[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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",[32,74,86],{"_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":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6483248,"mediaKeyId","5469954-9e69c42edea53109c147e0813c94be23","parentId",5469954,"title","City staff demonstrate lot-buildability tool, estimate ~2,400 potential units on vacant lots with permit-ready plans","audioSeconds",1110,"startMs",4287000,"endMs",5397000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5469954-9e69c42edea53109c147e0813c94be23&start=4287&end=5397","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5469954-9e69c42edea53109c147e0813c94be23/thumbnail_4287000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6483248/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/City-staff-demonstrate-lot-buildability-tool-estimate-2400-potential-units-on-vacant-lots-with-permit-ready-plans","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483248-beb8bcc0e092b72724c8f3fd25e55033/orig.mp4?Expires=1773550223&Signature=WxJoWAcNNFLJ5ufwEVRsSEQDu-ejgTaTkSzjs4z9egm4C1t2aHpFWYvMwb46wyqjELqewE00cCHU2mfxpr4NV7zAAls-nequ1iDKp5nVA9TT3mixJ7C-f5m-H5kCxHth2k21b2ImPcX1tfW84jyXQSu51jDgiPtKvHFWx3aYYUtj7xWXtcByqAq~OhHUc0IUUcSXux7VGCfiR~~OFrIEERvORoFm7fhBezubJ9zoxQpCHiHcbZjym4FAdW7R6RWdsjGIq~haN4U3pu9Ta1JFCnPAsBpsxLU6n4bXy~~8QsRYFR3YkFyOhHO7QqfRm0j9LdtKVbEtkP3KDxXAGi2VUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-23T19:15:56Z","article","City planning staff on July 24 demonstrated a lot-buildability mapping tool designed to match Grand Rapids parcels with the city’s permit-ready plan sets for single-family, duplex and four-family buildings and to help identify where code changes could unlock additional housing supply.

Planner Rowan Brady, who led the demonstration, said the tool filters parcels by zoning, lot size, street type and other dimensional requirements and checks them against the smallest of the permit-ready plan options so users can quickly see where those plans would meet current zoning standards. “We used these plans and analyzed all of the properties in the city based on the requirements of our zoning code,” Brady said, noting the tool is still in development and that staff plan to refine environmental and other exclusion layers.

During the demonstration staff showed that, using the permit-ready plans and focusing on vacant parcels, the tool produced an estimated total of roughly 2,400 potential dwelling units (about 1,300 units in quadplex form plus additional units in duplexes and single-family plans) on parcels classified as vacant and not otherwise excluded. Brady cautioned that environmental constraints (steep slopes, wetlands) and data-source limits could reduce that number and that the counts reflect the smallest plan options loaded into the tool.

Commissioners asked about accuracy and public release. Brady said the tool uses public assessor and parcel data (Kent County) and that the city has conducted iterative truth-testing; staff plan a disclaimer and a public-facing interface that will let users hide or display particular parcel details. Commissioner discussion suggested a short pilot period for commissioners to test the tool and proposed using it as a policy aid for the upcoming zoning ordinance update, especially to examine how density, lot-width and setback rules affect the number of buildable parcels.

Staff said the tool can help identify zoning provisions that remove otherwise-dimensionally-eligible lots from being buildable because the use is not permitted by right. An example shown to commissioners found more than 20,000 parcels where a duplex would meet dimensional requirements but is not permitted by right in the parcel’s zone.

