[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6251029,"mediaKeyId","3197138-236ca4eb601a28249fccf122de54612c","parentId",3197138,"title","Portage council approves Stanwood Crossings Brownfield plan and starts construction on workforce homes","audioSeconds",2072,"startMs",2503000,"endMs",4575000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3197138-236ca4eb601a28249fccf122de54612c&start=2503&end=4575","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3197138-236ca4eb601a28249fccf122de54612c/thumbnail_2503000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6251029/Portage/Kalamazoo-County/Michigan/Portage-council-approves-Stanwood-Crossings-Brownfield-plan-and-starts-construction-on-workforce-homes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251029-4d800a62403f6dab6e59ceba358dfbe6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179446&Signature=NFRKXcV5fOKXF~3lHWNRtYZAr7HKrkyctpDmsgdz2P2CgEMfY69hsuQ5W5IrvaAJ~ackiXwJnJ80Es1c8a51w-8NqVxoyJScoP10wxBuWCBH0hUsuSPEiDpuEGxCH3BTxAbId6Lbnw6AVNrhTNLMIZ-cY9UyknlTwsHqwbn5cJcQ2sgCErnLmg5kYB9f1gwNf35vUiN1KMQqr2HbW4K-1XZN5mVfXRcd79uqJsIcXs4dBb4pFaZYJpHCJIOALykUNE3jqO4S1jN-uqwWJ~vnARfV3NAGDdn6JO83kzbBNT7z58eJH7nOkhL3b3Z6P1RSuFo00NgR1V7TjXFq9mSFNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Portage, MI ","date","2025-04-29T00:00:00Z","article","Portage City Council on April 29 adopted the City of Portage Brownfield Redevelopment Plan amendment No. 14 for the Stanwood Crossings workforce housing project at 9617 Portage Road and authorized initial construction and budget steps to begin building homes on the site. Council approved the Brownfield plan, authorized the city manager to sign a reimbursement agreement with the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, authorized construction of the first 12 houses, and accepted a Kalamazoo County down‑payment assistance grant; all votes were recorded as unanimous (7–0).

The council and staff said the project will create 42 for‑sale homes targeted at households earning 80 to 120 percent of area median income (AMI) and will use a community land trust (CLT) model: the CLT retains title to the land and homeowners own the buildings. \"We are going to sell these at 75 percent of cost,\" Jonathan Hallberg, deputy director of economic development and staff liaison for the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, said, describing the discount that helps make the homes affordable.

Why it matters: the project is intended to create long‑term affordable, owner‑occupied housing for middle‑income workers in Portage. Staff described a financing package that combines grants, county millage dollars and a Brownfield tax increment financing (TIF) capture to cover infrastructure and the affordability gap. Pete Dame, the city's chief development officer, said the city has assembled outside resources for infrastructure and housing subsidies and still needs the Brownfield tool to bridge the final funding gap.

Key project details: staff said infrastructure clearing is already underway and the first phase will include up to 12 homes (with four home types and several model variations). The city reported roughly $2.5 million in outside infrastructure resources and $3 million earmarked to subsidize home costs; the Brownfield plan as presented projects capture of approximately $4.75 million over 25 years under conservative assumptions and estimated an average subsidy of about $79,858 per home. Council authorized a budget amendment to commit up to $3,000,000 from the capital improvement fund as an internal loan to cover gaps; staff said that loan will be repaid from the Brownfield capture with interest.

How the Brownfield/TIF works: Hallberg explained the Brownfield Redevelopment Financing Act (PA 381) lets the city preserve current tax values and capture incremental taxes generated by new development into a project fund. Those increments will reimburse eligible capital and program expenses (infrastructure, site work, certain financing gap costs) over the plan period; staff estimated the plan would likely retire earlier than its maximum term and included a modest interest component in repayment assumptions.

Local partnerships and operations: staff said American Village Builders (AVB) is under contract as the construction partner for the initial homes. The city will place the land into a community land trust and sell homes on leased land; the CLT model is intended to keep resale prices below market so subsequent buyers in the target AMI range can also access the homes. Pat McGinnis, city manager, said the city will charge a nominal monthly lease to the homeowner to cover CLT administration but will not profit from the land lease.

Next steps and timeline: council approved the Brownfield plan and related agreements and authorized the manager to execute construction agreements for the first 12 homes. Staff expects to begin staged construction this year and projected partial build‑out of 4–6 homes in the current calendar year; full first‑phase buildout projections were presented into 2026–2028 fiscal periods. Staff said additional program criteria and the homeowner application process will be finalized in May, and an interest list can be submitted on the city website.

