City Planner:                   Mara Braciszewski                                                  Zoning Administrator: Brigitte Smith

Welcome

Welcome to the City of Eastpointe Planning Department homepage.   The Planning Department is responsible for the current and long-range planning and zoning of the community.   We work with all community stakeholders to improve Eastpointe's quality of life, business community and built environment.  This department is the primary contact and liaison for the City’s Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals.  The Planning Department works closely with the Community and Economic Development Department, Building Department, City Clerk, and Office of the City Manager to create and accomplish strategic, long-term community goals and refine day-to-day business processes. See overview of roles in the image below. 

Office Hours and Location 

Monday: 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Tuesday: 9 am to 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm

To schedule an appointment, e-mail us at planningandzoning@eastpointecity.org. 

Visit us at City Hall via the Building Department window. 

Zoning Approval 

To determine if a site or building is appropriate for your proposed use, complete and fill out a Zoning Verification Application prior to leasing or completing a purchase, or reach out to the Planning Department. The ZVA determines if the site is zoned correctly for the proposed use. It also determines if there are any additional special approvals required.

If no site plan approval is required, the applicant may proceed directly to the Business License Application and process through the Building and City Clerk Departments.  A Business License is necessary prior to opening any business in the City.

If a site plan approval is required, the applicant must submit plans in conformance with Article 12: Zoning Plan Reviews of the City's Zoning Ordinance and a Site Plan Application.  The Planning Department oversees site plan packages.  Plans are reviewed and a determination is made regarding the plan's compliance with applicable requirements. The plan may be approved by the City Planner or forwarded to the Planning Commission for approval.

Zoning Ordinance

Zoning ordinances are local regulations that control the use and development of land. These ordinances group buildings and land together into zoning districts in order to separate incompatible uses and promote cohesive city planning.  Uses, or types of businesses, are categorized into three different buckets: not permitted, permitted, and special land uses. 

Non permitted uses are those that are not allowed within a zoning district.  

Permitted uses are those allowed by right within the district. An applicant must only demonstrate technical compliance with the dimensional requirements of the ordinance for approval.

Special Land Uses are those that may be allowed in the district only after review of an additional set of criteria (Article 13 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance). These criteria are established to protect districts from inappropriate uses. SLUs require a Public Hearing in front of the Planning Commission and City Council approval. All Special Land Use requests must be accompanied by plans and information demonstrating compliance with current zoning requirements and SLU criteria.

Overview of Planning Entity Roles

There are four important bodies that oversee planning processes. The graphic below outlines each body and their respective duties. 

Who Does What Cheat Sheet Slide (003)