Live Zoning File

Use permission

Stated use

Commercial office

District

CBD

Municipality

Rochester, MI

The stated commercial office use was checked against the CBD district's permitted and special-use provisions.

1. Section 1101(5) permits offices and office buildings of an executive, administrative, or professional nature in CBD. Footnote (a) creates a street-level exclusion for uses in subsections (5), (10), and (11) on properties fronting Main Street between 2nd Street and University Drive. The stated office use is permitted in CBD only subject to that Main Street ground-floor restriction.

   Article 11, Sec. 1101(5) and footnote (a)

Conditions, explicit

1. 1.

   Front yard

   Ordinance-absent

   Front yard: ordinance-absent numeric value. The CBD front-yard cell says See following notes and does not state a standalone numeric front-yard setback. The proposed façade location therefore cannot be tested from a single numeric CBD setback.

   Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule, CBD front-yard cell
2. 2.

   Side yard

   Stated value

   Side yard: stated value with condition and exception. No side yards are required along interior lot lines, provided Building Code requirements for fire protection and separation, adequate light, and adequate ventilation are met. If those conditions are not met, zero side yard is not available.

   Article 20, Sec. 2004
3. 3.

   Rear yard

   Stated value

   Rear yard: stated value. The CBD schedule lists a 10-foot minimum rear yard.

   Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule, CBD rear-yard cell
4. 4.

   Build-to / downtown frontage

   Depends on site dimensions

   Build-to / downtown frontage: depends on site dimensions. The ordinance does not state a separate numeric CBD build-to line; the CBD site-plan package must show the proposed building's relationship to existing buildings within 200 feet. The Planning Commission may waive the model, photograph, or video requirement for a modest building addition.

   Dimension needed: existing and proposed façade location relative to adjoining downtown buildings.

   Article 27, Sec. 2701(29)
5. 5.

   Height and stories

   Stated value

   Height and stories: stated values. The CBD schedule lists a maximum building height of 35 feet and 3 stories.

   Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule, CBD height cells
6. 6.

   Height — West Walnut transition

   Depends on site dimensions

   Height, West Walnut transition exception. The maximum is 25 feet and 2 stories from the west side of Walnut Boulevard to the east right-of-way line of Pine Street, including the described extension south from Second Street to First Street. Applicability depends on the parcel's location within that transition area.

   Dimension needed: parcel location relative to Walnut Boulevard, Pine Street, Second Street, and First Street.

   Article 20, Sec. 2010; Sec. 2000 schedule footnote (c)
7. 7.

   Lot coverage

   Ordinance-absent

   Lot coverage: ordinance-absent numeric value. The Article 20 schedule leaves the CBD maximum lot-coverage cell blank, so the reviewed schedule states no uniform numeric maximum building-coverage percentage for CBD.

   Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule
8. 8.

   Minimum lot area and width

   Ordinance-absent

   Minimum lot area and width: ordinance-absent numeric values. The Article 20 schedule leaves the CBD minimum lot-area and lot-width cells blank. Section 2007 separately supplies minimums for land without public water and sanitary sewer, but the reviewed schedule states no general numeric CBD minimum lot size.

   Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule; Sec. 2007
9. 9.

   Parking

   Depends on site dimensions

   Parking: depends on total gross floor area and office classification. The table requires 1 space per 300 square feet of gross floor area for business, professional, or general offices; 1 per 200 square feet for medical or dental offices; and 1 per 250 square feet for banks, plus any required stacking spaces.

   Dimension needed: total gross floor area, exact office classification, and credited downtown parking.

   Article 24, Sec. 2403, office parking row
10. 10.

    Parking — downtown district posture

    Depends on site dimensions

    Parking Management District posture: depends on the parcel and credited parking. Section 2402 directs properties within the Parking Management District to City Code Chapter 28, Article V and allows the Planning Commission to modify numerical parking requirements on supporting evidence. Confirm the parcel's district status, on-site supply, public or leased-space credits, and any approved modification.

    Dimension needed: total gross floor area, exact office classification, and credited downtown parking.

    Article 24, Sec. 2402

Approval path

The review path for this building addition was checked against Rochester's site-plan, administrative-review, and variance provisions.

1. Planning Commission site-plan review and approval is required before a building is constructed or structurally altered, including a change to an exterior wall's location, height, or area. A commercial office building addition therefore goes to the Planning Commission for site-plan review.

   Article 27, Sec. 2700(3)

2. For CBD review, the site-plan submission must show the proposed building's relationship to existing buildings within 200 feet. A model, photograph, or video may be required, although the Planning Commission may waive that item for a modest addition.

   Article 27, Sec. 2701(29)

3. If the proposal cannot meet a dimensional requirement, the Zoning Board of Appeals hears a dimensional variance under the practical-difficulties standard. The ZBA may not grant a use variance.

