Pontiac, MI Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)

Pontiac Zoning Ordinance Section 3.905, General Architectural and Site Design Regulations, governs the SP Special Purpose District that covers large mixed-use sites such as those fronting Featherstone Road, Opdyke Road and M-59. Subsection F, General Site Design Standards, item 1 states that green building and energy-efficient site development is encouraged, and that use of LEED-certified Green Buildings 'will result in incentives provided to the developer for increased density, parking, modification of landscape standards etc.' The ordinance does not set a fixed numeric bonus (such as a percentage increase in units per acre); instead the Planning Commission determines the specific incentive package during its mandatory site plan review under Section 3.907.

That review runs in two phases: a Preliminary Site Plan valid for one year, followed by a Final Site Plan that must incorporate all conditions from the preliminary approval. An approved Final Site Plan is valid for three years from approval, after which it lapses if construction has not started, forcing the applicant back through the full review process. Because the incentive is discretionary and tied to a Master Site Plan process rather than an as-of-right formula, an applicant seeking the density bonus must document LEED certification (or certification pathway) as part of its site plan submission for Planning Commission evaluation.

The SP District's baseline area, height and bulk standards otherwise track the R-1 district for detached single-family development and the R-3 district for multi-family and attached residential uses, per Section 3.906(C), giving the Commission a baseline to depart from when awarding the bonus.