City to change zoning to allow apartment "micro-units"

[GRDadof3]

Not only would the new zoning allow 1 bedroom apartments as small as 375 square feet, they would amend the parking requirement from 1 space per residential unit to 1 space per 2 residential units, cutting it in half, if the developer provides bike parking. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/11/grand_rapids_affordable_housin.html

In the comments it also says the planning commish is considering amending the zoning to not require any parking. 

 

 

 

[The ATX]

These micro units are starting to catch on, and will be a good fit for a lot of people - like those wanting to live near a city center on a tight budget.  There are some in Seattle that seem to be successful.  For reference, here are some renderings for a proposal in Austin.  I know these would rent out in a minute.  The developer plans to go national after the first ones go up in Austin.  When the occupants have a kid it's off to the suburbs!

 

www.kasita.com

[x99]

In the comments it also says the planning commish is considering amending the zoning to not require any parking. 

More power to them, I suppose, so long as they do not permit it in or near residential areas where the developers will simply plan to co-opt the neighbors' street parking

[GRDadof3]

Here's an article talking a bit more about micro-units at several of the newest apartment projects. 

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/05/700_to_2k_per_month_rents_at_a.html

[Morris]

So, that is what they want to do with Clarks......363 State Street

[wingbert]

The Wall Street Journal has a story on the trend toward reduced or no parking requirements and the growth of micro units.  Sounds terrible.

Read it here.

[MJLO]

2 hours ago, wingbert said:

The Wall Street Journal has a story on the trend toward reduced or no parking requirements and the growth of micro units.  Sounds terrible.

Read it here.

Perhaps the thought is that the Hipsters that will think Micro-units are awesome will also detest and never use earth destroying automobiles.

[Kinkema]

5 minutes ago, MJLO said:

Perhaps the thought is that the Hipsters that will think Micro-units are awesome will also detest and never use earth destroying automobiles.

I live in a micro studio in San Diego about a mile from the ones described in the article. Those are being built right next to a station for the city's light rail as well as within half a mile of the commuter train. There is no need for the people who live in those apartments to have a car. If they do have a car, they can look for street parking (not so common in that area) or rent a space for about $300-$400/month. 

 

I think it's also important to point out that 400 sqft isn't that small for San Diego, my apartment is only 300 and I don't know many people with more than 500 sqft because it's so expensive here.

[jas49503]

I lived in a 250 sq ft apt before it was cool. At the end of the year if I bought something, I had to throw something out. I didn't think it was very cool then. 

[GRLaker]

2 hours ago, jas49503 said:

I lived in a 250 sq ft apt before it was cool. At the end of the year if I bought something, I had to throw something out. I didn't think it was very cool then. 

Yeah...There's nothing cool about that. Give me at least a bedroom with a closet and I'm all set. Tiny studios are no bueno. 

[x99]

On 9/20/2016 at 4:57 PM, MJLO said:

Perhaps the thought is that the Hipsters that will think Micro-units are awesome will also detest and never use earth destroying automobiles.

Probably so... And the developers just think people with cars will park on the street or rent space in a garage.  But what happens when all the garages are full and your ability to use street parking gets sliced and diced and basically eliminated by a parking permit system?  It takes a lot of faith to build these things.  The bright side is that GR is requiring at least some parking.  So the option to knock out walls and increase unit size to arrive at a more reasonable parking ratio always exists, even if might take a foreclosure and some major losses.

Word has it the micro-units over at Bobville do have parking spaces on the Ottawa/Fulton ramp allocated, but they just happen to be the same ones the city then sold off to Spectrum, so there's a little bit of a possible problem there.  How that works I'm not sure... maybe by reducing or eliminating spots "reserved" for hourly public parking.  

I suppose we'll see how/if  all of this comes together.  Maybe the "free" Silverline passes will help.  It's sort of ironic that we pay for parking to pay for bus tickets which are then paid for (i.e. subsidized) about 80% by Kent County taxpayers.  Nothing's really free.  The buck is just getting passed.