Traverse City Commission Revisits R-2 Zoning Amendments to Allow Increased Housing Density; NAR 2025 Legislative Priorities; Long Lake Township Planning Commission Continues Their Consideration of Zoning Ordinance Amendment to Establish Design Requirements and Regulation for ADUs
The Traverse City Commission will be reconsidering a zoning amendment tonight, June 2nd, that would allow for up to four dwelling units per lot in the R-2 Two-Family Dwelling District while maintaining a maximum number of 2 residential structures. The REALTORS® Legislative Meetings started on May 31st in Washington, D.C.; check out the National Association of REALTORS® Legislative Priorities being advocated for on Capitol Hill this week. Charter Township of Long Lake Planning Commission continues their consideration of allowing accessory dwelling units by-right in residential, conservation and recreation, agricultural, and natural lakefront zones.
1. Traverse City Commission Revisits R-2 Zoning Amendments to Allow Increase Housing Density
This Monday, June 2nd the Traverse City Commission will reconsider enacting an amendment to the Traverse City Code of Ordinances which would allow for up to four dwelling units per lot in R-2 Mixed Density Residential District. As covered in previous GAD Top 3s (March 10th, 2025; March 24th, 2025; and April 14th, 2025) the Traverse City Commission introduced ordinance amendments on March 17th, 2025 and considered potential enactment on April 7th, 2025 (they did not take action on this date) that would allow up to four dwelling units per lot in the R-2 Two-Family Dwelling District. Michigan law requires that the City Commission take action (whether passing or failing it) on this item because it was introduced for enactment on April 7th, 2025. It is important to note that these amendments if enacted, would not change any of the dimensional standards in the R-2 district. These amendments would maintain the maximum number of structures that can be used for residential purposes at two, it would only change how a residential building may be divided on the inside of the building to accommodate additional allowed dwelling units.
You can view the proposed amendments here (pages 11 to 25) as well as read the context for these zoning amendment considerations (pages 1 to 10). Aspire North REALTORS® provided a public comment of support (or view it here from minute 55:28 to minute 58:16) for these R-2 zoning amendments on April 7th, 2025 when the Traverse City Commission last considered their enactment. If you would like to lend your voice to these zoning amendment considerations the Traverse City Commission Meeting will be held on Monday, June 2nd at 7 pm at the Governmental Center (400 Boardman Ave., Traverse City) in the Second Floor Commission Chambers.
2. NAR 2025 Legislative Priorities
The REALTORS® Legislative Meetings 2025 in Washington, D.C. kicked off this week starting on Saturday, May 31st. For those unfamiliar this annual event is held by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) where REALTOR® members and association staff from across the country come to Washington, D.C. to conduct the business of NAR and advance the real estate profession through powerful, impactful policy advocacy. In the lead up to the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings, NAR has released their 2025 Legislative Priorities:
Building Housing Supply and Opportunity for All
- Support the More Homes on the Market Act (H.R. 1340) to decrease the equity penalty and incentivize more long-term owners to sell their homes
- Support the Housing Supply Framework Act (H.R. 2840/ S. 1299) to create a national strategy for boosting housing production and affordability by reducing barriers to new housing development
- Support the Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act (H.R. 2410) to convert underused commercial properties into residential and mixed-use housing
- Support the Uplifting First-Time Homebuyers Act (H.R. 3526) to increase the amount that can be withdrawn penalty-free from IRAs for a down payment on a first home
- Support the Fair and Equal Housing Act to add sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under the Fair Housing Act, codifying the application of the Supreme Court’s Bostock v. Clayton County decision to the Fair Housing Act, to help ensure equal housing protections for all Americans
Support Self-Employed Professionals
- Support Association Health Plans Act (H.R. 2528/ S. 1847) to provide REALTORS® with access to quality, affordable health care
- Support the Direct Seller and Real Estate Agent Harmonization Act to ensure real estate agents maintain their independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act
- Support the Main Street Tax Certainty Act (H.R. 703/S. 213) to preserve the 20% deduction for passthrough business income
NAR Research Products Help Inform Policymaking
- Congressional District and State Reports, State Economic Impact Reports, and Local Market Reports provide data on housing and real estate trends affecting your constituents
- Reports on home buying by generations, income levels, and demographic groups analyze market trends and show how homeownership can be a catalyst to building generational wealth
- Commercial Market Insights Reports and Commercial Real Estate Metro Market Reports reveal the crucial role in revitalizing communities
For more information on NAR’s Legislative Priorities visit this webpage.
3. Long Lake Township Planning Commission Continues Their Consideration of Zoning Ordinance Amendment to Establish Design Requirements and Regulations for ADUs
After postponing the Charter Township of Long Lake Planning Commission’s consideration of an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Zoning Ordinance amendment at their April 22nd, 2025 meeting, on Tuesday, May 27th, 2025 they renewed their consideration to regulate ADUs and create standards and design requirements for eligible properties. Some key elements of the ADU Zoning Ordinance amendment are:
- Make ADUs a Use by Right in the Conservation and Recreation, Agricultural, Natural Lakefront, and all residential districts (Low-Density Residential, Lake Residential, Moderate Density Residential, and High-Density Residential Districts). As long as lots meet the “minimum lot area requirements of the subject zoning district and have a principal single-family dwelling unit, subject to first receiving an approved land use permit from the zoning administrator.”
- “The owner shall reside in either the principal or the accessory dwelling unit.”
- “A maximum of one (1) accessory dwelling unit shall be permitted per single-family residential lot.”
- “Unless possessing and maintaining an active short-term rental license on and after the effective date of this ordinance, neither a principal single family dwelling unit nor an Accessory Dwelling Unit shall be licensed as a short-term rental of less than 30 days under Ordinance Number 178 as amended for either dwelling unit on lots containing a principal single-family dwelling unit and an Accessory Dwelling Unit.”
- An ADU must have “a total floor are greater than 250 square feet” and “shall not have a total floor area that exceeds 960 square feet.”
You can view the full draft of this ADU Zoning Ordinance Amendment here (on pages 13 to 30). As of this writing, no minutes from the Charter Township of Long Lake Planning Commission on Tuesday, May 27th are available, so we are not aware whether this ADU Zoning Ordinance Amendment was recommended to the Charter Township of Long Lake Commission. We will provide further updates in the GAD Top 3 when this information becomes available.