Votes at a glance:
• Adopt Brownfield Redevelopment Plan amendment No. 14 (Stanwood Crossings) and authorize city manager to sign the reimbursement agreement with the Portage Brownfield Redevelopment Authority; roll call: Miller, Pearson, Randall, Urban, Young, Burns, Ledbetter — yes; outcome: approved, 7–0.
• Authorize construction of the first 12 Stanwood Crossings houses, authorize the city manager or designee to enter construction agreements for each house, and approve a budget amendment to use up to $3,000,000 of capital improvement fund balance to support the project; roll call: Miller, Pearson, Randall, Urban, Young, Burns, Ledbetter — yes; outcome: approved, 7–0.
• Approve the Stanwood Crossings down‑payment assistance grant agreement with Kalamazoo County (county to provide up to $15,000 per eligible buyer); roll call: Randall, Urban, Young, Burns, Ledbetter, Miller, Pearson — yes; outcome: approved, 7–0.

Who spoke: Pete Dame (chief development officer) introduced the project; Jonathan Hallberg (deputy director of economic development) explained the Brownfield financing details; Pat McGinnis (city manager) outlined administration and repayment; several council members asked clarifying questions during the public hearing. No substantive opposition to the plan was raised during the public hearing; a small number of residents asked procedural questions about CLT ownership and income eligibility (80–120% AMI).

What was not decided tonight: council approved the plan and initial construction authorization but staff will return with detailed homeowner application criteria, resale formulas, CLT operating documents and a timeline for homeowner selection. The CLT operating procedures and application process will be presented to council for adoption in May.

Ending: with the votes recorded, the council gave staff direction to begin contracting and to circulate application information; staff advised interested residents to register on the city website to receive application updates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Meeting - April 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Portage City Council on April 29 adopted the City of Portage Brownfield Redevelopment Plan amendment No. 14 for the Stanwood Crossings workforce housing project at 9617 Portage Road and authorized initial construction and budget steps to begin building homes on the site.","taxTitle","Portage, Kalamazoo County, Michigan","taxId",65797,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6251019,"Human Services Board recommends limited first‑year opioid settlement spending and multi‑year reserve",497,1977000,2474000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3197138-236ca4eb601a28249fccf122de54612c&start=1977&end=2474","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3197138-236ca4eb601a28249fccf122de54612c/thumbnail_1977000.jpg","/articles/6251019/Portage/Kalamazoo-County/Michigan/Human-Services-Board-recommends-limited-firstyear-opioid-settlement-spending-and-multiyear-reserve","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251019-e35e2003f9263aa83d4072798a8e3fff/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179446&Signature=misEHbBNYFkOJp26Aiis4PVb6s8vKQiSnhCZJAgHDbul67ciQlOwK9bbqPMEVogb3sZN3XtwKePdYcR2IVLzPx~GAf0JlpS8jWybp7Xfbhwx1f0wccbM0sB2DOC4p0yBm8G4ijAOVgOwQqdefJNQ5xOv9a4BueRcCq2oXNm-4IE1ofvwJMlv9FLLBNVqGyUctPwIGJ0ePkabjzRfLsfSOXQQYyQ~aqyhIHM3soOKdcWVu07QGiNQnW-T2W5rGpbTHubx5Ri6JHZqSZOs5DbsX28erh62suUyji9dmLT1PJ82gNFv-vZi5nELo8mLwVjyp1RKeqMzclD5uWDUmr9mOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Portage Human Services Board presented its annual report for 2024–25 at the April 29 council meeting and outlined recommendations for spending opioid settlement funds and general‑fund human services grants. The council voted to receive the report.

Board chair Brooke Kolodziejc told council the board reviewed eight applications for opioid‑related work and recommended spending part of the settlement allocation in the first year and carrying over the remainder to support multiyear programs. \"We recommended the use of $51,965 in this first year and then to carry over the rest, which is approximately $47,756,\" Kolodziejc said, citing the board's recommendation for measured, multi‑year support. She said the board favored local providers, including Portage Public Schools and nonprofit programs such as Psychological Safety Services, Community Healing Centers and Helping Other People (HOPE).

Pat McGinnis, the city manager, summarized for listeners that the funds are from national opioid litigation settlements and that Portage received a modest allocation compared with similar communities. The board said it plans an annual review of funded projects and will make adjustments as the programs mature.

Council action: the council moved to receive the Human Services Board annual report (voice vote: ayes). No specific additional allocations were approved at the meeting; councilors asked clarifying questions about program prioritization, review timelines and how the board assessed grant requests against Portage citizen impact and organization budget size.

