Jump to content

Bemis Townhomes

GRDadof3

By GRDadof3
in Grand Rapids

Recommended Posts


  • Replies 39
  • Created
  • Last Reply
GRDadof3 Ecumenopolis

GRDadof3

Posted
  • Author
Posted

It looks like you have to allow popups in order to get the pdf to work

That part is working, it's just has too much info to get through the poor wireless connection I'm on right now. I can see the city maps just before the drawing pages, and then it locks up and Adobe closes.

Thanks Mike! This style is about what I was referring to in order to get the prices down to the low $100,000's. With ICCF involved, I wonder if these will have income qualifications? It looks like it's about 3 streets South of Wealthy and Diamond.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kayak1 Whistle-Stop

Kayak1

Posted
Posted

There is a park proposed for the block immediately south of this site.

This is going to be a busy little corner. Baxter is adding a parking lot on the east side of Diamond between Baxter and Bemis and they are going to be adding on to their existing building. A new gym on the east end. Great news for the Baxter Community.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PBJ Burg

PBJ

Posted
Posted

Thanks Mike! This style is about what I was referring to in order to get the prices down to the low $100,000's. With ICCF involved, I wonder if these will have income qualifications? It looks like it's about 3 streets South of Wealthy and Diamond.

There are also new construction homes on Logan and Diamond that are in the 120's for anyone willing to take on the area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PBJ Burg

PBJ

Posted
Posted

6 townhomes on 3 lots

DENIED

Too dense for the planning commission. What is wrong with these people? A bunch of two families in the neighborhood anyway. I just dont understand.

Is that what they said? Too dense? The whole area is full of multi family dwellings that aren't even CLOSE to as nice looking as these plans... bah....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
OneSweetWorld Whistle-Stop

OneSweetWorld

Posted
Posted

i think the commission needs some words from some of us. this, paired with the denial of the apartment building proposed on lake michigan drive, its getting absoultly ridiculous. it seems like they want the region to sprawl out 50 miles in each direction. everyone in the local government keeps talking about how they want to city to go in the "right direction." well medium/dense development in the city IS the right direction. (and i personally wouldnt even call this "dense." 6 townhomes on 3 lots is medium at the highest.) we need to start getting in contact with these people.

edit: here is a link to contact information for the grand rapids planning department:

http://www.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?page_id=777

there is not an email address for any of the commissioners, but you can bet your ass they will be getting a letter in the mail from me in about a week. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ModSquad Hamlet

ModSquad

Posted
Posted

i think the commission needs some words from some of us. this, paired with the denial of the apartment building proposed on lake michigan drive, its getting absoultly ridiculous. it seems like they want the region to sprawl out 50 miles in each direction. everyone in the local government keeps talking about how they want to city to go in the "right direction." well medium/dense development in the city IS the right direction. (and i personally wouldnt even call this "dense." 6 townhomes on 3 lots is medium at the highest.) we need to start getting in contact with these people.

edit: here is a link to contact information for the grand rapids planning department:

http://www.grand-rapids.mi.us/index.pl?page_id=777

there is not an email address for any of the commissioners, but you can bet your ass they will be getting a letter in the mail from me in about a week. :)

I could not agree with you more. Folks need to take an interest in what the planning commission does. Their decisions affect Grand Rapids more than the average citizen knows. If the planning commission does not start to embrace higher density projects we will never be able to grow up as a City.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mark Miller Whistle-Stop

Mark Miller

Posted
Posted

Too dense? You have got to be kidding me!!

It is not dense enough. This is the city!!!

If we could get more density on this building, the developer may be able put a bit more detail and upgrade the materials a bit. Making it less dense is only going to lead to disaster.

Too dense - I can not believe this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GaryP Burg

GaryP

Posted
Posted

So what was the "official" reason for the denial? Was it too dense for that particlar zoning district? The PC can't just deny stuff for fun, there has to be a reason for it.

BANANA lady (I don't know her name, but you all know who I'm talking about) made a motion to deny the PRD zoning and there was only one dissenting vote. There was no opposition to the project, no letters or people there to protest.

The ICCF guy made one mistake and admitted that the only reason that they wanted 6 town homes was because of the large acquisition cost of the three properties. The committee seemed to think that meant that if acquisition costs were lower the ICCF would have made proposals for single family homes and that wasn't a good enough reason for increasing density in the neighborhood. I think had the guy just said that he thought the town homes would fit into the neighborhood nicely they might have approved, but I really dont know.

If the commission had approved the ICCF guy said that he had a couple more properties in the same block under contract and that he would be back to build more of the same. It was really pretty sad to watch this happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Lplan Unincorporated Area

Lplan

Posted
Posted

Agreed.

The weird/bad/sad part is that I've spoken to a few of the planners there and they are all about more density, and were generally in favor of this project. I spoke with the planner who presented that project last night after he talked with the ICCF guy in the hall, and he was pretty disappointed that the Planning Commission had denied it. He was talking in very similar terms, about how density is very much needed in the city and he was worried that the commissioners don't seem to understand that. Although, he did kind of shrug and say that he wished the public would have spoken up.

I'm not sure what the situation is as far as how much the planning commissioners listen to the planners. If they don't I think it's an effing shame.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Veloise City

Veloise

Posted
Posted

So what was the "official" reason for the denial? Was it too dense for that particlar zoning district? The PC can't just deny stuff for fun, there has to be a reason for it.

What's the master plan say?

[my copy went to my nieces' to help explain What is City Planning]

Link to comment
Share on other sites
GaryP Burg

GaryP

Posted
Posted

What's the master plan say?

[my copy went to my nieces' to help explain What is City Planning]

REGIS says medium density residential. Is that the official master plan? The property was zoned R-1A.

They went for a rezone to PRD. I wonder if they would have had more success going to the Zoning Board of Appeals to ask for a few variances.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mjak68 Unincorporated Area

mjak68

Posted
Posted

Unbelievable. I didn't even know that the Lake Michigan Drive apts were denied. Both of these were good projects. It's just dumb that they got denied. That's it. I'm writing a letter to the planning commission. I want this city to move forward. We have developers who want to develop. We have people who need jobs and decent places to live. This is crazy. I've always wanted to attend a commission meeting. I think I've just found my motivation to do so.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

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

Go to topic listing

  • 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.