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

Livonia's Form-Based Development Option, codified at Section 5.04 of Zoning Ordinance No. 3160, functions as the city's downtown design code for the C-1, C-2, C-3, and C-4 commercial districts. The Statement of Purpose directs new development toward "clear and simple regulations on the design of new development or redevelopment" that create a pedestrian-friendly, walkable character and building frontages that define public streets. Applicability turns on the scale of work: additions or site changes under 15 percent of an existing building's floor area are exempt, but anything larger, or any redevelopment demolishing more than 50 percent of an existing structure, must fully comply.

The dimensional standards are specific. Minimum building height is 20 feet, and every building must read as at least two stories, with a base, middle, and cap: a ground-floor entry with a horizontal reveal at least 2 inches deep and 4 inches tall, and a cap with a cornice or roof overhang. Primary materials such as brick, stone, or timber must cover at least 70 percent of each facade, with concrete block barred unless veneered; accent materials are capped at 30 percent. Ground-floor facades facing a public street must be at least 70 percent transparent glass between 2 and 8 feet above grade. Frontage type governs setback: a Shopfront allows up to a 15-foot maximum setback, a Courtyard up to 5 feet, a Stoop requires a 7-foot minimum, and a Lawn frontage requires a 10-foot minimum. Balconies may encroach up to 6 feet into a required setback, stoops up to 5 feet, awnings up to 6 feet, and bay windows and eaves up to 3 feet. The Planning Commission and City Council may modify specific dimensional requirements under Section 5.04(4) upon written findings.