The City of Ann Arbor Planning Department reviews, and the City Planning Commission and City Council approves, all types of new construction with a few exceptions. Those exceptions which do not require development review are construction of a single family dwelling or a two family dwelling, and construction/renovation of a non-residential building's interior. Otherwise new construction and additions to multiple-family and non-residential buildings, and often improvements to the site such as landscaping and parking lot work, require some type of formal review and approval per Chapter 57 of the Ann Arbor City Code.
Annexations, rezonings and land divisions are also reviewed by the Planning Department and are approved by the City Planning Commission and City Council.
Petitions
Persons seeking to develop, annex, rezone or divide property must petition the City Planning Commission and the City Council for approval. A petition application is submitted to the Planning Department, and depending on the type of petition, additional drawings or plans are required. Once filed, a project is referred to as a "petition" and the person submitting the project is called a "petitioner".
The kinds of petitions reviewed by the Planning Department are listed below. Highlighted activities are linked to further information about that specific petition application process.
- Area Plan
- Site Plan
- Land Division
- Annexation
- Rezoning
- Special Exception Use
- Street Vacation
- Wetland Use Permit
- Plat
The Development Review Process - There are several steps in the life of a petition. Learn how to take a project from concept to approval.
Deadlines, Fees, Checklists and Forms
City Planning Commission meets to take official action on petitions after holding a public hearing, and public hearings are held at their Business Meetings (the first Tuesday of the month) and Regular Meetings (the third Tuesday of the month). New petitions are scheduled for Regular Meetings. Returning petitions, those which have been tabled at a Regular Meeting, could be rescheduled for either a Business or Regular Meeting.
City Planning Commission monthly meeting schedule
Petitions are accepted once a month. . In general, the filing deadline is one month before the City Planning Commission Regular Meeting.
Petition Deadline and Review Calendar
A petition is not complete unless all fees are paid at the time of submission.
Fee Schedule
A pre-submission meeting is required before a petition is accepted. Planning staff use a submittal checklist to determine if petitions, particularly site plans, contain all required information.
Learn more about the development review process
Coming Soon: Petition Application Form, Annexation Petition Form, Zoning Petition Form, Planned Project Application Form, Planned Unit Development Petition Form. In the meantime, contact staff for these documents.
Codes Relevant to Planning and Development Issues
See City Clerk's Office for City Code for documentation in new window. The chapters listed below are particularly important to the development review process.
Chapter 26: Solid Waste Management
Chapter 47: Streets
Chapter 55: Zoning Ordinance
Chapter 57: Subdivision and Land Use Control
Chapter 58: Territorial Annexations
Chapter 59: Off-Street Parking
Chapter 60: Wetlands Preservation Ordinance
Chapter 61: Signs and Outdoor Advertising
Chapter 62: Landscape and Screening
Chapter 63: Storm Water Management and Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control
Chapter 103: Historical Preservation
Chapter 104: Fences
Related Regulations and Policies Not In City Code
Some regulations and policies are not part of the Ann Arbor City Code, but have been approved separately by City Planning Commission and/or City Council.
Chapter 57, Subdivision and Land Use Control, outlines the types of activities which require approval. If approval is necessary, the Land Development Regulations identify the required information for area plans, site plans, plats, and land divisions.
Land Development Regulations
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Land Development Regulations Attachment A - Guidelines for the Protection and Mitigation of Natural Features
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Land Development Regulations Attachment B - Archaeological Review Process
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Land Development Regulations Attachment C - Street Tree Escrow Regulations
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Land Development Regulations Attachment D - Traffic Impact Analysis
Invasive Species List - Revised May 2004 (pdf)
RULES OF THE WASHTENAW COUNTY DRAIN COMMISSIONER - Procedures and Design Criteria for Storm Water Management Systems (Note, this link will take you out of the City of Ann Arbor web site and into the Washtenaw County web site. It is provided for your convenience only.)
Resolution Regarding Development in the Malletts Creek Watershed