Expedited Rezoning Decisions for Attainable Workforce Housing

Quick Summary

This article explores:

• Why rezoning delays make it harder to build attainable workforce housing in Northern Michigan.

• How “expedited rezoning” can fast-track projects that meet affordability criteria.

• Examples of Northern Michigan communities already using streamlined rezoning or permitting.

• How the Grand Traverse County VR-10 ordinance offers a model for compact, village-scale housing.

• Why prioritizing workforce housing projects doesn’t mean cutting corners—it means cutting delays for essential workers.

How Expedited Rezoning Can Unlock Workforce Housing

In much of Leelanau County, agricultural and forestry lands are zoned for 5-acre minimum lots, a policy originally intended to preserve open space and rural character. Unfortunately, these large-lot requirements now make it easier for developers to build high-end homes rather than the workforce housing our community urgently needs.

When local groups attempt to rezone land for attainable housing, the process can take up to two years. This is time that working families simply do not have. To address this, several Northern Michigan communities have adopted or are exploring Expedited Rezoning Processes specifically for attainable and workforce housing developments.

In Northern Michigan we have several examples of fast tracking or streamlining approvals for Attainable Workforce Housing. For example: Grand Traverse County passed an ordinance called VR-10. VR-10 stands for Village Residential – 10,000 square feet (minimum lot size). It is included in the Grand Traverse County Zoning Ordinance and primarily applies to unincorporated village areas, allowing moderately higher density than agricultural or rural zones. Because rezoning from Agricultural/Forestry to VR-10 can take significant time, it may be a key target designation for Expedited Rezoning efforts focused on attainable housing.

How Expedited Rezoning Works

The traditional rezoning and land-use change process—public hearings, planning commission reviews, and multiple agency sign-offs—can be accelerated or given priority when a project meets specific affordability criteria.

The goals are simple:

• Reduce time, uncertainty, and soft costs (architectural, legal, interest, and tax expenses) that make housing projects more expensive.
• Streamline approvals, allowing a project to move from application to approval in months rather than years.
• Include both rezoning and permitting (building and zoning permits) in the fast-track process.

This approach has already proven effective in several Northern Michigan communities.

Northern Michigan Examples

• Traverse City – “Fast-Track Review”

  • The City’s Workforce Housing Framework directs departments to coordinate with Grand Traverse County to apply a fast-track review for affordable housing projects, explicitly designed to shorten approval times.
    (City of Traverse City)

• Village of Northport (Leelanau County) – Attainable Housing District Ordinance

  • Northport’s Attainable Housing District (AHD) ordinance, built under Michigan’s 2022 Attainable Housing Facilities Act, provides a model for other local governments to adopt similar incentives and accelerated reviews.
    (Village of Northport)

• Regional Enablement via Housing North – “Housing Ready” Program

  • Through its Housing Ready initiative, Housing North is helping communities such as Frankfort, Petoskey, and Manistee streamline zoning and permitting to encourage attainable housing.
    (Housing North)

• Petoskey – Active Zoning Reform

  • Petoskey’s zoning reform process prioritizes housing-related rezoning changes to reduce friction for workforce units downtown and beyond.
    (City of Petoskey)

• Frankfort – Streamlined Local Support

  • While not formally labeled “expedited,” Frankfort’s collaborative approach and flexible local review process have accelerated land-trust and workforce housing projects, showing how streamlined decisions get shovels in the ground.
    (Benzie Record Patriot)

Grand Traverse County VR-10 Zoning Ordinance

Overview

• The VR-10 district stands for Village Residential – 10,000 square feet (minimum lot size). It is included in the Grand Traverse County Zoning Ordinance and primarily applies to unincorporated village areas, allowing moderately higher density than agricultural or rural zones. Because rezoning from Agricultural/Forestry to VR-10 can take significant time, it may be a key target designation for Expedited Rezoning efforts focused on attainable housing.
• The VR-10 zone is one of the few zoning categories in unincorporated Grand Traverse County that allows compact lot development, making it potentially useful for attainable/workforce housing projects. The ordinance identifies 10,000 Square Feet Residential (R-10) and 10,000 Square Feet Village Residential (VR-10) as part of the County’s residential zoning districts.

• The VR-10 District is designed to preserve a “village” residential character — compact, walkable, and compatible with small-scale community living. It serves as a transitional zone between higher-density village cores and surrounding rural areas. The ordinance describes its purpose as providing appropriate locations for a mix of housing types and limited neighborhood-oriented services, while maintaining the visual and social qualities of a traditional village.
• The Village Residential (VR) District is designed to provide appropriate locations for a variety of housing types in a village setting… densities ranging from single-family dwellings to multiple-family dwellings, as well as other neighborhood-oriented service uses.

• The district supports village-scale residential development, including single-family homes and potentially small multi-family structures (duplexes, etc.) where allowed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Expedited Rezoning

1. What does “expedited rezoning” mean?
Expedited rezoning is a locally adopted process that shortens approval timelines for housing projects that meet specific affordability and workforce criteria. It’s a way for communities to signal that attainable housing is a priority and deserves faster consideration.

2. Does fast-tracking rezoning mean skipping public input?
No. Public hearings and transparency remain essential. Expedited rezoning simply streamlines internal reviews and approvals without reducing opportunities for public comment or oversight.

3. Which Northern Michigan communities are already using expedited processes?
Traverse City, Northport, and Frankfort have all implemented or piloted accelerated review systems for attainable housing. Petoskey and Grand Traverse County are exploring zoning reforms, like the VR-10 District, that could serve as models for Leelanau County and other rural gateway communities.