By: Sarah Wright | Troy Times | Published May 5, 2026
TROY — The Troy City Council decided April 6 to delay zoning ordinance changes so it could better assess the impact on neighborhoods. The conversation is now expected to continue at its meeting May 11.
The amendments revolve around areas called “neighborhood nodes.” Each node is a zoning district that permits a range of uses like office space, commercial and residential developments.
“The intent is that they develop in a way that they … create a sense of place,” said the city’s community development director, Brent Savidant. “They’re walkable, and they serve the residents in the immediate area.”
Savidant noted that the master plan was amended in 2024. He said the focus of that effort was to examine the use and character of neighborhood nodes and adjust as needed.
The city is now trying to implement those changes by amending the zoning ordinance and its map showing allowed land uses. But recently, a subcommittee of the Planning Commission noticed some potential issues through their research.
“It was more of a focus on those areas of friction where we … got a lot of concerns from residents,” Savidant said.
Among the concerns were what the subcommittee considered an overreliance on residential-only development, a lack of placemaking. And traffic congestion and setback issues.
The subcommittee felt that some of these elements were insufficient for the goals outlined by the master plan, such as the plan’s desire for mixed-use developments featuring first-floor commercial uses and upper-story residences, open spaces that promote pedestrian traffic, and “sensitive” transitions between those spaces.
On that note, “We really focused a lot on the transition, especially (parcels) close and adjacent to single-family neighborhoods,” said Ben Carlisle, a representative with consulting firm Carlisle/Wortman Associates.
Prohibiting drive-thrus, car washes and data centers, allowing single-family special uses in small sites, and only allowing residential-only developments as part of mixed-use projects was another key focus. In terms of map amendments, 90 properties were proposed to be rezoned, eliminating six nodes.
Some residents who spoke were worried that changes by the Planning Commission were subverting the will of council.
“Right now, a number of decisions are landing at the Planning Commission level with no further council review, and that’s creating real confusion for the people these decisions affect most,” said Jeff Williams, a representative with a group called Save Troy Corners, named for the Troy Corners community that Williams said is among the city’s last intact traditional neighborhoods.
As an example, he said residents there were previously assured by officials that the maximum allowable height for buildings next to their single-family homes would be 30 feet, and he wants to make sure the council maintains that restriction.
“Residents just want the process to work the way it was always described to them: Planning Commission recommends, City Council decides,” Williams said. “That’s accountable government.”
Mayor Ethan Baker suggested postponing the decision to make sure the proper guardrails were in place. He pitched May 11 as the next date to consider amendments.
“Part of me is frustrated that it’s taken this long to get here (to implement the master plan),” Baker said. “But I’m also thankful we’ve seen so much of the community work on these issues.”