Jump to content

New Urbanism in GR


twoshort

Recommended Posts


  • Replies 46
  • Created
  • Last Reply

If it goes as planned, Kensington Place in Holland may fit the billing. These things tend to evolve with market forces, however. I hope this one is completed as first visualized. The original plans were quite nice.

Quoting the Holland Sentinel late in 2004:

-- "Kensington Place, an 850-home development off M-40 between 144th and 143rd avenues is one of three village-style communities being developed on Holland's south side.

"There are a lot of communities around that are calling themselves 'new urbanist,' but Kensington really is the only one in the area that I know of that truly meets the definition," said Terry Sanford, director of planning for Nederveld Associates, the designer of the community. "Our plan is that even our big retail center be made out in blocks with streets so that it would mesh well into the smaller retail and residential portions of the community." --

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it goes as planned, Kensington Place in Holland may fit the billing. These things tend to evolve with market forces, however. I hope this one is completed as first visualized. The original plans were quite nice.

Quoting the Holland Sentinel late in 2004:

-- "Kensington Place, an 850-home development off M-40 between 144th and 143rd avenues is one of three village-style communities being developed on Holland's south side.

"There are a lot of communities around that are calling themselves 'new urbanist,' but Kensington really is the only one in the area that I know of that truly meets the definition," said Terry Sanford, director of planning for Nederveld Associates, the designer of the community. "Our plan is that even our big retail center be made out in blocks with streets so that it would mesh well into the smaller retail and residential portions of the community." --

I believe I drive past this development everyday on my way into work. It's a pretty neat looking community, so far theres maybe 12-24 homes, all look like TND styled homes. There's a community area that looks to hold a pool, but nothing as far as retail so far. Unless I'm looking at something else :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there any chance of a new urbanism design like that of Cherry Hill in Canton or Town Commons in Howell? I don't mean like the one on 44th st, I mean complete with retail spaces etc. Where can you see it happening? Maybe someone has an inside scoop on a project like this that I'm unaware of.

I've been to Town Commons in Howell. I wasn't impressed. Pretty much a standard subdivision with some TND style homes in it. The commercial is pushed way up to the road to catch the traffic coming down M-59. I haven't been to Cherry Hill but I can only hope it is better.

Nitro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

waaay out in allendale there is a "neo traditional" subdivision, which basically new urban. and they have/were totally revamping that ugly family fare plaza off of Lake Mich Dr. Last time i saw it (many months ago) it was full of 4 or 5 story buildings, :blink: and I believe it was supposed to be mixed use in nature. The change was incredible. I have no idea whether or not it is finished now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been to Town Commons in Howell. I wasn't impressed. Pretty much a standard subdivision with some TND style homes in it. The commercial is pushed way up to the road to catch the traffic coming down M-59. I haven't been to Cherry Hill but I can only hope it is better.

Nitro

Ah.. I haven't been to town commons. I have been to Cherry Hill, it's impressive... check it out. Retail, school, etc etc..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah.. I haven't been to town commons. I have been to Cherry Hill, it's impressive... check it out. Retail, school, etc etc..

also look for one incoporating housing, a train station, retail, offices and light industrial coming to a small west michigan community in the near future :ph34r:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

waaay out in allendale there is a "neo traditional" subdivision, which basically new urban. and they have/were totally revamping that ugly family fare plaza off of Lake Mich Dr. Last time i saw it (many months ago) it was full of 4 or 5 story buildings, :blink: and I believe it was supposed to be mixed use in nature. The change was incredible. I have no idea whether or not it is finished now.

It looks cool.. a little wierd b/c family fare still looks like crap, but yeah, it's a huge change with some decent size buildings for the farm lands of allendale, the whole area is booming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe I drive past this development everyday on my way into work. It's a pretty neat looking community, so far theres maybe 12-24 homes, all look like TND styled homes. There's a community area that looks to hold a pool, but nothing as far as retail so far. Unless I'm looking at something else :unsure:

I think you're thinking of Bosgraaf's Cobblestone development near Graafschap (sp?). No retail planned. To support a retail/commercial component of a large master planned TND, you really need growth in the 10 - 15% range (100+ homes/year in sales). There are but a few areas like that in the GR Metro. There are a couple of massive 800+ home developments coming up, but I don't think any of them have a retail/commercial component, but may have new Elementary Schools. Look for one in Jamestown Twp South of the new South Beltline and I-196, and one near Byron Road where it crosses I-196 in Zeeland Township.

