The City of Kalamazoo will host a series of neighborhood discussions in late-January through February to discuss potential zoning updates and street design with residents and community members.

The City’s 2025 Master Plan calls for updating the Zoning Ordinance so that it aligns with the community’s vision and removes barriers to neighborhood-focused development, home rehabilitation, and new types of housing options. Under the current zoning ordinance, many properties have unnecessary restrictions on what property owners may do, and some allow more intense use than is appropriate for the area. Currently, many projects or rehabilitation projects would require a zoning variance, which complicates the process for a property owner. Updating the ordinance will make it easier for many homeowners to rehabilitate their homes, for different types of new housing to be built, and for neighborhood-nodes to be developed. The Plan also considers streets, requiring that they be designed in a way that complements land use and makes them safer for all users.

These meetings are intended to open a dialogue with neighborhood residents to explain how the process works, what they can expect, and how the goals of the Master Plan can be achieved in collaboration with each neighborhood. Each meeting will begin with a brief “Zoning 101” presentation, which will be followed by discussion and an opportunity to offer feedback on both zoning and street design. Residents, property owners, and business owners are invited to come whenever they can; there is no set time to arrive.

The first two meetings of the series have been scheduled for the end of January in the Northside and Eastside neighborhoods:

  • Northside Zoning & Streets Discussion

    • Focus Area of Discussion: Eastern area of the Northside neighborhood

    • Tuesday, January 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Mt Zion Baptist Church (120 Robertson St)

  • Eastside Zoning & Streets Discussion

    • Focus Area of Discussion: Area along East Main Street in the Eastside neighborhood

    • Thursday, January 30 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Kalamazoo Eastside Neighborhood Association (1301 East Main St)

Additional Zoning & Streets Discussions will be scheduled in other neighborhoods in February. For questions, please contact Christina Anderson at andersonc@kalamazoocity.org