Macomb Township, Michigan zoning
A plain-language summary of the Macomb Township zoning ordinance, organized by district and topic. Source: the official ordinance on Municode-hosted zoning ordinance (Supp. No. 35, codified through Ord. No. 10-79, adopted 10-8-2025), last reviewed July 3, 2026.
Zoning districts
- AGResidential
Agricultural
Agricultural is the township's rural holding district, 1 acre minimum residential lots with farming, greenhouses, and horse keeping allowed alongside single-family homes.
- R-1-SResidential
Residential One-Family Suburban (R-1-S)
R-1-S is a low-density single-family district on 30,000 square foot minimum lots that carries forward the full Agricultural district use list, including farming.
- R-1-EResidential
Residential Estate One-Family (R-1-E)
R-1-E is the estate single-family district; lot size steps down from 40,000 to 15,000 square feet as public water and sewer become available, and farming uses are cut off.
- R-1Residential
Residential Urban One-Family (R-1)
R-1 is the township's standard subdivision district, single-family homes on lots as small as 8,400 square feet where public water and sewer serve the lot.
- R-2-LResidential
Residential Multiple-Family Low Density (R-2-L)
R-2-L hosts low-rise multiple-family housing at one unit per 7,500 square feet of site area on parcels of at least 5 acres.
- R-2Residential
Residential Multiple-Family Medium Density (R-2)
R-2 hosts low-rise multiple-family housing at one unit per 5,000 square feet of site area on parcels of at least 5 acres.
- R-2-HResidential
Residential Multiple-Family High Density (R-2-H)
R-2-H is the high-rise multiple-family district, buildings of 4 to 10 stories at one unit per 3,500 square feet of site area on parcels of at least 10 acres.
- R-3Residential
Residential Mobile Home Park (R-3)
R-3 is the mobile home park district, planned communities on at least 20 acres at up to 8 units per acre.
- CFSpecial purpose
Community Facilities
Community Facilities hosts day care centers and funeral homes by right, with hospitals and nursing homes as special land uses, as a transition between residential and commercial areas.
- O-1Commercial
Office Low Rise (O-1)
O-1 is the low-rise office district for professional and business offices, banks, and medical or dental clinics, with no retail sales of tangible goods on the premises.
- O-2Commercial
Office High Rise (O-2)
O-2 is the high-rise office district, up to 10 stories and 100 feet, adding hotels and motels to the O-1 office use list.
- C-1Commercial
Local Commercial (C-1)
C-1 is the neighborhood commercial district for day-to-day retail and services conducted within enclosed buildings, plus all O-1 office uses.
- C-2Commercial
General Commercial (C-2)
C-2 is the township's general retail district; restaurants without drive-through service, supermarkets, and department stores are by right, while bars, drive-throughs, and hotels need special approval.
- C-3Commercial
Commercial Shopping Center (C-3)
C-3 is the planned shopping center district on sites of at least 5 acres, requiring a minimum 50,000 square feet of floor area built as a single architectural unit.
- C-4Commercial
General Highway Commercial (C-4)
C-4 is the most intensive commercial district; it absorbs the C-1, C-2, and C-3 use lists by right, including auto dealerships, repair garages, and drive-in restaurants.
- WHIndustrial
Warehouse
Warehouse provides for indoor wholesaling, warehousing, truck terminals, and self-storage; manufacturing is not permitted in this district.
- MRIndustrial
Industrial Research (MR)
MR hosts research and development facilities, testing laboratories, and administrative offices without the odors, noise, and vibration of manufacturing.
- M-1Industrial
Light Industrial (M-1)
M-1 is the light industrial district for manufacturing, assembly, and fabrication of prepared materials, absorbing the WH, MR, and O-1 use lists.
- M-2Industrial
Heavy Industrial (M-2)
M-2 is the heavy industrial district for intensive manufacturing and raw material processing, with the township's deepest required buffers from residential areas.
- SLDSpecial purpose
Special Land Development
SLD is reserved for mining, extraction, and concrete or asphalt plants, uses that are often temporary and carry setbacks of up to 500 feet from residential land.
- MTCMixed use
Traditional Neighborhood Development (Macomb Town Center)
The zoning map labels the Traditional Neighborhood Development District as MTC, the Macomb Town Center area, a form-based district with its own regulating plan, development zones, and attached two-family and mixed-use building types.
- FLXMixed use
Flex Use District (FLX)
FLX, added in 2022, allows a mixture of commercial, office, multiple-family, and light industrial uses; every use is a special land use requiring Planning Commission approval.
Rules by topic
- Permitted usesWhat you can do by right in each zoning district.
- Special land usesUses that need special approval before they are allowed.
- SetbacksHow far buildings must sit from property lines.
- Building heightHeight limits by district, and the exceptions.
- Lot coverageHow much of a lot buildings may cover.
- Lot size and widthMinimum lot area and width requirements.
- ParkingRequired spaces, driveway rules, and surfaces.
- Accessory dwelling unitsWhether a second dwelling unit is allowed.
- Garages, sheds, and accessory structuresSize caps, setbacks, and height limits for detached structures.
- FencesHeight limits, placement, and prohibited materials.
- SignsWhat signs are allowed and where.
- Home occupationsRunning a business from a residence.
- Variances and appealsWho decides, what standard applies, and the sequence.
Common questions
- Are accessory dwelling units (ADUs) allowed in Macomb Township?
- Are duplexes allowed in Macomb Township?
- Are short-term rentals allowed in Macomb Township?
- Can a restaurant have a drive-through in Macomb Township?
- Can I grow marihuana at home in Macomb Township?
- Can I keep chickens in Macomb Township?
- Can I keep horses in Macomb Township?
- Can I park an RV or boat in my driveway in Macomb Township?
- Can I put a 6 foot privacy fence on my property line in Macomb Township?
- Can I run a business from my home in Macomb Township?
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