Section 15.15
Purpose. The purpose of the Tiny House Planned Unit Development (THPUD) is to:
Provide a housing type that responds to changing household sizes, ages and financial security (e.g., retirees, small families, single-person households, young professional);
Provide opportunities for ownership of small, detached units within a neighborhood;
Encourage creation of more usable space for residents of the development through flexibility in density and lot standards;
Support the growth management goal of more efficient use of residential land;
Contribute to a strong sense of community through cluster arrangement;
Provide guidelines to ensure compatibility with surrounding uses; and
Allow for residential development in areas with environmental constraints like floodplains and woodlands.
Definition. A tiny house shall be defined as:
A single-family dwelling of conventional modern construction and built to all Michigan building and sanitary codes;
Placed on a permanent foundation;
Has a total square footage of between 500 and 1,200;
Is sited on legally created parcel, subject to setbacks of this ordinance;
Is connected to water or well and sewer or septic; and
Is Only permitted as part of a Planned Unit Development (PUD).
Applicability. Tiny Housing Planned Unit Developments are allowed, as follows:
Within single-family zones, SFR;
On single-family (SFR) zoned parcels adjacent to multifamily, commercial and industrial zoned parcels, as a transition to multifamily, commercial and industrial uses, including across the street on a case-by-case basis, approved by the Zoning Administrator; and
Within multifamily zoned properties (MFR).
Accessory dwelling units. Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) shall not be permitted in tiny housing developments.
Lot Requirements.
Area. The minimum lot area per dwelling unit shall be of twelve hundred (1200) square feet. Maximum lot area per dwelling unit shall be three thousand (3000) square feet.
Maximum lot coverage 40% for structure, porches and drives 60%.
c. Lot Width. Minimum width per lot shall be 18 feet. Maximum width per lot 30 feet. d. Lot Depth. Minimum length per lot 50 feet. Maximum length per lot 100 feet
House Site Arrangement.
Tiny housing developments shall contain a minimum of four tiny houses, with a maximum of 12 tiny houses per grouping. A development may contain multiple groupings.
Groups of tiny housing shall be arranged on at least two sides of a common open space, or a configuration as otherwise approved by the Village Administrator.
On a lot to be used for a tiny housing development, existing detached single-family residential structures, which may be nonconforming with respect to the standards of this section, shall be permitted to remain, but the extent of the nonconformity may not be increased. Such nonconforming dwelling units shall be included in the maximum permitted tiny density.
Height Limit and Roof Pitch.
The height limit permitted for structures in tiny housing developments shall be 18 feet.
The ridge of pitched roofs with a minimum slope of six to 12 (6:12) may extend up to 28 feet. The ridge of pitched roofs with a minimum slope of four to 12 (4:12) may extend up to 23 feet. All parts of the roof above 18 feet shall be pitched.
Lot Coverage and Floor Area.
The maximum lot coverage permitted for buildings in tiny housing developments shall not exceed 60 percent.
The maximum main floor area is 700 square feet.
The total floor area of each tiny shall not exceed either one and one-half times the area of the main level or 1,200 square feet, whichever is less. Enclosed space in a tiny located either above the main level and more than 12 feet above finished grade, or below the main level, shall be limited to no more than 50 percent of the enclosed space of the main level, or 400 square feet, whichever is less. This restriction applies regardless of whether a floor is proposed in the enclosed space but shall not apply to attic or crawl spaces (less than six feet in height).
Attached garages shall be included in the calculation of total floor area.
Areas that do not count as total floor area are:
5) The total square foot area of a tiny dwelling unit may not be increased under any circumstance.
Setbacks and Yards
Yards. The front yard setback for tiny housing developments shall be 10 feet.
Rear Yards. The minimum rear yard for a tiny housing development shall be 10 feet.
Side Yards. The minimum required side yard shall be 10 feet.
Interior Separation for Tiny Houses in Clusters. The minimum separation shall be 10 feet.
Required Open Space.
Quantity of Open Space. A minimum of 400 square feet per unit of landscaped open space is required. This quantity shall be allotted as follows:
Development Standards. Tiny houses shall be oriented around and have their main entry from the common open space.
Private usable open space shall be provided in one contiguous area with a minimum area of 200 square feet. No horizontal dimension of the open space shall be less than 10 feet and shall be oriented toward the common open space, as much as possible.
Required common open space shall be provided at ground level in one contiguous parcel. Each tiny house shall abut the common open space, and the common open space shall have tiny houses abutting at least two sides.
The minimum horizontal dimension for common open space shall be 10 feet.
Each tiny house shall have a covered porch or entry of at least 60 square feet with a minimum dimension of six feet on any side.
Secondary entrances facing a street or sidewalk shall have a five-foot by five-foot porch.
Separation of Identical Building Elevations. Units of identical elevation types must be separated by at least two different elevations. This will result in at least three different elevation plans per cluster. No two adjacent structures shall be built with the
same building size or orientation (reverse elevations do not count as different building elevations), facade, materials, or colors. g. Variety in Building Design. A variety of building elements and treatments of tiny houses and garage or carport must be incorporated. Structures must include articulation, change in materials or texture, windows, or other architectural feature as shown in the Village’s design standards. No blank walls are allowed. h. Five-foot-wide pedestrian pathways (sidewalks) must be included to provide for movement of residents and guests from parking areas to homes and other amenities.
Parking. Parking shall be:
Located on the tiny housing development property.
Located in clusters of not more than five adjoining spaces.
Screened from public streets and adjacent residential uses by landscaping or architectural screening.
Parking is allowed between or adjacent to structures only when it is located toward the rear of the principal structure and is served by an alley or private driveway.
Off-street parking requirements are as follows:
Covered Parking. Covered parking areas should be located so their visual presence is minimized, and associated noise or other impacts do not intrude into public spaces. These areas should also maintain the single-family character along public streets.
For shared detached garages, the design of the structure must be similar and compatible to that of the dwelling units within the development.
Shared detached garage structures shall be reserved for the parking of vehicles owned by the residents of the development. Storage of items which precludes the use of the parking spaces for vehicles is prohibited.
The design of carports must include rooflines similar and compatible to those of the dwelling units within the development.
Screening Requirements. a. Boundaries between tiny dwellings and neighboring properties shall be screened with landscaping to reduce the appearance of bulk or intrusion onto adjacent
properties, or otherwise treated (i.e., through setbacks or architectural techniques) to meet the intent of this section. b. Common waste and other storage receptacles shall not be placed in the front yard setback area. c. Common waste and other storage receptacles shall be architecturally screened and/or screened with landscaping so as to mask their appearance to residents, adjacent property owners, and the public rights-of-way.
Requests for Modifications to Standards. The Village President or Zoning Administrator may approve minor modifications to the general parameters and design standards set forth in this
The site is constrained due to unusual shape, topography, easements, flood prone, or sensitive areas.
The modification is consistent with the objectives of this chapter.
The modification will not result in a development that is less compatible with neighboring land uses.
Maintenance of open space and utilities. Before Final PUD approval is granted, the applicant shall submit covenants, deeds and homeowner’s association bylaws and other documents guaranteeing maintenance and common fee ownership of public open space, community facilities, private roads and drives, and all other commonly owned and operated property. These documents shall be reviewed, approved, and recorded at the County.
Application and Review Procedure for Preliminary Tiny House PUD and Final Tiny House PUD Site Plan.
Application and review shall be consistent with Sec.15-05 through Sec. 15.13