Who approves site plans and design review in Birmingham?
It depends on the project. Birmingham splits review among several bodies (Article 7):
- Planning Board: site plans for R4 through R8 and the business, office, parking, and MX districts, plus major alterations (§ 7.25)
- Design Review Board: design review of projects (§§ 7.06-7.13)
- City Planner: administrative approval of minor exterior changes, including fences and signs (§§ 7.14, 7.32)
- City Commission: special land uses (§§ 7.33-7.37) and rezonings (§ 7.02)
- Historic District Commission: properties within historic districts
- Board of Zoning Appeals: variances, plus appeals from Planning Board and Design Review Board decisions (§§ 7.29, 7.31)
One- and two-family homes are handled through building permits and the design standards rather than Planning Board site plan review. Meeting cadence for each body is on the city's posted meeting schedule. Before submitting anything, confirm the right track with the Planning Division at 248-530-1850.
Sources
Full text: Birmingham ordinance on enCodePlus. Applies to district: *.
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