KeepPlymouthCharming.com Applauds Karen Sisolak's Call for Master Plan Clarifications to Prevent Another "Champion" PUD

Plymouth, MI, USA - August 1, 2025 - Keep Plymouth Charming welcomes former Planning Commission Chair Karen Sisolak's incisive analysis on her blog, "Avoiding Another Champion PUD: Why the Draft Master Plan Needs Clarification Before Approval." Sisolak's insights underscore the urgent need to strengthen Plymouth's draft Master Plan to safeguard the city's historic character and ensure truly transparent, community-driven growth.

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Over the past few weeks, Sisolak said she has been reflecting on the challenges that made the Champion PUD process so difficult and contentious. According to Sisolak, the goal is not to revisit that process, but to ensure the city avoids similar issues in the future.

Sisolak explained that while Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) can offer benefits not achievable through traditional zoning, especially on large, undeveloped parcels, those opportunities are becoming more limited as Plymouth becomes more built-out. She noted that PUDs are now harder to justify due to three main factors: limited land availability, the potential disruption to established neighborhood character, and the difficulty of demonstrating clear public benefits like green space or parking.

According to Sisolak, the PUD process relies heavily on the discretion of the planning commission, which naturally invites public scrutiny. One way to reduce that scrutiny, she said, is to reduce the number of discretionary decisions involved in evaluating proposals.

Reflecting on the Champion PUD specifically, Sisolak said the core issue wasn't just the volume of discretionary decisions-it was that the parcel, zoned R-1, was evaluated using RM-2 standards. This happened because the Future Land Use Plan labeled the site as "Mixed Use Low Density," which had not been formally adopted into the city's zoning ordinance. Sisolak emphasized that this created confusion and concern among residents, who saw the project being judged by a more permissive standard than what the zoning actually allowed.

To prevent this from happening again, Sisolak said the draft Master Plan should be revised to clearly state that land use categories in the Future Land Use Plan must not influence zoning decisions until they are formally codified through a public zoning ordinance update.

"The Champion PUD taught us difficult lessons. Let's use them to improve our processes, starting with clear guidance in the Master Plan."

"Karen Sisolak's blog is a blueprint for how Plymouth can learn from the Champion PUD controversy and write 'community first' into its Master Plan," said Kathryn Szary, co-founder of www.KeepPlymouthCharming.com [http://www.KeepPlymouthCharming.com/]. "Her call for clear, enforceable standards will help us avoid future battles over 'developer-driven' projects that ignore local values."

"While PUDs have their place and have enabled some worthwhile projects," says Ron Picard, City Commission candidate, "they shouldn't be the default path for development in Plymouth. If nearly every large project requires a PUD, that's a red flag, and a clear sign our zoning is out of date. That process starts with making sure the Master Plan is clear and unambiguous."

"Plymouth's outdated zoning will continue to attract problematic PUD's that distract the planning commission from doing all the work that needs to be done," says Scott Silvers, former planning commission member and City Commission candidate.

"Drafting policy in broad strokes left us vulnerable to the Champion PUD's loopholes," said Scott Lorenz, community advocate. "Karen Sisolak's recommendations give our leaders concrete guardrails-so the next developer can't hijack Plymouth's vision."

Next Steps

KeepPlymouthCharming.com [https://www.keepplymouthcharming.com/] urges all residents and City Commissioners to:

1. Read Sisolak's full blog post at https://48170.info/avoiding-another-champion-pud-why-the-draft-master-plan-needs-clarification-before-approval

2. Attend the next City Planning Commission meeting to advocate for Sisolak's clarifications

3. Use the "Community Input" form on KeepPlymouthCharming.com to submit feedback.

"By mobilizing behind these pragmatic, community-centered reforms, Plymouth can chart a path forward that honors our history, protects our neighborhoods, and delivers development that truly benefits everyone," concludes Szary.

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Media Contacts:

Scott Lorenz

Westwind Communications

248-705-2214

scottlorenz@westwindcos.com

Kathryn Szary

kathryn@roguesearch.com [mailto:kathryn@roguesearch.com]

www.KeepPlymouthCharming.com [http://www.KeepPlymouthCharming.com/]
Media Contact
Company Name: Westwind Communications
Contact Person: Scott Lorenz
Email: Send Email [http://www.universalpressrelease.com/?pr=keepplymouthcharmingcom-applauds-karen-sisolaks-call-for-master-plan-clarifications-to-prevent-another-champion-pud]
Phone: 248-705-2214
Country: United States
Website: https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com

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This release was published on openPR.