City of Petoskey

The Office of City Planner is responsible for community planning and the administration and enforcement of land use regulations including zoning, signage and land divisions.  Staffing includes the City Planner and an administrative assistant who is shared with the Departments of Public Works and Parks and Recreation. The Office staffs the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning Commission Sign Committee, and works with the Downtown Development Authority on special projects.  In January, 2009 a multi-year planning process was completed with adoption of the City Master Plan.

A form-based code (FBC) is a means of regulating development to achieve a specific urban form. Form-based codes create a predictable public realm by controlling physical form primarily, with a lesser focus on land use, through city or county regulations.

Form-based codes are a new response to the modern challenges of urban sprawl, deterioration of historic neighborhoods, and neglect of pedestrian safety in new development. Tradition has declined as a guide to development patterns, and the widespread adoption by cities of single-use zoning regulations has discouraged compact, walkable urbanism. Form-based codes are a tool to address these deficiencies, and to provide local governments the regulatory means to achieve development objectives with greater certainty.