If your home is near the perimeter of the Arcadia Neighborhood, you may have received a letter in the mail from the City of Kalamazoo regarding zoning changes (link to letter). The reason for the letter is the Natural Features Protection Ordinance (NFP). What is the NFP? From the city’s web site:
Adopted in 2019, the Natural Features Protection Ordinance put in place standards for the development of land on or near areas identified with Natural Features in order to achieve better management and long-term protection of these areas. In Phase 2 of this project, city staff, NFP Review Board, and partners are evaluating the current overlay district and mapping existing natural features throughout the City.
What does it mean for Arcadia? It adds an additional layer of protection against inappropriate development for the strip of Linden Grove property on the west side and the Arboretum Parkway on our north border. Does the NFP mean they’ll never be developed? Sorry, no, but there will be additional hoops for a developer to jump through that will discourage most types of commercial building. There is a lot more information on the city’s NFP web page, and there’s an excellent FAQ for the most common questions.
In general, the NPF is a Good Thing. For example, the NFP was a barrier against building the controversial car wash near Asylum Lake. And while it’s very unlikely that there will ever be development along the Arboretum Path, the same can’t be said the the Linden Grove property and the land around the City’s water pumping station. The Natural Features Protection Ordinance will hopefully mean that any future development will be very limited.