Planning Commission Agenda, 2024-09-12

Submitted by whitemice on Sun, 09/08/2024 - 21:00

The municipal agenda for the Planning Commission meeting on 2024-08-22 is 👉here👈

1865 Eastern Ave SE

This is a Special Land Use (SLU) request to construct a housing development on a two parcels in the single-family (LDR) zone. The site is large; the two parcels combined create a 3.25 acre irregularly shaped property which was formerly a funeral home and a single unit residential building. The owner of the properties is Messiah Baptist Church of Grand Rapids which acquired the site(s) in 2023 with the intention of developing housing. The plan is for 10 for-sale duplex units, for a total of twenty (20) for-sale units, as well as a three-story fifty-one (51) unit apartment building including a shared amenity space. Apartments will be income restricted to 30%-120% AMI; the apartment development will be applying for LIHTC funding.

Plans

The apartment building is positioned along the Eastern Ave with the duplexes behind. The rear of the site will have a connection to Elliot St. The upper north west corner of the site will have a sidewalk connection through to Martin Ave.

Surface parking lot provides two (2) parking spaces for each duplex unit, for a total of forty one (41) parking spaces. Additional surface parking provides another forty one (41) spaces for the fifty (51) unit apartment building. In total this is exceed the parking requirements of the zoning ordinance.

The site is within the walk-shed of the Rapid#4 (north/south) and Rapid#24 (east/west). The site is 0.7 miles from Ken's Fruit Market (grocery store) on the Rapid#4 route; it is also 0.7 miles to Garfield Park (park), on the Rapid#24 route. A pharmacy and deli are to the south of the site, within the walk-shed (0.25 miles).

Related

4325 Breton Road SE

Is this another self-storage facility? Yes it is; and those require - you guessed it - Special Land Use (SLU) in commercial zones [that "C" zoning]. The purpose of "C" zoning is to accommodate high-intensity businesses, higher density residential development, and support pedestrian friendly and public transit supportive uses. Do any of those things come to mind when you think "storage"? On the other hand higher density development - generally with smaller units - mean [obviously] more people, and people own stuff; especially Americans. So, here we are. It is also somewhat odd to do look at this site and think "high intensity", when it is mostly parking and grass; it certainly is neither pedestrian friendly or transit supportive.

The site was previously a Family Fare grocery store; and the plan is to repurpose the existing facility for storage, even using the existing entrance as the primary entrance to the storage facility. The existing structure has a load dock.

Operational hours are expected to be 6:00am - 10:00pm. The entire site will be fenced with a six (6) foot high ornamental fence or wall. The arbitrary requirements of the zoning ordinance are for 51 parking spaces, and the site provides 325 parking spaces, but the existing parking lot will not be part of the storage facility [thank the gods!] but will be treated as a potential development site independent of the storage facility. New parking spaces will be designated at the entrance of the storage facility to accommodate the arbitrary requirements of the zoning ordinance.

It will be interesting to see what, if any, development occurs on the Burton facing portion of the site.

700 Bridge St NW

This development, with outdoor seating and alcohol service, is to establish a cigar bar in the former bank building at the intersection of Bridge St and Gold Ave. Smoking establishments are legally complex since the Michigan Smoke-Free Air Law of 2010, however the owner has already acquired a Cigar Bar exemption from a previous establishment. The site is strange in that the rear (south) of the site where the parking is is located in LDR (Single Family) zoning, while the front (north) of the site is in TBA (Traditional Business Area) zoning. The primary entrance for the business will be located on the east side of the building facing Gold Ave. The entrance will also face the proposed 148 unit residential development at 648 Bridge St NW.

Aside: If someone were to undertake the creation of a documentary on the license and exemption market, and a look at strange niche regulations for various industries, I would absolutely pay to see that. Back in the day there was even a market for Masonic charters.

Proposed hours of operation are 10:00am - midnight Monday through Saturday and 1:00pm - 10:00pm on Sundays. Access will be limited to patrons twenty-one (21) years and older, but state law. Seating will accommodate twenty four (24) people. Six (6) to ten (10) people will be employed by the operation. A patio area will be installed to the west of the building, fenced from Bridge St.

North Elevation

A potential non-compliance with the project is that the construction of a large humidor in the northwest corner of the building will reduce the transparency of the Bridge St facing portion of the building to 46% where a 60% transparency is required. Bridge St being such a major corridor it is odd that the site will principally face Gold Ave and not contribute to the pedestrian vitality of Bridge St; although the site is less than 100ft wide and across from a crisis pregnancy center which is also not a use which contributes to the street.

975 Ottawa Ave NW

Another Special Land Use (SLU) for alcohol service, live entertainment, and outdoor seating; this time in Monroe North. It is nice to have a project proposed in Monroe North which is not some "non-profit" attempting to turn an urban neighborhood into its very own suburban office park. The "Silva" at 975 Ottawa includes a full-service restaurant, indoor bocce courts, a venue for live entertainment [as well as weddings, corporate self-congratulations, etc...], an outdoor deck, and a capacity of 1,400 customers. The restaurant area will commodate 168 patrons with fifty (50) additional outdoor seats; game rooms will accommodate 214 customers. Additional private dining areas will be available.

A twenty-three (23) space parking garage will be constructed on the south end of the existing building with overhead doors to control access. As this is City Center (CC) zoning there is not parking requirement, however a maximum of sixty (60) parking spaces are allowed (1 space per 1,000sq/ft, for a building of 60,000sq/ft). The site will provide twelve (12) surface parking spaces and twenty-three (23) in the garage for a total of thirty-five (35) parking spaces; a glorious 58% of the maximum. The site is within the walk-shed of the DASH; it is also easily accessible from the Rapid #11, as well as the Embassy suites hotel and all the residential developments in Monroe North.

A letter of opposition has been submitted by the business to the north - Proto-Cam - which claims to have an exclusive easement over the long vacated Walbridge St where the Silva is proposing outdoor seating. Proto-Cam uses the vacated right-of-way for truck an delivery access.

The balcony will be located on the south end of the building and will have no food or beverage service. A sound wall will rap the southwest corner of the balcony to limit any impact on the nearby residential uses.

Proposed hours of operation are Sunday - Thursday 11:00am - 11:00pm and Friday - Saturday 11:00am - midnight. All events will conclude by 11:00pm.

Related

701 Ann St NW

An industrial-use development! Special Land Use (SLU) is required for building height as well as the manufacturing of plastics and petroleum products. This 100,000/sq/ft development is for plastic film manufacturing and warehousing. Additionally a waiver is required for building transparency requirements and the location of a loading dock area in the front of the building facing Ann St. The front of the building faces a railyard across Ann St.

The previous structures on the site were demolished in 2022.

The north face of the proposed structure will reach a height of 60ft while the SD-IT (Industrial Transportation) zone has a maximum height of 45ft. The north of the facility faces Profile Film's production facility, the same operator as will be in this new facility, however they are separate properties.

The arbitrary parking requirements for the offices space are 38 parking spaces (3 per 1,000sq/ft of 12,400sq/ft) and 29 spaces for the manufacturing space use (0.33 spaces per 1,1000sq/ft of 87,800sq/ft) for a total of 67 parking spaces. The proposed development provides 69 parking spaces, so no parking waiver is required. Parking spaces on Voorheis Ave - technically a front - will require a variance as parking for non-office uses is not provided in a front of a facility in the SD-IT zone.

South Elevation (facing Ann St & the rail yard)

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planning-commission