The City of Portage is continuing its efforts to modernize and streamline local land use regulations through the development of a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). This comprehensive update, led by nationally recognized zoning and planning firm Kendig Keast Collaborative (KKC), will consolidate zoning, subdivision, and land use rules into a single, user-friendly ordinance to create a unified development code.
As part of this process, the public is invited to attend a formal presentation of the UDO Critique during the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, April 17 at 7 PM in the City Hall Council Chambers (7900 South Westnedge Avenue).
KKC’s critique evaluates existing ordinances, identifies outdated standards, and highlights opportunities to align regulations with the Forward Together 2045 Master Plan, adopted in August 2024. This presentation follows a robust community engagement process that began in January and included stakeholder focus groups, resident input sessions, one-on-one interviews, and presentations to the City Council and Planning Commission.
A key goal of the UDO update is to support housing development in Portage. The critique and forthcoming updates will focus on creating regulations that enable a greater variety of housing options, especially in mixed-use settings such as the City Centre and Crossroads Mall redevelopment areas.
KKC’s findings are based on a variety of sources, including feedback from outreach events, policy directives from the Master Plan, staff experience with the current ordinances, and best practices recommended by the State of Michigan for zoning and land use regulations.
Following the April 17 presentation and community input, KKC will begin drafting updated standards related to housing. These proposed changes will be presented to the Planning Commission and City Council later this year, with additional updates and public presentations to follow. The complete UDO is expected to be finalized by May 2026.
For more information, contact the City of Portage Department of Community Development at (269) 329-4477.