The Marquette City Planning Commission has scheduled an Open House event for the public to learn more about the Draft Land Development Code (LDC), which will – with one document – replace the City’s Zoning Ordinance, Sign Ordinance, Fence Ordinance, Subdivision Ordinance, and create a new Form-based Code for N. Third St., eliminate the South Marquette Waterfront Form-based Code and update the Downtown Marquette Waterfront Form-based Code. The City Planning Commission has been working on this project during their regular bi-monthly meetings since June 20, 2017.

The Open House will take place at the Citizens Forum in Lakeview Arena and begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 23. Marquette residents, business owners and other interested parties are encouraged to attend the event, which will begin with a presentation and follow with a question-and-answer session and the opportunity for attendees to examine proposed new zoning districts and the text of the LDC.

The Land Development Code has been created to modernize the City’s land-use codes and provide a more user-friendly document that combines various ordinance/code standards that at present are found in separate documents. The draft LDC document was designed to assist in implementing the City’s vision to become a sustainable community with a strong sense of place and which provides unique opportunities for living, learning and business. The LDC is a tool to create a more sustainable future and a legacy of a world-class natural environment. The intended impacts of the LDC project are:

• To reduce the overall complexity of the current land-use ordinances (zoning, subdivision, sign, fence, form codes).
•  To reduce the number of variance cases caused by outdated lot size, setback and accessory building standards.
•  To update zoning districts and associated standards for contemporary land use needs and the local context.
•  Incorporate new standards for increased environmental protection and preservation.
•  Reduce the negative impacts of urbanization and population growth over time.

A copy of the Draft LDC Amendment can be found in the Community Development office located at 1100 Wright St., Marquette, and online here.

Following is the tentative schedule for further public input to the Draft LDC and adoption of the Land Development Code:

• November 13: Planning Commission work session on Draft LDC.
• November 20: Final PC work session on Draft LDC.
• November 21-29: Joint Work Session of Planning Commission and City Commission to
  discuss the Draft LDC and Community Master Plan (CMP) Amendment.
• December 4: Planning Commission public hearings for 1) CMP Amendment and, and 2)
  adoption of Draft LDC.
• December 17: City Commission public hearing and vote on Land Development Code. The
  LDC would go into effect 10 days after an affirmative vote to adopt the LDC.

Written comments regarding the Draft LDC may be submitted to the Community Development Department office or by email to the City Planner at dstensaas@marquettemi.org. Comments by telephone may be made to the City Planner at 225-8103.

The Board of Zoning Appeals regular meeting on Nov. 1 has been canceled due to lack of agenda items. The next scheduled meeting will be held on Dec. 6.

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The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to the City of Marquette by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

For more information, click here.

The Parks & Recreation Master Plan Ad Hoc Steering Committee will hold a meeting on Monday, Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the Citizens Forum in Lakeview Arena at 401 E. Fair Ave. This is the rescheduled date for the Sep. 20 regular meeting, which was canceled due to a lack of quorum.

Following the meeting, there will be an Open House for the Parks & Recreation Master Plan from 7 to 9 p.m. at the same location.

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The Marquette City Planning Commission has drafted amendments to the Community Master Plan
(CMP), and the public is invited to provide comments regarding the draft CMP Amendment between
Oct. 15 and Nov. 25 to the Planning Commission.
The amendments to the Community Master Plan includes two major components:

1. A new Appendix J, with narrative and recommendations on several issues, including
   Demographics, Community Facilities and Services, Transportation (including an onstreet
   Bicycle Route Network Plan), Housing, Land Use and Zoning, the Land
   Development Code Project, Energy Production and Distribution, Environment, and
   Community Food Systems.
2. Revised Future Land Use and Proposed Zoning maps. The Future Land Use Map is
   the basis for Planning Commission decision-making on re-zoning requests, and for the
   zoning districts found in the Proposed Zoning map. There are many changes to zoning
   districts proposed in this amendment to the CMP, and those changes have been
   incorporated into a draft Land Development Code (LDC) – that when implemented
   will institute a blanket rezoning of multiple properties in the city. There will be more
   information forthcoming next week regarding scheduled public open house and other
   public comment opportunities regarding the LDC project.

A copy of the draft CMP Amendment can be found in the Community Development office at 1100
Wright St., or online: https://www.marquettemi.gov/departments/community-development/planning.
Written comments regarding the CMP Amendment may be submitted to the Community
Development Department office or by e-mail to the City Planner at dstensaas@marquettemi.org.
Comments by telephone may be made to the City Planner at 225-8103. Also, the Planning
Commission will meet during the public comment period on Oct. 16, Nov. 13, and Nov. 20 and
comments regarding the CMP Amendment may be made at those meetings.

Beginning at 7 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 15, Oberstar, Inc. will be removing partial sections of curbing on Wright Street immediately west of Ontario Avenue. This work is the prerequisite for the asphalt milling and overlaying of this street. This work will be done using lane closures and lane shifts. Wright Street will remain open to through traffic throughout this phase of the project. The public is urged to use extreme caution and follow all warning signs, lane shifts, and other traffic control measures. The work is expected to last one week for this phase of the project.
The City of Marquette asks you for your patience during this process.

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Beginning at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 16, the fifth phase of the Presque Isle Avenue reconstruction project is scheduled to begin. The fifth phase will include placing the top course of asphalt pavement and lane markings on the entire project along with completing any remaining concrete and turf restoration work. This fifth and final phase of the project is expected to last one week.

The Presque Isle Avenue work will detour truck traffic from Presque Isle Avenue to Fair Avenue, Lakeshore Boulevard, Wright Street, and back on to Presque Isle Avenue. This detour route is only for truck traffic and will remain this way for the duration of the project. Local truck deliveries for businesses along Presque Isle Avenue from Wright Street to Fair Avenue will have access to this area. Businesses in this area are open and patrons will have access to them.

Traffic will experience various lane shifts during this phase. The public is advised to use caution when traveling through this area and to be alert for construction, detour and advisory signing.

A phasing schematic can be accessed at the City of Marquette Engineering Division web site under the Presque Isle Avenue Reconstruction Project link at www.marquettemi.gov.

Hebert Construction Company is the general contractor for this project.

The City of Marquette asks you for your patience during the construction process.

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Lakeshore Boulevard has now re-opened.

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The City’s winter parking ban goes into effect Nov. 1 and continues through April 1.

More information: PSA.20181009.ParkingBan

Beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12 and continuing through noon on Sunday, Oct. 14, the Spring Street road and sidewalk will be closed between Front Street and Third Street for a concert event sponsored by NMU Arts and Entertainment.

No detour will be provided.

Access to the MarqTran drive through and the Marquette History Museum will be available at the west end of the Spring Street closure.

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