Disqus - Latest Comments for whitemice

Re: The Three Towers

whitemice — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 18:05:21 -0000

It has now been approved by the MSF!

Re: Strongtowns' Housing Policy

whitemice — Thu, 01 May 2025 08:36:51 -0000

and what the temperature

About 2/3rds of the Commission, including the mayor, seem disposed towards pretty substantial reform. The most recent reelection was, locally, a significant upgrade.

The other 1/3rd are entirely inscrutable, with no positions on anything clearly perceptible; but likely not opposed.

Re: Strongtowns' Housing Policy

whitemice — Thu, 01 May 2025 08:33:54 -0000

Allow single-family home conversion to duplex or triplex, by right.

Sort of, they have allowed 1 - 6 units by right on particular street types. However, there is a unit density ratio. So, effectively, no. The ordinance requires a greenspace %, preexisting setbacks, and 2,000sq/ft per unit [so a three unit building requires a 6,000sq/ft lot - pretty rare].

Permit backyard cottages in all residential zones.

Yes

Legalize starter homes in all residential zones

Kind of, smaller narrower units have been allowed for several years no. On most streets parking requirements still apply.

Eliminate minimum lot size requirements in existing neighborhoods.

Nope. This is the one really constraining infill at this point.

Repeal parking mandates for housing.

Again, on particular street types, but overall no.

Streamline the approval process.

Comparatively the speed of approvals in Grand Rapids has always been pretty good.

Most of the related zoning reforms were covered in https://urbangr.org/PlanningCommission20231109

Re: A North End Bicycle Corridor Blooming?

whitemice — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:15:04 -0000

That was discussed at the VSO meeting.

- That actually requires more width, which the roadway does not provide. Another ~2 feet were required to swap the lane positions.
- Snow clearing and sweeping were also a concern.

It is not an ideal configuration, it is a significant improvement. We'll have to see what impact this has on vehicle speeds; the road will be visually narrower. The raised and unbuffered lanes were considered a reasonable compromise, especially given that this street actually has pretty low volumes aside from commute peaks.

Re: Mobility Update, 2025-01

whitemice — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 10:44:57 -0000

The blue line and left axis is 2024 ridership.

The graph highlights the irregularity of the recovery.

Re: The Three Towers

whitemice — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 09:30:35 -0000

At least $40,000,000 in municipal income tax revenue over the next 30 years [not adjusted for inflation]. And the developer builds the riverwalk infrastructure. Agree, this is an easy choice. 👍

Re: CC/PC Special Meeting Regarding Master Plan Draft

whitemice — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 06:11:08 -0000

The process is pretty opaque.

There is also the Steering Committee, which is 48 people selected by the mayor. Their input does not seem to appear anywhere.

Re: Leonard St Developments (2024)

whitemice — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 09:16:50 -0000

The trailer was only fencing for the Upheaval event in Belknap Park, not related to this development.

Re: Leonard St Developments (2024)

whitemice — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 07:26:34 -0000

There is a trailer loaded with fencing parked on the site. So, maybe?

Re: Leonard St Developments (2024)

whitemice — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 07:26:34 -0000

I do not have any knowledge of the status of the project; other than that it is large, involves Brownfield, and possibly LIHTC. All of which make for a perilously fragile stack of financing. And given high interest rates I would not be surprised if this project faded out, as have other proposals for this large site. I hope it comes through as this area has so much open space, and with the new "Innovation District" zoning (new master plan) is an opportunity to becomes something genuinely new.

I have seen some yellow vests skulking about the site recently, no idea if that is an indication of pending activity or just survey or stabilization work.

Re: Who Is Running?

whitemice — Tue, 07 May 2024 07:19:58 -0000

Thanks, updated.

Re: Some Interesting Housing Data

whitemice — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:11:30 -0000

Duplexes have only been by-right on corner lots since 2018, the city made the claim of eliminating single-family zoning in 2008 with the adoption of the current overall zoning ordinance.

Same thoughts on the Historic Commission.

Re: ADU 535 Shirley St

whitemice — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 08:40:17 -0000

I did; and I think 9 is a very generous count. There are 4 new detached ADUs constructed in the last ten years. Counting from before 2018 isn't a count of P-Q-R allowed ADUs.

Re: A Critique of NOW#9 (Accessory Dwelling Units)

whitemice — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 08:38:07 -0000

Yep, Zoning and Building are two distinct ordinances. This is very often forgotten in land-use conversations [as well as their being a Nuisance Ordinance as well; forgetting that gets lots of extraneous stuff added to the Zoning ordinance].