   Article 30, Sec. 3001

Checked and clear

• Overlay / planned-development district

  The resolved CBD district label was checked for an overlay or planned-development designation; none was identified in the compiler input.

  Gate district overlay / planned-development screen · pack 5 · checked 7/26/2026

  • Rochester official zoning map
  • Reviewed ordinance source node

• Controlling instrument gate

  The gate checked whether the resolved CBD district label identified an overlay or planned-development instrument that had to replace the base rules; it did not trigger one.

  Gate controlling_instrument_resolved · pack 5 · checked 7/26/2026

  • Rochester official zoning map
  • Reviewed ordinance source node

• Adversarial pack review

  The municipality pack passed its adversarial review gate before this report was compiled.

  Gate municipality adversarial pack review · pack 5 · checked 7/26/2026

  • Rochester official zoning map
  • Reviewed ordinance source node

Not covered

• Recorded parcel instruments

  No title commitment, easements, private covenants, development agreement, or parcel-specific recorded restriction was supplied with this file.

• Survey-dependent layout

  A sealed boundary/topographic survey was not supplied, so lot lines, existing building offsets, encroachments, and the proposed work footprint were not measured here.

• Addition dimensions

  The addition plan did not supply surveyed front, side, and rear offsets, measured finished height, floor elevations, exact building footprint, or resulting lot coverage.

• Parking calculation inputs

  Existing and proposed total gross floor area, exact office classification, on-site spaces, and downtown parking credits were not supplied.

Citations

1. Article 11, Sec. 1101(5) and footnote (a)

   Rule 953357d1-6adc-4d59-9e85-93bb71aececa · version 2

   Source hash 50a7db6b3a72

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART11CBCEBUDI_S1101PEPRUS

2. Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule, CBD front-yard cell

   Rule cb108c6c-7651-494b-a96f-82262a67d61f · version 2

   Source hash b46298e93d2f

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART20SEARBUHEPLRE_S2000SCDIRE

3. Article 20, Sec. 2004

   Rule 65c54e42-c7a5-4ecb-a565-6eefddcad8c1 · version 1

   Source hash b5f85e0baf37

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART20SEARBUHEPLRE_S2004CB

4. Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule, CBD rear-yard cell

   Rule 8620b534-a43f-4191-9440-35f20260d696 · version 1

   Source hash 445c7751bc64

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART20SEARBUHEPLRE_S2000SCDIRE

5. Article 27, Sec. 2701(29)

   Rule 35f52ade-9035-4fbe-a2a8-873e2ab63c73 · version 1

   Source hash d1ccc6475b55

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART27SIPLAP_S2701SIPLAPIN

6. Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule, CBD height cells

   Rule 8f5cd8d1-17cd-4fa3-9333-38050fee844e · version 2

   Source hash a0a578437e60

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART20SEARBUHEPLRE_S2000SCDIRE

7. Article 20, Sec. 2010; Sec. 2000 schedule footnote (c)

   Rule 64fc585b-8cf0-460f-87ef-4ce24a79b334 · version 1

   Source hash 503881f568cf

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART20SEARBUHEPLRE_S2010WEWATRZO

8. Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule

   Rule 507bea3d-6a12-49fd-a714-d1d922d5b434 · version 2

   Source hash 3d9b3c069f73

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART20SEARBUHEPLRE_S2000SCDIRE

9. Article 20, Sec. 2000 schedule; Sec. 2007

   Rule f42227a9-bf58-4b2d-b0b8-03cdf91aecac · version 2

   Source hash be7bf6ce445c

   https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART20SEARBUHEPLRE_S2000SCDIRE

10. Article 24, Sec. 2403, office parking row

    Rule 2932ffb7-be15-4447-a089-a4590be60f5b · version 2

    Source hash 2c64e4a002b1

    https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART24OREPALO_S2403TAREOREPASP

11. Article 24, Sec. 2402

    Rule 6d59df24-a981-4a1e-aa5d-89522512e571 · version 2

    Source hash 65a29a6f7c08

    https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART24OREPALO_S2402REOREPAGE

12. Article 27, Sec. 2700(3)

    Rule da92143e-39a5-4a32-b3b0-fc78680456e3 · version 1

    Source hash 032097aa6cc1

    https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART27SIPLAP_S2700AP

13. Article 27, Sec. 2701(29)

    Rule 9eeec457-ae3f-4133-aef2-5c50f911cc60 · version 1

    Source hash 3041199ce6b0

    https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART27SIPLAP_S2701SIPLAPIN

14. Article 30, Sec. 3001

    Rule 2c14059c-e33b-4181-8d7c-b176b13c6cd5 · version 2

    Source hash b15eb420dc50

    https://library.municode.com/mi/rochester/codes/zoning?nodeId=CIROZOOR_ART30BOAP_S3001PODU