Does a new house need Planning Commission review in Ferndale?

No. One- and two-unit dwellings go through an administrative review track at the Building Department, along with fences, accessory dwellings, and signs (Section 9.07). The CED Director determines which review track applies to a given project (Sections 9.03, 9.07), but a standard new house does not appear before the Planning Commission.

The tracks break down as follows:

• Building Department administrative: fences, accessory dwellings, one- and two-unit dwellings, signs
• CED administrative: renovation or new construction of permitted uses, re-occupancy, by-right three- and four-unit dwellings
• Planning Commission: special land uses, PUDs, amendments

One caution for new construction: form-based building types under Section 4.05 apply in R-1 and R-2, but the table does not clearly list a one- or two-unit building type for those districts, which looks like a drafting error. Confirm the applicable building-type standards with CED at 248-336-4370 before designing.