The City of Brighton is proceeding with work to become fully certified under the Redevelopment Ready Communities program.

In May, Brighton City Council passed a resolution of intent to join the RRC program, designed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to connect Michigan communities with experts and best practices in attracting investment. Council and staff agreed that going through the certification process would ensure the city is on track with current development strategies and strengthen Brighton’s partnership with the MEDC to maintain eligibility for grant assistance.

Community Development staff, which recently completed two RRC Best Practice trainings, provided an update on the city’s progress towards RRC certification at the Brighton City Council Study Session November 16th. The six best practice areas include Community Plans and Public Outreach, Zoning Regulations, Development Review Process, Recruitment and Education, Redevelopment Ready Sites, and Community Prosperity. According to a release from the city, their recent Zoning Code update and ongoing Master Plan process are “exactly in line with the state’s best practices.” Additionally, officials say that completing the Best Practice training brought the City of Brighton closer to qualifying for the next step.

Community Development is near completion of a self-evaluation report on Brighton’s current development processes. Once the MEDC reviews the self-evaluation, they will collect additional data to create a plan forward to guide the city to Redevelopment Ready Certification. (JK)