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
The Marvin Heritage District (MHD) was created after the Village Council approved two documents. The first document was 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 is 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.
The second document approved was 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 regulates the district through appearance and feel rather than traditional factors. This code:
- requires commercial and residential buildings to look like and be sited like existing single-family houses in the Marvin area,
- preserves around 30% of land as public open space,
- prioritizes walkability and prohibits parking in front,
- strictly regulates allowable commercial uses,
- captures 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. The MHD Form-Based Code was amended with the adoption of Ordinance 2023-07-07 on July 27, 2023.
On May 14, 2024, the Village Council adopted the Marvin Development Ordinance, which repealed and replaced Chapters 150 and 151 of the Village's Code of Ordinances, as well as the Marvin Heritage District Form Based Code. The Council also adopted amendments to the Marvin Heritage District Small Area Plan.
Opportunities for Public Input on Proposed Developments
There have been and will continue to be numerous opportunities for public input during the process of reviewing proposals for 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.
- Public Hearings when considering rezoning requests or development plans from property owners.
- Neighborhood Meetings for each proposed development.