Dearborn Heights, MI Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)

Sec. 36-119 sets out the architectural and site design rules for the GO, Taylor Dearborn Heights Gateway Overlay District, created under Sec. 36-64 along the Van Born Road corridor shared with the City of Taylor. New construction, additions over 2,500 square feet, and most remodeling or reoccupancy projects must comply, while routine maintenance and repair are exempt. On the architecture side, Sec. 36-119(e)(1) requires traditional and natural facade materials on at least 75 percent of street-facing elevations, caps decorative accent materials such as vinyl or stucco at 20 percent, and limits trim materials to 5 percent, all in neutral earth tones with painting of natural materials prohibited.

Sec. 36-119(e)(4) requires at least 70 percent clear glass storefront glazing on the ground floor of commercial buildings between 2 and 8 feet in height, dropping to just 50 percent for office, service, and other nonretail uses, and bans exterior solid metal security gates. Sec. 36-119(e)(6) sets minimum building heights of 20 feet for a single story and 24 feet for a two-story building, measured to the roof or cornice line. Beyond the building itself, Sec. 36-119(d) requires new front walls within an 8-foot front setback, service areas and loading docks hidden in rear yards, and building entrances oriented toward the Van Born Road sidewalk rather than parking lots.

Applications that qualify as of-right go through administrative review by the city's review committee, while special land uses go to the Planning Commission, with a further appeal available to the Zoning Board of Appeals if the Planning Commission denies a project.