Page 38 - Northville Township
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SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL
This designation is for residential areas where Suburban character is established and preserved by achieving a
balance between buildings and other site improvements relative to the degree of open space maintained within the
neighborhood. The openness may be found in relatively large yard areas on individual lots and between homes and/or
in common green spaces or water features. This distinguishes Suburban character areas from more auto-oriented areas
where site coverage in the form of dwellings, driveways and other paved surfaces predominates over green and open
spaces.
Primary Land Use Types
– Detached residential dwellings.
– Planned developments that integrate other housing types (e.g., Small-Lot Residential and Suburban Residential
Attached such as patio homes or townhomes), with increased open space to preserve an overall Suburban character.
– Public/institutional uses (including certain public assembly uses such as places of worship).
– Parks and public spaces.
Suburban Residential development between Six Mile Road (to the south), Beck Road (to the west), Seven Mile Road (to the north) and Sheldon Road
(to the east).
Characteristics
– Less noticeable accommodation of the automobile compared to more intensive auto-oriented areas, especially
where driveways are on the side of homes rather than occupying a portion of the front yard and where garages are
situated to the side or rear of the dwelling.
– Character-based zoning and development standards can also discourage overly standardized subdivision designs and
promote conservation design by allowing for smaller lot sizes than the baseline in exchange for greater open space
set-aside. This approach enables some viable use of sites partially constrained by topography or other factors. It also
provides flexibility for additional housing forms that blend with the area’s Suburban residential character through
additional on-site open space and perimeter buffering where differing housing types and densities are adjacent.
– More opportunity for natural and/or swale drainage (and storm water retention/absorption) relative to
concentrated storm water conveyance in auto-oriented areas.
34 NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP Master Plan