[{"_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",6588882,"mediaKeyId","5506257-df0c521ebf4661dcb00d020f22246a91","parentId",5506257,"title","Developer urges zoning change to allow smaller lots; Pleasant Hills Phase 3 hearing advances with TIF and affordability commitments","audioSeconds",9730,"startMs",918000,"endMs",10648000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506257-df0c521ebf4661dcb00d020f22246a91&start=918&end=10648","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506257-df0c521ebf4661dcb00d020f22246a91/thumbnail_918000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6588882/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/Developer-urges-zoning-change-to-allow-smaller-lots-Pleasant-Hills-Phase-3-hearing-advances-with-TIF-and-affordability-commitments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6588882-f8b6aec0888532ffb859c066186c400e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183556&Signature=nA70bDkC1LXWvPcXQJ1leecHXzlFQ1gLx6aRlMMLeTpUEDTjpJE0J-SFDioB3Ag1ENCOCyEQcIo2SQM2OM2odOEGR7Fmlncuwj8WTUAxy5MoDRdpSM4A7wYJsJnmE2o3w6GWUgk1tf3kUHa3BsW2hS3PjXdF~zrLv5~IU7Jgl8w8le4qjNos7I~6R3cmCiobnjRgEU3XySysQjhRmCPj-oENBXlVpcIRQzWOoHFUVTQ9LdWsQbMNtYfENUN~fOmGKToegFxJbUQabp3DV8RZEFkWDy724m4SR6kvMv9aQmy~flcMK6-gPY9uauX1CVt94v8yp7-WQWEXp9qrjLS4uw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-30T14:07:46Z","article","Nathan Biller, a small infill developer, told the commission he returned to urge a narrow zoning change he said would “significantly boost our ability to address the housing shortage in Grand Rapids.” Biller asked the commission to lower the minimum lot area per unit in certain zoning districts from 2,000 square feet to 1,000 square feet, arguing the current 2,000-square-foot standard forces larger, more expensive units and makes it harder to build naturally affordable housing without subsidy. “Consider lowering the minimum lot area per unit from 2,000 square feet to 1,000 square feet,” he said.

Biller said his own 5,456-square-foot lot legally supports two units under the current rule; he contended a smaller lot-area threshold would allow twice as many smaller units with similar bedroom counts, producing more units at lower rents without taxpayer subsidy. He asked the mayor to add the item to an upcoming agenda rather than require him to pay the $5,244 fee to initiate a zoning-text amendment.

Separately the commission opened a public hearing on Pleasant Hills Phase 3, a proposed five-story, for-sale multifamily building with 27 units on a site that will replace a building used by Habitat for Humanity. The city summary said 16 of the 27 units are expected to be affordable at or below 80% of area median income (AMI). The project’s total development cost was presented at about $10.5 million.

City staff reported the financing stack includes traditional tax increment financing (TIF) of roughly $1,000,000, housing TIF of about $1,600,000, $546,000 from the city’s Affordable Housing Fund for FY26, and a $250,000 allocation from the Local Brownfield Revolving Fund (LBRF) to support down-payment assistance for the income-restricted units. Staff said the developer is also pursuing state and federal funding sources.

During the hearing staff noted the project exceeds inclusion-plan goals with a 30% participation commitment and additional 10% professional-services inclusion. The commission closed the hearing and referred the project to the committee of the whole for further review; no final vote on TIF or development assistance was taken at the meeting.

The meeting included other housing-related actions (zoning ordinance amendments and a rezoning for a small parcel on Fuller Avenue) that commissioners approved later in the agenda.

