Taylor, MI Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Maximum density bonus
- up to 10 percent
- Granting authority
- city council, on planning commission finding
- Applies to
- residential PUDs, Article 22
- Required criteria
- 4 smart growth findings, Sec. 22.04(d)(1)-(4)
- Baseline density method
- parallel conventional subdivision plan
Summary
In the City of Taylor, Michigan, the city council may grant a residential planned unit development up to a 10 percent density bonus under Zoning Ordinance, Appendix A Sec. 22.04(d), but only if the planning commission finds the project meets four smart-growth criteria on housing variety, walkability, compact design, and consistency with the master plan.
(d)Density bonus. The city council may grant a density bonus of up to ten percent, where the planning commission finds that the development provides extraordinary benefits and furthers smart growth principals by meeting all of the following:(1)The project will provide a wide range of housing opportunities and choices through varied housing types, varied dwelling sizes and variable lot sizes, or the project will provide a mixture of compatible and complementary residential and nonresidential land uses;(2)The project will create a walkable neighborhood with a continuous pedestrian circulation system that links all areas of the development, links the development to other destinations in the surrounding area and is designed to facilitate a variety of transportation choices by providing alternatives to automobile travel;(3)The project takes advantage of compact design through clustering development into a walkable scale neighborhood and preserving significant open space, and natural features; and(4)The project is consistent with the Taylor Master Plan, furthers the stated goals of the plan and provides extraordinary benefits to the city.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 22.04 sets residential density for planned unit developments (PUDs). For single-family residential PUDs, subsection (a) ties the maximum number of dwelling units to a parallel conventional-subdivision plan the city reviews to determine how many buildable lots the site could feasibly support, after accounting for wetlands or other nonbuildable land. Subsection (b) ties multiple-family or commercial PUD density to the underlying zoning district, using the RM-1 district as the baseline for a PUD sited on nonresidential land. Subsection (d), the density bonus provision, lets the city council grant up to an additional ten percent over that calculated density where the planning commission makes findings that the project delivers "extraordinary benefits" and furthers smart growth principles.
To qualify, the project must meet all four listed criteria: it must offer a wide range of housing types, sizes, and lot sizes, or mix compatible residential and nonresidential uses; it must create a walkable neighborhood with continuous pedestrian circulation linking the development internally and to surrounding destinations; it must use compact, clustered design that preserves significant open space and natural features; and it must be consistent with, and further the stated goals of, the Taylor Master Plan. The bonus sits within the broader PUD review process of Article 22, under which the planning commission and city council also control permitted uses (Sec.
22.03), dimensional flexibility (Sec. 22.05), and mandatory open space set-asides of 30 percent of a residential PUD site, half of which must be usable recreational space (Sec. 22.06).
Violations & Fines
A density bonus is a discretionary planning commission finding tied to city council approval of the PUD rezoning and preliminary site plan under Sec. 22.09; a developer that builds beyond the approved density without the required findings is subject to the zoning ordinance's general penalty at Sec. 25.10(b), a municipal civil infraction with a fine of up to $500.00 per violation and an additional $500.00 for each day the violation continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How large a density bonus can a Taylor PUD get?
Who approves a density bonus in Taylor?
Does every PUD in Taylor get a density bonus?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Taylor
Compare Taylor to another location·View the Michigan zoning overlays & bonuses overview
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Density Bonus Law in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle density bonus law.