And then both the Insurance company and the bank can also disagree on the classification. To State Farm my property is two single occupancy structures. To LMCU my property is multi-family. It's weird.

Re: Planning Agenda: 2023-09-28

whitemice — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 07:12:21 -0000

What the Commissioners appear to recall is always interested [and kind of a 'tell'].
I think the local Strongtowns Chapter would be very interested the "What the Street!" content.
I watch these meetings with the backdrop of politicians wringing their hands about young people leaving the state. Yep. Communities which view young people as a nuisance is not a place which will succeed. We need younger people on these commissions.
The long process does give time for Heritage Hill to gin up their opposition to anything and everything - giving the City Commission cover to support ideas ... but just not yet, because "we aren't ready as a community" or some other bloviation.

Re: Using Methane From Wastewater Treatment to Power Buses

whitemice — Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:52:25 -0000

Grand Rapids, MI already has an RNG facility operational from the city's waste water facility to power the transit fleet.

Re: ADU 535 Shirley St

whitemice — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 06:52:29 -0000

Bummer, I didn't hear about it earlier. I would have loved to hear what she said. The rules and the process are indeed onerous - and they made them worse in 2018.

My experience with the current staff of the Planning Dept is that do quite a bit of Double Speak on this issue. They even renamed the process from "Special Land Use" to "Qualified Review" in order to make it look like they were being generous. When they made that change they admitted it was the only use of "Qualified Review" in the state of Michigan.

Re: A Critique of NOW#9 (Accessory Dwelling Units)

whitemice — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 17:00:30 -0000

I assume the new owner of the property would be unable to acquire rental certification. It is very strange - it creates a strange limbo - as the ADU will still physically exist but will no longer be conforming if the owner does not live at the property. So what happens with insurance, etc..? This is why Owner-Occupancy kills ADU development; it creates a significant risk.

What does "be treated as a multi-family property" even mean?

Re: What Is Affordable?

whitemice — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:15:47 -0000

The maps were from the ALIGN study. The RAPID is now undergoing long range planning so this data will be refreshed (I assume). The results from both ALIGN and the last Comprehensive Operational Analysis got stuffed by COVID. :( I don't know how much "outcome" there really was, everything kind of went into a scramble.

Re: Parking Reform Map Shows Which Cities Have Eliminated Parking Minimums

whitemice — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 09:14:17 -0000

There is an link to post corrections @ https://disq.us/url?url=htt...

For example Grand Rapids, MI shows up as having eliminated city-wide parking minimums, which is not correct, they have not.

Re: Announcing a New and Improved Map of Cities That Have Removed Parking Minimums

whitemice — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 14:54:57 -0000

Thanks, I'll use that link.
I understand that this data is ridiculously complicated.

Re: Announcing a New and Improved Map of Cities That Have Removed Parking Minimums

whitemice — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 10:25:17 -0000

Kinda cool, but the map doesn't work.
I am a resident of Grand Rapids, MI.
I select "eliminate parking minimums" and "city wide"... and Grand Rapids, MI still shows up - - - which is wildly inaccurate. They did something effectively meaningless, there is certainly no citywide elimination of parking minimums.

Re: Thank You From a Land Speculator

whitemice — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 14:09:26 -0000

Every practical Libertarian; as this mating of givings and takings is an unimplementable ideal.

Re: Potty Talk

whitemice — Wed, 19 May 2021 08:56:21 -0000

This is not entirely accurate; or reflects a coastal worldview. It is cheaper to do these things elsewhere.

My city has installed a Portland Loo.
https://mibiz.com/sections/...
Installation: $121,270
Annual cost of Operation: $15,000-$25,000

Anywhere worth having a public restroom is going to be an expensive place to install a public restroom due to right-of-way and infrastructure... until we get smart enough to install them in advance.

Re: Pretextual Planning is Absolutely Everywhere

whitemice — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 05:29:25 -0000

"And that doesn't mean land use should be a free-for-all;"

To break the status-quo more of a "free-for-all" may be a necessary step. The status-quo needs to be put down, which will create the opportunity for something more rational and honest to grow in its place. It is clear to me that a reform mindset with the AICP/APA in the room will be too slow, to twisted up, to be helpful; I've been in that room and The Planner sonorously intoning "that's always been in the code" is enough to end a conversation.