Cherry Hill is pretty cool.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

waaay out in allendale there is a "neo traditional" subdivision, which basically new urban. and they have/were totally revamping that ugly family fare plaza off of Lake Mich Dr. Last time i saw it (many months ago) it was full of 4 or 5 story buildings, :blink: and I believe it was supposed to be mixed use in nature. The change was incredible. I have no idea whether or not it is finished now.

Actually it is finished and I have to admit, I was very impressed. Lighthouse has a few projects in the hopper, but they are at least 18-24 months away. I cannot comment on what we are working on because of timing, etc. Anyway, on one of our projected 06/07 projects we interviewed Fryling Construction as a potential CM. They were the design and build team for this Allendale project. So we toured it with them and found ourselves wishing it was located in one of our urban neighborhood commercial strips.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This sounds very interesting. Tell us more. What area?

Yah andy, residential with a train station? I didn't think commuter rail was headed this way any time soon. Unless an old train station is going to be converted to mixed use.....something around Bridge Street maybe?? Or are they finally going to revamp that joke of an Amtrak Station?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yah andy, residential with a train station? I didn't think commuter rail was headed this way any time soon. Unless an old train station is going to be converted to mixed use.....something around Bridge Street maybe?? Or are they finally going to revamp that joke of an Amtrak Station?

I don't have too many details at the moment, but on the preliminary site plan I have there is a train station on it. Its actually a pretty cool design. And its nowhere near Bridge Street, its not even in Grand Rapids. I'll post more details in the future ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have too many details at the moment, but on the preliminary site plan I have there is a train station on it. Its actually a pretty cool design. And its nowhere near Bridge Street, its not even in Grand Rapids. I'll post more details in the future ;)

gifts.2.jpg

you're killing us here :unsure:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's the one in Allendale, not completely TND, but it follows some rough guidelines

Traders Creek Landing

I took a drive through that one a couple months ago. Not at all perfect, but it is much better than the regular slice-n-dice subdivision. Many of the houses have attached front-facing garages, which is unfortunate, but the garages have been set back about 5-10 feet farther than the house so still it provides a nice streetscape. Most of the lots are pretty small too, so the land is used rather effeciently. No mixed uses, though

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of the TND's in Allendale has not sold many homes (maybe 6 - 7 this year). Anyone know which one it is? In addition to Traders Creek, isn't there a Winding Creek or something?

As far as I know thats the only one. But I haven't been there in a while.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like what I see.

I like what I see too as far as the building style, layouts and naighborhood platt but I hate seeing (sub)urban sprall and there are many better places developments like these could be built like the NE side of GR and even in south parts of Kentwood and Wyoming. I think they fit a lot better there instead of taking up an old farm field.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like what I see too as far as the building style, layouts and naighborhood platt but I hate seeing (sub)urban sprall and there are many better places developments like these could be built like the NE side of GR and even in south parts of Kentwood and Wyoming. I think they fit a lot better there instead of taking up an old farm field.

Well I have 2 thoughts to this. First though I am against BAD/POORLY PLANNED sprawl anywhere. I think one reason you see these developments on the farther outskirts of town is land prices. It's much cheaper to buy 40 acres of field in Allendale than in Rentwood or Wyoming. Second, Wyoming and possibly Kentwood have a wierd stigma attached to them, I know if given the chance, exact same house in Allendale or Wyoming, I'm moving to Allendale. I don't know why really, I like being close to town, but if I'm looking to buy a new house, wyoming or kentwood arent' the 1st two places I'd look.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kentwood, Wyoming and Walker/Standale are kind of the "inner-ring" suburbs, while Allendale, Caledonia, Rockford, Ada, Byron Center, etc. are the second ring, and tend to have the newer neighborhoods, newer school facilities, and "un-spoiled" land as people like to call it. That is for 10 years, until further out becomes more in vogue. I think it also has to do with the perceived stigma regarding the school systems.

BTW: They do have a developments similar to this in Kentwood on 44th Street, and in the Wyoming/Grandville School system on 56th West of Wilson. It's just a way to repackage suburban living.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.