Brady said the city is exploring whether more interactive, real-time inputs (allowing a user to load custom building dimensions) are feasible; current functionality applies the precomputed checks from the permit-ready plan sets and permit templates. Staff will provide commissioners access for hands-on testing and may use a retreat or workshop session to walk commissioners through the tool before any code changes are proposed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Planning Commission Meeting - July 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Planning staff demonstrated a lot-buildability mapping tool that pairs parcel data with the city’s permit-ready plan sets. Staff estimated roughly 2,400 potential dwelling units on currently vacant parcels using the permit-ready plans, and commissioners were invited to test the tool ahead of zoning-code discussions.","taxTitle","Grand Rapids City, Kent County, Michigan","taxId",3704,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6483252,"Commission recommends rezoning to fix century-old encroachments between home and Mount Calvary Cemetery",973,3337000,4310000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5469954-9e69c42edea53109c147e0813c94be23&start=3337&end=4310","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5469954-9e69c42edea53109c147e0813c94be23/thumbnail_3337000.jpg","/articles/6483252/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/Commission-recommends-rezoning-to-fix-century-old-encroachments-between-home-and-Mount-Calvary-Cemetery","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483252-9bc9f0eaf3916098ae82881e68016bdf/orig.mp4?Expires=1773550223&Signature=H1ubRSXJZKI6iPe5Pq9AkN~pPy0Z6xIpxj3eSSPmT5A~svG8RShgeOywlnnAO8r1l75Whamx0NsJk0Jl9c8wW7ZQdJQQtRCW6IXNLjN~1FDBvW5LF3~FYDmG4n~dA3zkXoAndyRV4VPmJRRfPZspkx64Nvi45u-1vrCQZM5fs2lXUrtWGIT4k1BXciCgADS2l9Pk~EdqZ~R~Md1LfTYnypmNC6xG4NA4AESd01YgQqz0m6Yccy33ae7HJspBVPId3tYYBqWo5ya75MsAd9H770KdvQzPx-hc5VfJ4vi~8ULkYV2mPYdk4l~uHp0lFm6JdOLwFmSAr~uLOhVS-MNH4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Grand Rapids City Planning Commission on July 24 recommended approval of two companion rezoning requests to correct historical encroachments between a single-family home at 1362 Leonard Street Northwest and Mount Calvary Cemetery at 1364 Leonard Street Northwest.

Avery (staff planner) told the commission the items were paired because cemetery improvements have encroached onto the single-family parcel and the home’s garage and driveway extend onto the cemetery parcel. Staff said the first recorded gravestone on the site dates to 1928 and the most recent was placed in 2018; the encroachments appear to have accumulated while both parcels were previously under common ownership by the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

Attorney Alex Haywood, representing the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids and acting as agent for the homeowner Daniel Gerke, said a recent survey prepared after Gerke bought 1362 revealed the encroachments. Haywood said the parties had prepared a lot-line adjustment and then discovered the two parcels lie in different zone districts, which required the present rezoning requests to align zoning with the adjusted property lines.

Under the proposals, the southerly 40.5-foot strip of 1362 would be rezoned from TNTBA to MCN LDR and combined with the cemetery parcel so the existing cemetery improvements would be formally part of Mount Calvary Cemetery. Conversely, a roughly 21-by-91.5-foot area on the north-easterly side of 1364 would be rezoned from MCN LDR to TNTBA and combined with 1362 to incorporate the garage and driveway into the single-family lot. Staff said both resulting lots would meet the minimum lot-area requirements for their respective zone districts and that the requests comport with the West Side area specific plan and the 2024 Bridge to Our Future community master plan.

Commissioners discussed whether a lot-line adjustment could proceed without rezoning; staff confirmed the lot-line change depended on consistent zoning and the rezoning was necessary to finalize the record. No members of the public spoke on the items.

The commission voted to recommend approval of both rezoning requests. Each recommendation included findings that the realignments better reflect current land use patterns, are compatible with adjacent zone districts and further the master plan’s objectives to maintain complete, stable neighborhoods.

