[Docta_Love]

Originally Posted by LMich

It's going to be a mixed bag. It looks like, on net, it expands the boundaries of the core downtown district, meaning it'll allow for more high rises in the core. It also appears it'll allow for more density and housing along the urban corridors (Cedar, Michigan, Saginaw, South MLK, South Washington, Penn...)

At the same time, I notice some some recent urban developments that wouldn't have been allowed to be built by-right. For instance, Skyvue out near Frandor is over 120 feet tall. The new zoning for that parcel would have a max of 60 feet, by-right. The old "E-1 Apartment Shop" which was the city's general mixed-use catch-all has no direct comparison in the new code. It seems the tallest allowed outside of the downtown district (which will continue to have no height limit) will now only be 80 feet.

I'm doing a write-up on all the major changes I see - it's quite a bit - and have so far finished the Residential portion of it. Still have to look into the mixed-use/commercial portion a bit more deeply. Generally, though, it's going to allow for more density, but the biggest change will be the design standards, which will be MUCH more strict in its requirements and demands, particularly as far as building materials are concerned. You're not just going to be able to put up totally vinyl-sided shlock, anymore, for instance.

Right on, Lansing's done quite a lot in terms of revitalization efforts over the past decade only Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids have had more success but it's well past time that the city gets a higher standard of architecture and give those two a run for their money. Not that there aren't cool projects planned and completed but there is still too much cheap "student housing" like residential especially.