The commission did not adopt a change to the 2,000-square-foot lot-area standard at this meeting; Biller’s request remains a public ask and was not scheduled for immediate action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Commission Meeting - Commission Night Out - July 29, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A small infill developer asked the Grand Rapids City Commission to lower the minimum lot-area-per-unit rule from 2,000 to 1,000 square feet to allow more small, naturally affordable units; the commission also heard a public hearing for Pleasant Hills Phase 3, a 27-unit development with 16 income-restricted units and multiple city financing commitments.","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},6588878,"Votes at a glance: Grand Rapids commission adopts zoning and personnel ordinances, approves MDOT sidewalk agreement and governance changes",854,9566000,10420000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506257-df0c521ebf4661dcb00d020f22246a91&start=9566&end=10420","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506257-df0c521ebf4661dcb00d020f22246a91/thumbnail_9566000.jpg","/articles/6588878/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/Votes-at-a-glance-Grand-Rapids-commission-adopts-zoning-and-personnel-ordinances-approves-MDOT-sidewalk-agreement-and-governance-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6588878-0ae830e7193279d9c348de7ae226167e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183556&Signature=N-0-cPPdX~Vrwo5eamsNb~NbxXAYNwT6xcj-x1UNHZMC7n2Pmu-R5YthS-bytnzQtVhHJEWeIglQ1dbuX7661S9FgKpkrj1hF9Htwypu0swCalKF~lf2yxUC~SRAT0MnlQmXRh0L-sEl4NKBEVoaV0-LW0X~7jSpILnNO1Jd9lxPM0cJGl~u24cH37QdLo5klliV3OHT5dUZa0igCwP9OdQ48wJ10ON9kXAbXpaIB3-FmVa77GaSsZV58tJy30RG6YTSJ9vTgstIiVVJtTivZc41~iVUj5I3fd50mA9U4fSKXK6-a5lomLEiysI~hgh-CO4CXAh56bN-FB-KdjVHGQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Grand Rapids City Commission conducted several formal actions on July 29. Below is a concise list of key items the commission adopted or advanced. Where the meeting or staff packet did not name a specific mover or tally, this summary reports the formal outcome recorded in the meeting minutes.

Votes at a glance

- Sidewalk MDOT agreement (Fulton Street, Plymouth to Worcester): Commission approved an MDOT agreement and city expenditures for sidewalk improvements in the Fulton Street corridor, estimated at $640,000. The item was taken off consent and approved after staff report and a commissioner abstention was resolved at committee.

- Grand Rapids Land Bank governance: Commission approved a resolution modifying governance of the Grand Rapids Land Bank Authority, including shifting appointments and making the Brownfield Authority Board the Land Bank Authority board pending implementation steps. The commission also appointed members to the new land bank board.

- Zoning ordinance amendments (lot and yard requirements; administrative departures): Commission adopted amendments to zoning chapter 61 to establish new administrative departures for basement egress window wells and to address replacement of nonconforming front-yard parking. Commissioners amended the draft ordinance on the floor to remove one subsection before adoption and asked staff to review unintended consequences in one year.

- Rezoning and planned redevelopment amendments: The commission rezoned a small portion of 411 Fuller Avenue SE to a TN-TBA (traditional neighborhood, traditional business area) zone and adopted a major amendment to a planned redevelopment district at 221 Trowbridge NE, modifying previously approved redevelopment details.

- Firefighter compensation ordinance: The commission adopted an ordinance implementing the collective-bargaining agreement for the Grand Rapids Firefighters IAFF Local 366, providing a 5% increase effective 07/01/2025, a 5% increase on 07/01/2026 and a 1% increase on 07/01/2027; the ordinance was adopted and set for immediate effect.

- Pleasant Hills Phase 3: The commission opened and closed the public hearing on Pleasant Hills Phase 3 (27 units; 16 at ≤80% AMI) and referred the project to the committee of the whole for further review; no final funding or project adoption vote occurred at this meeting.

