Royal Oak, MI Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Section 770-90J of the Royal Oak Zoning Ordinance folds ground-mounted generators into the same screening article that governs transformers and HVAC equipment. Subsection J(3) sets three linked standards. First, siting: a ground-mounted generator must be located away from public view insofar as possible, and placed on whichever side of the building is opposite, or at the maximum distance possible from, adjacent residential uses. Second, a nuisance standard rather than a fixed number: the generator must be situated so that it does not cause excessive nuisance or offense to occupants of nearby buildings, giving the Planning Commission room to require relocation or additional mitigation on a case-by-case basis during site plan review.

Third, screening: if the generator is visible from any public right-of-way or from an adjacent residential use, it must be screened with plantings or an enclosure that is unified and harmonious with the building's overall architectural theme. This tracks the parallel rule for roof-mounted generators and HVAC units in § 770-90J(4), which instead requires siting away from the building's front facade and concealment by decorative fencing, a parapet, or another method the Planning Commission finds acceptable. Both ground- and roof-mounted standards sit inside the broader landscaping, greenbelt, buffer and screening article, § 770-90, so a generator installation is reviewed alongside a site's other required landscaping and screening during site plan approval, not as a stand-alone permit.