EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich — After a lengthy meeting at East Grand Rapids City Hall, commissioners indicated the concept plan for a new development in Gaslight Village meets the city's standards for approval. However the commission did not vote to approve the plans.
WATCH: EGR commission supports plans for new Gaslight Village development
The meeting began with commissioners reviewing the standards of approval for the concept plan. Some commissioners, like Abbie Groff-Blaszak, advocated for traffic studies to be completed before approving the concept plan, stating, "When we could, with a number of these studies, put the guard rails in place now, and eliminate the need to relitigate it at the next point of approval."
However, Commissioner Chris Wessley pushed back, emphasizing that the approval of the concept plan is the starting point for those studies, saying, "We really won't know until we dial in, and they won't know until they dial in all of the details."
After a couple of hours of discussion, the majority of the commissioners came to the overall consensus that the standards proposed for the concept plan had been met, with four stating they supported the design and two opposed. The board then opened discussion to amend the ordinance approving the 2004 Planned Unit Development (PUD), which will be discussed and considered at a future board meeting.
As the meeting wore on, the number of attendees dwindled, but those who remained were vocal in their opposition to the proposed plan. One resident expressed frustration, saying, "You are here at the pleasure of the citizens of the community, we are not here at your pleasure and you made them wait, and this isn't the first time you've done this." Another resident accused the developer, Mr. Wierda, of "calling the shots" and urged the commissioners to "go back to the developer now and just ask for a revision."
The conversation on the amendment language will continue at a future meeting.
Editor’s note: This story has updated to clarify that the city commission has opened discussion to amend the ordinance approving the 2004 PUD. It has not yet introduced an amendment. The article also was updated to read how many commissioners, including the mayor, believed the standards of approval were met on the concept plan.
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