Grand Rapids, MI Animal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone classification
- Special Land Use (S), all MU-Comm districts
- Review body
- Planning Commission (Sec. 5.12.09)
- Standalone kennel use
- Special use, MON-C district only
- Parking requirement
- 1.5 spaces per 1,000 sq ft
Summary
In Grand Rapids' Mixed-Use Commercial Zone Districts, opening a veterinary clinic or hospital, including one that boards animals, requires Planning Commission special-land-use approval, not simple by-right permitting.
Special Land Uses. Uses which may be allowed subject to review and approval by the Planning Commission in accordance with Section 5.12.09., and with all other applicable requirements of this Chapter. These uses are identified with an "S."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 70).
Full Breakdown
Table 5.6.06.B. of the Chapter 61 Zoning Ordinance lists 'Veterinary clinic or hospital (including boarding)' as an 'S' use across every Mixed-Use Commercial Zone District. TN-CC, TN-TCC, TN-TBA, MCN-TOD, MON-TOD, and MON-C. Sec. 5.6.06.A.2 defines 'S' as a Special Land Use, allowed only after review and approval by the Planning Commission under Sec. 5.12.09, plus compliance with the Chapter's other requirements. A related but distinct use, a standalone kennel with boarding or grooming, is barred outright in most of those same districts and permitted as a special land use only in MON-C. Once approved, a veterinary hospital or kennel must provide 1.5 off-street parking spaces per 1,000 square feet under Table 5.10.04.C.
Violations & Fines
Operating a veterinary clinic, hospital, or boarding kennel without the required Planning Commission special-land-use approval is a zoning violation, enforceable the same as any other unpermitted commercial use under Chapter 61.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a veterinary clinic by right in Grand Rapids?
Is a boarding kennel treated the same as a vet clinic?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Grand Rapids
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Veterinary Clinic Zoning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kent County handle veterinary clinic zoning.