Both recommendations carried on voice votes with commissioners saying “aye” and no opposition recorded. Staff will proceed with administrative steps to finalize the lot-line adjustment and rezoning actions, subject to any additional review required by city process.","The planning commission recommended rezoning of two adjacent parcels at 1362 and 1364 Leonard St. NW to formalize long-standing encroachments: a strip of cemetery land containing headstones will be added to Mount Calvary Cemetery and a small portion of cemetery land with a garage/driveway will be added to the single-family lot.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6483256,"Planning commission approves planned sign program for downtown amphitheater, bars illuminated roof logo",2578,334000,2912000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5469954-9e69c42edea53109c147e0813c94be23&start=334&end=2912","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5469954-9e69c42edea53109c147e0813c94be23/thumbnail_334000.jpg","/articles/6483256/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/Planning-commission-approves-planned-sign-program-for-downtown-amphitheater-bars-illuminated-roof-logo","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483256-12ec58f7c50e74cec8f23fc76d720bd6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773550223&Signature=GjVzeYodvQRLfuzuwd7s1FxIWbOdswm39S-vcALVEqT5mAAA0Hf81aflJkbte1JXBACJTV3KHjg0U3qg~2sjm~S0coO15TS~khxJgW0~s0X-BfWfn2pTCazmMuYlFoIKH3RRvo~sZh~VEOLYk-iGwyEqgaJW12AR4mqhBcS~5uCL4xzbm0K9D0aRwOI4OWqxs1q79OOcageQmhgHoM742zqMyjkQB0wwE0gpERr13DGCWaxTE5faa9jxbVj9CxrOJn2JmEfW58tdXZoIXTWfOEf0cF9hKvOJCe5iYjuvdoizX5Ai3W9yemWwNxd7hKWEtiXBOa2ZlnoVsIzKadjCMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Grand Rapids City Planning Commission on July 24 approved a planned sign program for a new 12,000-seat amphitheater at 201 Market Avenue Southwest, finding the proposed sign package suited to the building’s scale while attaching conditions that prohibit illumination of a large roof graphic and require permits for all signage.

City planner Sarah Beamlander, who leads sign review for the city, told commissioners the planned sign program is not intended “to circumvent a sign variance process or to simply allow larger signs” but to let the commission consider signs in the context of the development’s massing, uses and surrounding environment. Beamlander identified multiple requested deviations from the TNCC zone standards, including upper-level logo signs with letter heights up to 112 inches, wall signs larger than the 50-square-foot allowance (one applied graphic was described in staff materials at roughly 258 square feet and another wall at an approximate 382 square feet) and a 7,200-square-foot roof graphic.

“The rest of the considerations are listed in your staff report,” Beamlander said during her presentation, urging commissioners to weigh whether the deviations are warranted by the building’s size and use and whether the plan sign program would create adverse effects on nearby residents.

Courtney Valier, representing Progressive Companies and the applicant Grand Action, described the signs as material and wayfinding elements tied to the amphitheater’s exterior palette. “The materiality is an extension of the pallet that has already been developed in the exterior elevation,” Valier said, and added that locations and scale were chosen to aid pedestrian and visitor navigation.

Commission discussion focused on the roof graphic, pedestrian wayfinding and safety for drivers. Multiple commissioners said they supported most proposed signs given the building’s scale but expressed reservations about a large roof graphic visible from taller downtown buildings. Beamlander recommended, and the commission adopted, a condition that the roof sign not be illuminated. The commission also noted that permits (including electrical and sign permits) are required and would enable administrative review of illumination and other technical details.

The commission adopted a resolution finding the applicants demonstrated that the sign package would improve aesthetics and wayfinding, that the property is unique within the TNCC zone because of its scale and uses, and that the proposed program would not create adverse traffic or pedestrian safety impacts. Conditions attached to the approval include that the plan sign program as approved “comprises all approved signage” for the site (no additional signage without a plan amendment), that approved plans signed and dated by the planning director constitute the approved plans, that required permits be obtained prior to installation, and that the approval take effect 16 calendar days after the decision.

The resolution was approved on a voice vote; commissioners said “aye” and the motion carried. The commission did not attach illumination approval for the roof sign and directed that any future request for illuminated signage be handled through the administrative permitting process or an amendment to the plan sign program.

The commission also discussed—but did not approve as part of this action—wayfinding signs located off private property. Staff and the applicant said they are coordinating with DGRI, The Rapid and other downtown partners on off-site multimodal wayfinding outside this plan sign program.

The planning commission’s approval applies only to the sign program package presented and may be amended in the future by the commission or administratively for items within the city’s sign-permit authority.","The Grand Rapids Planning Commission approved a planned sign program for a new 12,000-seat amphitheater at 201 Market Ave. SW, allowing multiple deviations for larger and taller signs but prohibiting illumination of a 7,200-square-foot roof graphic and requiring permits and administrative review of lighting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City staff demonstrate lot-buildability tool, estimate ~2,400 potential units on vacant lots with permit-ready plans

Commission recommends rezoning to fix century-old encroachments between home and Mount Calvary Cemetery

Planning commission approves planned sign program for downtown amphitheater, bars illuminated roof logo