New Business | Building Permits | Zoning ~~ Land Division | Planning Docs | Rental Housing
PLEASE NOTE: for building, zoning and other development-related forms, the City accepts multiple forms of payment including cash, check, credit card and money orders (payable to “City of Three Rivers”).
| New Businesses | Zoning & Building Permits | Zoning Map & Ordinance |
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 Building Permit Information |
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__ For a list of potential business types and their corresponding permitted zoning, click here.
To Navigate the city’s Zoning & Permitting Process, click here.
NEW BUSINESS
Before you commit to a building for your business-type (or commit to a business-type for your building), fill out any business applications, order business cards & letterhead, or contact the post office, you should confirm the address with the City Address Administrator. Do not assume the address used by a former tenant is correct. In following City Code, the City Address Administrator will also verify that the business-type legally conforms to the zoning district in which the building is located. For more information, contact John Beebe at (269) 273-1845 or jbeebe@threeriversmi.org. For a detailed outline of the process for starting a new business in an existing building, refer to our New Business Page.
NOTE: If the land for a prospective new business requires Land Division or a Boundary Change prior to Zoning & Building permits (below), please refer to the “LAND DIVISION” section further below…
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BUILDING PERMITS
The State Building Code, MRC 2009, is the adopted Building Code for the City of Three Rivers. Building permits, as well as trade permits for plumbing & mechanical applications, are processed through the City of Three Rivers. Applications are available at City Hall, or online in our Building Department Forms folder (under “Forms and Ordinances”). For quicker access to and more information on building permits, please visit our new Permits webpage!
If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Glenn Lindsey at SAFEbuilt (formerly Cornerstone Inspection Services) at: 269-729-9244 or visit safebuilt.com for more information. For the inspection scheduling process, click here.
Not sure if you need permitting?… Refer to our “Do I Need a Building Permit?“ article. Please note that Chapter 12 of the City Code regulates building and housing. Also refer to the city’s flowchart for navigating zoning and permitting …and (if available) SAFEbuilt’s checklist to obtain a building permit & other useful information. If no longer available, please email us and we’ll get it to you ASAP!
ZONING
Chapter 30 of the City Code, The Zoning Ordinance, is designed to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare of the community and its people by establishing minimum regulations governing development and use. For an unofficial, annotated version of various sections of the city’s zoning ordinance [opens in new window], including pages for each district (including all business districts), click here. For a complete & official version of the city code and ordinances, click here.
The City is divided into use districts …also known as “Zones”… and regulations for each are established in regard to location, construction alteration, and use of structures and land. To view the city’s Zoning Map, click on the map graphic to the right… And if you have any questions concerning a specific property, please contact the zoning administrator. For access to zoning & building permits, please visit our new Permits webpage!
Also refer to the city’s Schedule of Regulations for lot size, setback and other requirements (by Zoning District), as well as our Zoning Code Cheat Sheet and the flowchart for navigating zoning and permitting.
Zoning Ordinance
The City’s Zoning Ordinance is also available online: here. Hardcopies of the city’s Zoning Ordinance are available from the Finance Dept. (or City Clerk) at City Hall. The current cost for Zoning Ordinance Reproduction is shown on page 1 of the User Fee Schedule — approximately 50 dollars (U.S.) for one hardcopy; refer to the seventh item listed under Sect. 6-3 (Planning & Zoning Services) of current fees.
LAND DIVISION
To apply for the purchase of additional or division of land (e.g., from an adjacent property or property of interest), property owners must complete and sign a Land Division Application. Once completed through page 2, signed applications can be sent to City of Three Rivers (attn: Assessor’s office) at 333 W. Michigan Ave., Three Rivers, MI 49093 or by email to Chad Razmus at Chad.apgllc@gmail.com. All land divisions must meet zoning, frontage and other requirements set forth in the city code and subsequent ordinances. For questions concerning land division or the land division application, please call the City Hall Assessor’s office at 269-273-2337.
PLANNING COMMISSION
The City of Three Rivers Planning Commission* is a state-governed, statutory board made up of city residents that works with other city residents, business owners, and property owners to review and recommend planning and zoning actions to the City Commission. The board members make recommendations on Special Exception Uses, petitions for rezoning and other ordinance amendments, as well as conducting Site Plan reviews and other various decisions related to the city’s zoning ordinance and master plan. They typically meet 12 or more times each year, including regular monthly meetings and, if necessary, periodic special meetings. For more information on how the Planning Commission functions, click here. And for a complete schedule of Planning Commission meetings, refer to the city’s meeting calendar.
For City Planning Documents, refer to this page (or civicweb.net source folder).
* Source: https://threeriversmi.civicweb.net/portal/members.aspx?id=16
RENTAL HOUSING
Chapter 13 of the City Code regulates the over 1,000 registered rental units within the City. Nine apartment complexes comprise the majority of the units. One to four family structures account for the remainder of just over 400 units. To download a copy of the City of Three Rivers Annual Rental Registration form, click here. To download a copy of the City of Three Rivers Rental Inspection or Re-Inspection Payment form, click here. To download the City of Three Rivers Rental Housing Complaint Form, click here.
Please note that all rental dwellings must be registered annually and are inspected biannually.