Iron River is located in the Upper Peninsula, known for its history of ore mining and logging. This industrial legacy still impacts the city today. Uniquely, the city is one of few in the state to have consolidated borders and services with adjacent municipalities, which makes for a city with a varied development pattern. Moreover, due to the tremendous wealth that mining generated, there are some beautiful historic properties that add to the city's charm. Due to its remoteness, it is in an "education desert" which limits the workforce and economic development pursuits.

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The Zoning Ordinance prepared by Beckett & Raeder, Inc. was based off of the Iron River Master Plan, which acknowledged the landscape of Iron River and called for future land use categories for "mining impaired" land and "preservation" areas to protect its dense woodlands. The Zoning Plan of the Master Plan included zones for the more rural areas of the consolidated city and the urban center. This spanned the transect from rural residential to denser neighborhoods to the urban core. The action plan of the Master Plan followed up with recommendations for neighborhood stability, human infrastructure, housing, and tourism.

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Building off of this work, the Zoning Ordinance converted these ideas into a readable format, condensing information into graphics and tables for ease of use. Beckett & Raeder team members took deliberate care to additionally reflect the city's simultaneous urban and rural nature; while there are mixed use zones and an outdoor dining overlay, it must still address "livestock and wild game" and "egg-laying chickens."

Iron River Zoning Ordinance 

Iron River, Michigan​

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Click here to view the City of Iron River's Zoning Ordinance