Ending: the board will oversee initial grants and review program performance each year; staff and the board will return to council with further recommendations as projects move from startup to ongoing operation.","The Portage Human Services Board presented its 2024–25 annual report and recommended using part of the city's opioid settlement allocation this year while reserving the remainder to sustain programs for multiple years; council voted to receive the report.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6251024,"Ramona Park residents tell Portage council sewer project left yards flooded and poorly restored",1770,142000,1912000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3197138-236ca4eb601a28249fccf122de54612c&start=142&end=1912","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3197138-236ca4eb601a28249fccf122de54612c/thumbnail_142000.jpg","/articles/6251024/Portage/Kalamazoo-County/Michigan/Ramona-Park-residents-tell-Portage-council-sewer-project-left-yards-flooded-and-poorly-restored","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251024-f7871f1128ab683b06f49dfd35003ca0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771179446&Signature=I3dK43yvLVoPrkW4yVvJTu2lUNjCrSWAHN8UiwrmGq-83OnsWj6HyXH5852Sae~SzAyOdk8QdjNw0q9Dxz5cHmf3FqTsTje3H~BP9aAXzR32oeTvXiubNrpjNiXnbBvxKiPwLPgdEi0Qy35tkM6UkWuBqVfkcnV6elzBD6K7v5S2fhZWRWBiR0y8FzPNhM8R7ayX36-g~xn-GF3JFnZw0X-80wAWJ6GXOXgXxLJ6W1cI9u00cBJyP54VEDQIpLV6g1Qcgw-sMZ~KH59L8uGjkwgoQoxQhwP0dPfhAH-rqbe9p6KsQYcyP1N1Oyh5K72xR9Fz1YNr1DgJ7QHlK7tFQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Several residents of the Ramona Park neighborhood addressed the Portage City Council on April 29 with complaints about stand‑ ing water, incomplete restoration and what they described as an improperly sized leach basin installed as part of the Ramona Park sanitary sewer, water main, storm drainage and street project.

Speakers described ponds forming in front yards and ditches after rain, areas of yard that sink underfoot because they said contractors used gravel‑heavy fill, and delays in final landscaping and compaction. \"We have a leach basin in our yard now,\" said Karen Ninkie, who identified her address and brought photographs to the meeting. Ron Nintke said the city crew \"dug a hole in our front yard to install an undersized leach basin\" and that the result left the yard looking like a gravel pit and reduced curb appeal.

Other residents gave similar accounts: Angie Lewis said the project started April 1 and was supposed to finish in August but that reseeding and cleanup were delayed and that parts of her yard have standing water and sink when she walks. Dan Slobert and Kelly Hoops said compaction and grading left driveways and road edges unstable and created ice and safety hazards in winter. Ellen Lighthold raised a public‑health concern, saying standing water is \"a feast for mosquito larvae\" and that she is worried about pets and heartworm risk.

City response and next steps: Mayor Randall and city staff acknowledged the complaints and said the city manager will follow up. \"We will finish this project to your satisfaction,\" the mayor said and asked residents to leave contact information; Pat McGinnis, city manager, told the meeting he would meet with neighborhoods and copy council on next steps. Council members texted that they planned to visit the street. The mayor said Mr. McGinnis and staff will provide definite timelines and that staff will contact residents within a day or two.

What residents requested: repeated requests included full restoration of yards to pre‑project condition, better topsoil and seeding, improved grading/compaction so water drains correctly, and clearer communication in advance of on‑site work. Several neighbors said they were not notified before crews entered private yards and that contractors began work without homeowner contact.

No formal vote or change in policy was taken at the meeting. City staff said the project involved outside contractors and multiple funding and construction phases; staff also indicated some actions (leach basin installation, driveway and sidewalk replacements) were intended to address localized drainage problems. The city committed to follow up with residents, inspect on‑site conditions, and report back to council and the neighborhood with a schedule of corrective work.

Ending: residents were instructed to leave photographs and contact information with the city clerk and were told the city manager would be in contact; council members said they planned neighborhood visits to review conditions in person.","Multiple residents of the Ramona Park neighborhood told the Portage City Council on April 29 that a recent sanitary sewer, water and street project left standing water, an undersized leach basin and poor topsoil that have damaged yards and reduced curb appeal; the city manager pledged followup and staff contact.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Portage council approves Stanwood Crossings Brownfield plan and starts construction on workforce homes

Human Services Board recommends limited first‑year opioid settlement spending and multi‑year reserve

Ramona Park residents tell Portage council sewer project left yards flooded and poorly restored