Details and next steps

Most items were discussed in committee earlier in the day and were presented to the full commission at this evening session. Several adopted items included instructions for staff follow-up or periodic review; for example, commissioners asked staff to return in roughly a year to evaluate the administrative departure process for window wells. The Pleasant Hills Phase 3 project was referred to committee for detailed financing and program review prior to any final TIF or development agreement.","The Grand Rapids City Commission adopted several ordinances and resolutions on July 29, including zoning text amendments, a land bank governance change, a planned redevelopment amendment and a firefighter compensation ordinance; a major housing project was advanced to committee review.",{"_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},6588886,"Hundreds of residents urge Grand Rapids commission to adopt sanctuary policies; commissioners say they will reopen discussion",3848,1483000,5331000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5506257-df0c521ebf4661dcb00d020f22246a91&start=1483&end=5331","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5506257-df0c521ebf4661dcb00d020f22246a91/thumbnail_1483000.jpg","/articles/6588886/Grand-Rapids-City/Kent-County/Michigan/Hundreds-of-residents-urge-Grand-Rapids-commission-to-adopt-sanctuary-policies-commissioners-say-they-will-reopen-discussion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6588886-4c49075a26a90c6e95264605bbf31a25/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183556&Signature=Xsb8rG9Rr5Nz5UWcawBd6O85rJpkDVDjmoaI9MOVaSdlpxQPnieFrLIEJOb1KHpxHoD9uxNzmI6f3B9M3ytj-DenqE~z8lWuPf39bPp6h~OYCdyl0BeUAfpQqHjDX90YvMKK-DcmhwpK6HucublYgVOatQ9D3JBIvd5qAGXWEm1A-H7Ibbz-s-mXpzcSQvecvdYns2pF4UnoIpMLohBxVpxsKZ0VP-ShX~ZCFKVvNka5-gYb7dXAh5pq6PCafOpSzeAgdUVzc7t1hSu~EIKsMTRarB2WmtBo~uHuj3JJYZU4aQDX01IZi9zLbqmVAsNteEO1oEQTkgdvQOwbhRxcLg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents and immigrant-rights activists urged the Grand Rapids City Commission on July 29 to adopt a set of six sanctuary-focused policies that would limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

The public-comments period, held at a commission night out event at a Grand Rapids Public Schools site, drew repeated appeals from organizers with COSECHA, Rapid Response to ICE and allied faith and community groups. John Haines, a community member, told commissioners: “These policies are not about politics. They are about values and human rights.”

Advocates asked the commission to prohibit local police from making arrests on civil immigration warrants; to bar city workers from asking about immigration status; to refuse 287(g) agreements that deputize local officers to enforce federal immigration law; to prevent contracts with the federal government to detain immigrants; to oppose immigration detention centers in the city; and to prohibit sharing camera or other surveillance footage with federal immigration authorities.

Speakers described recent local incidents they said involved Immigration and Customs Enforcement or that caused family separations. Rapid Response volunteers and other organizers recounted cases in which people attending scheduled federal appointments were detained; one speaker described accompanying residents to check-in sites and said volunteers were threatened with arrest. Multiple callers said immigrant families have avoided routine activities, like going to the grocery store or seeking medical care, because of fear.

Commissioners responded after the public-comment period. Commissioner Kelsey Roux said she wanted to reopen discussion on sanctuary city status and related policies, and invited an expanded process: “I want to reopen that conversation,” she said, adding that the commission should consider federal, state and local constraints and next steps. Commissioner Sasse said he was available to speak individually with residents and asked for more conversations outside the dais. Commissioner Knight said she wanted to review more information and see the full facts before moving.

City staff and the police chief did not present a policy change at the meeting; the city manager and chief had briefed the commission earlier in the day, the manager said, and commissioners identified the appropriate committee (public safety or committee of the whole) as the venue for follow-up hearings or briefings.

Organizers said they will continue pressing the commission. Several callers demanded immediate votes to drop charges against community members arrested during demonstrations and to end specific local practices. City leaders did not take a formal vote on sanctuary policies at the meeting.

The commission meeting also included other business — zoning requests and development hearings, a firefighter compensation ordinance and several consent and nonconsent items — that commissioners addressed after the public-comment session.","Dozens of residents, immigrant-rights groups and faith leaders urged the Grand Rapids City Commission to adopt six sanctuary-related policies to limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Commissioners acknowledged concerns and several said they would reopen discussion and pursue follow-up briefings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Developer urges zoning change to allow smaller lots; Pleasant Hills Phase 3 hearing advances with TIF and affordability commitments

Votes at a glance: Grand Rapids commission adopts zoning and personnel ordinances, approves MDOT sidewalk agreement and governance changes

Hundreds of residents urge Grand Rapids commission to adopt sanctuary policies; commissioners say they will reopen discussion