Plymouth's Planning Commission will take up proposed zoning changes for the downtown business district when it meets Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

The City Commission holds its own regular meeting the night before, Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. at City Hall, according to a city newsletter published Friday, Sept. 4. Both sessions are the first for each body since the Labor Day holiday weekend.

The Planning Commission's agenda lists two zoning ordinance amendments under new business, both targeting the B-2 Central Business District.

One amendment would set a new 12-foot maximum front yard setback where no maximum exists now. It would also establish a zero-foot minimum. A separate change would clarify that maximum building height in the B-2 district is three to four stories and 40 to 50 feet, based on the city's Height Overlay map. Agenda materials also confirm that off-street parking is not required in the B-2 zone.

Planning and Community Development Director Greta Bolhuis explained the setback rationale in a Sept. 2 staff memo. The cap keeps buildings close to the street so a continuous line of storefronts is less likely to be broken by empty gaps, she wrote. The 12-foot figure comes from the city's Master Plan for the Central Business District.

The amendments are part of a broader zoning audit the city launched in 2022 with consultant Carlisle Wortman. That audit identified 26 quick fixes. A Planning Commission subcommittee has been meeting monthly to work through them.

Also on the Sept. 9 agenda: a review of the Planning Commission's own bylaws and an update on a residential compatibility ordinance the commission has been exploring.

Planning Commission Chair Hollie Saraswat will preside.

The City Commission's full Sept. 8 agenda was not available as of publication. At the Planning Commission's Aug. 12 meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Joe Elliott said fence and dumpster ordinance amendments were expected on the City Commission's September agenda. Elliott also reported that the commission had slowed the density zoning ordinance, allowing extra time between first and second readings so residents could review the changes.

The Sept. 9 Planning Commission meeting is also available online via Zoom (webinar ID 856 4154 5676, passcode 752788). The Planning Commission agenda and other city meeting information are posted at plymouthmi.gov. City Hall is at 201 S. Main St.