KALAMAZOO, MI — The Kalamazoo City Commission this week took action on a plan meant to add additional oversight for development of land around natural features in the city.

The city voted at its Monday, May 20, meeting, approving two separate motions to create a Natural Features Protection Overlay District and to rezone properties throughout the city.

The Natural Features Protection Overlay District defines natural features that exist in Kalamazoo and sets standards to better protect and manage the features during site development. Overlay districts are meant to apply additional standards to zoning districts and would require developers to complete an analysis of a site’s natural features such as wetlands, woodlands and slopes, and mitigate potential negative impacts.

Jessica Simons, Vice President for Conservation Stewardship at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, was one of more than a dozen people to speak in support of the proposed actions.

“I see this as an opportunity for our community to show what we value,” Simons said. “We can show that we value the natural features around us.”

She called the proposal “a tremendous first step” to declare the values the community has.

“This ordinance does not limit development from happening,” she said, but instead she believes it would allow development while better protecting natural features.

Several people including business owners and attorneys spoke against the proposed rezoning of properties with the Natural Features Protection Overlay District.

Matthew Van Dyk of Miller Johnson Attorneys, representing Haji Tehrani and DNS Stadium Drive, LLC, asked the commission to “do what is right” and exclude two of his client’s parcels from the Natural Features Protection overlay. Tehrani is planning a commercial development on the southeast corner of Stadium Drive and South Drake Road, and parcels included in the proposed development are within the Natural Features Protection area.

Commissioner Don Cooney proposed that the city buy out the owner of the land, and said he did not support the recommended proposed action to rezone properties. He made a motion to zone properties in the city with the Natural Features Protection overlay, with the exception of two properties on the corner of Stadium Drive and South Drake Road, and to send those properties back to the planning commission. He said it would give the city time to see if there is support to buy the property. He later withdrew the motion.

Cooney and Commissioner Eric Cunningham voted against the motion, with Mayor Bobby Hopewell, Vice Mayor Erin Knott, and Commissioners David Anderson and Jack Urban voting in favor of the recommendation.

Commissioners voted on Monday on the process that has been in the works for months.

On April 9, the city planning commission held a public hearing about the natural features protection area, before voting to recommend the city commission approve the changes meant to guide the development of land on or near areas identified as natural features. The planning commission also voted to recommend the city commission approve the map of the proposed natural features protection overly district.

The Natural Features Protection Review Board would function similarly to existing boards for downtown development and historic preservation districts, City Planner Christina Anderson said previously. Once the board is established, a recommendation from the board is required as part of the site plan review process.

Failure to follow the standards would be punishable by a civil infraction, including a fine of up to $2,500 and court order to restore natural features damaged by construction. Developers are also required to issue a bond held by the city to cover costs of repairing the site, if needed.