits set forth in the ordinance. Residents are urged to contact the Neighborhood Services Department prior to the start of any project to ensure that it is compliant with the City of Coldwater Zoning Ordinance and, if necessary, inquire about the variance process.
The Zoning Board of Appeals meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 4:15 p.m. in the City Council Chamber of the Municipal Building. All meetings are open to the public.
Staff is available to provide information concerning the responsibilities of the above City Boards and Commissions, current projects and planning and zoning issues including site plan review, rezoning, building setback requirements, permitted and special uses, zoning variances, fence regulations and sign regulations.
Please remember, if you plan to make any changes to your property, including new construction, additions to your home and/or garage, signage, fencing, home occupations, etc., contact the appropriate City office for information. In most instances certain regulations are in place, and prior approval is required.
