The Marvin Heritage District is a proposed 125-acre mixed-use development that would be located primarily along New Town Road. A collaborative effort between the Village of Marvin and twelve other local property owners, the Marvin Heritage District is proposed to be "a uniquely identifiable Village Center that promotes Marvin's heritage."
Pictured below is the future land use map for the Marvin Heritage District as presented in the adopted Marvin Heritage District Small Area Plan.
Current Status of the Marvin Heritage District
To officially form the Marvin Heritage District (MHD), the Village Council, Planning Board, and MHD Strategic Plan Committee must review and approve numerous documents. The first document is the MHD Small Area Plan. The MHD Small Area Plan (advisory document, no regulatory authority) incorporates years of iterative input from the Resident Survey, Planning Board, Village Council, and a few consultants. This Plan creates a solid mechanism to enable and encourage the Village Council and appointed boards assure what is proposed in the Heritage District is uniform and what residents want to see in their community. This foundational document was adopted by the Village Council on December 14, 2021, as an amendment to the Village of Marvin Land Use Plan. Think of the Small Area Plan as an "Executive Summary" to a larger document. It spells out what the MHD is supposed to become and basic level details for implementation; in other words, it’s the 30,000-foot view of the MHD.
Second, is the form-based code or the official zoning language. This document spells out the details of what is and what is not allowed in the residential, commercial, mixed use, and civic subdistricts of the MHD.
The MHD Form Based Code (regulatory authority) builds off the foundation, goals, policies, and implementation strategies set forth in the MHD Small Area Plan. This would regulate the district through appearance and feel rather than traditional factors. This code would:
- require commercial and residential buildings to look like and be sited like existing single-family houses in the Marvin area,
- preserve around 30% of land as public open space,
- prioritize walkability and prohibit parking in front,
- strictly regulate allowable commercial uses,
- and much more to capture the rural feeling through design.
The final draft of the MHD Form Based Code was adopted at the January 11th, 2022 Village Council meeting following a public hearing. Upon adoption, the MHD was established.
Opportunities for Public Input on Proposed Developments
There have been and will continue to be numerous opportunities for public input during the process of establishing the Marvin Heritage District and regarding any future proposed development in the MHD. Examples include:
- Public Comment Periods (3-minute time limit) at every Village Council and Planning Board Regular Meeting.
- Coffee with Council Events - One-hour events held twice per month, where residents can meet with two Village Council members.
- Town Hall Meetings - Held twice per year, where the public can learn and ask questions about all the Village is currently working on.
- Public Hearings when considering rezoning requests or development plans from property owners.
- Public Information Meetings for each proposed development.