Planning Commission approves Grace Episcopal rain garden with 10-space parking reduction

The East Grand Rapids Planning Commission on May 20 approved a site plan allowing Grace Episcopal Church at 1815 Hall Street to remove about 3,000 square feet of parking area to install a rain garden, reducing the lot by 10 spaces but keeping the site at the minimum required parking level.

The project, presented by Jay Gianotti, Zoning Administrator, and described to commissioners by consulting engineer Tony Heath of Plaster Creek Stewards, was funded in part by grants from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and is designed to capture and infiltrate runoff from a two-year, 24-hour storm.

Commissioners were told the rain garden would be placed at the north end of the existing parking lot and would cause the overall lot coverage to fall to about 52% (down from 54%). Gianotti noted the city’s zoning maximum for a lot this size is 40%, but the Zoning Board of Appeals previously granted a variance at its March meeting to address that specific lot-coverage issue. He also said the church’s parking requirement, calculated under the municipal standard of one space per three seats (or six feet of pew), is 120 spaces; the site currently has 130 spaces and removing 10 would leave it at 120, which meets the code-based requirement.

Tony Heath, the consulting engineer, told the commission the team had coordinated with the Kent County Drain Office and secured a drain-use/encroachment permit for the Chapter 20 drain that runs through the parking area. Heath described the lot’s stormwater flow patterns and the plan’s use of curb-and-gutter collection, small spillways, and a pretreatment forebay to route water into the rain garden so it filters through soil and plants rather than running directly into Silver Creek.

Haley Cornelia, project coordinator for Plaster Creek Stewards, said the church will accept primary responsibility for long-term maintenance and that Plaster Creek Stewards will provide consulting support for plant identification and periodic upkeep. "The majority of the responsibility for maintenance will be on Grace Episcopal Church, which their community has agreed to and is excited to do," Cornelia said. She added the stewards have maintained similar sites in the region for about 15 years and submitted a maintenance plan as part of the EGLE review.

During public comment, resident Mark Sullivan, of East Grand Rapids, said his experience attending services indicated the parking lot rarely reaches capacity outside of a few special events. Commissioners asked whether special events could fill the lot and where overflow parking would occur; Sullivan said that scenario is remote and a plan could be arranged if needed.

A motion to approve the site plan for the rain garden and associated parking reduction carried on a voice vote. Commissioners requested that the minutes reflect the plan meets the standards of review identified by staff, principally lot coverage and parking requirements.

The project supporters described environmental benefits — reducing thermal and pollutant loading to Silver Creek, improving habitat for native plants and pollinators, and offering educational opportunities for the adjacent church preschool — and noted potential downsides, such as the need for regular maintenance to prevent overgrowth. Plaster Creek Stewards said the rain garden is sized to intercept and treat surface runoff from the design storm so standing water should not create mosquito breeding habitat.

Work on the project will proceed under the permits and conditions noted by staff and the Kent County Drain Office; the planning commission did not attach additional conditions beyond standard plan approval items. The commission chair said she looked forward to seeing the finished garden.