The City of Keego Harbor requires stormwater management and water quality protection measures for construction and redevelopment projects that disturb soil on a property. These standards were adopted by City Council on September 17, 2026, as amendments to Chapter 16 (Environment and Natural Resources), Chapter 24 (Land Development), and the Zoning Ordinance. Redlined changes of the ordinances are provided below:

The standard applies when a project disturbs soil or when stormwater from a site drains toward a lake, pond, or other surface water body. It is not a higher standard than what's already common practice elsewhere in Oakland County — it extends stormwater treatment practices already required on larger sites countywide to Keego Harbor's smaller lakefront redevelopment parcels. There is no requirement to retrofit an existing property; the standard applies to new construction and projects that disturb soil going forward.

What applies to your project depends on how the property is used.

Homeowners (single-family)

If your project disturbs soil and drains toward a lake, pond, or other water body, stormwater must pass through a pretreatment measure before it reaches the water. In most cases, this means a 15-foot vegetated buffer — native plantings, a rain garden, or a bioswale — between the disturbed area and the water's edge.

If your property already drains to an existing natural ditch or culvert, that drainage feature satisfies the requirement; you do not need to construct a new buffer where one already exists. If your property is not directly adjacent to a water body, an approved conveyance may be used instead.

Talk with the Building Department or Planning & Zoning before you begin design work if you're unsure whether your project is affected.

Multifamily property owners (4+ units)

Multifamily properties are reviewed under the City's non-single-family standard. Any new construction or substantial redevelopment — regardless of the size of the project — must include a measure that improves stormwater runoff quality before it leaves the site. Acceptable approaches include a sump and pump system, mechanical filtration, or a vegetated infiltration area, sized to the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner's (OCWRC) Stormwater Engineering Design Standards.

This review now happens as part of the final site plan approval process your project already goes through with the Planning Commission — it is not a separate permit or a second application.

Commercial developments

Commercial projects follow the same stormwater quality treatment requirement as multifamily properties. In addition, any commercial project disturbing one acre or more of soil must meet the OCWRC's full post-construction stormwater management and infiltration standards.

As with multifamily projects, this review is built directly into the City's final site plan approval process. Previously, a project of this kind could have required a separate soil erosion and sediment control permit in addition to site plan review. That second approval track has been eliminated — the same protections apply through one review instead of two.

How review works

Stormwater and soil erosion/sediment control (SESC) compliance is confirmed as part of your final site plan application, reviewed by the City Engineer, before the Planning Commission grants final site plan approval. There is no separate stormwater permit to apply for. If your project proposes substantial changes to grading, drainage, or stormwater facilities after final site plan approval, those changes need City Engineer review before they're built.

If a standard compliance option isn't feasible for your site, the City Engineer may approve an alternative stormwater management approach that provides equivalent or greater water quality protection.