East Grand Rapids residents urge more hearings, stricter review of Gaslight Village PUD

Dozens of residents told the East Grand Rapids City Commission on the evening’s public-comment period that the proposed Gaslight Village Planned Unit Development threatens the community’s character, parking and green space and requires more public hearings and clearer communication from city officials.

The speakers — many of them longtime residents — asked the commission to slow the process, schedule additional public hearings and press the developer for clearer commitments on parking, density, green space and traffic mitigation. "You're gonna be in a 70 foot canyon," warned Jerry Anderson, a resident of 435 Edgemere Drive Southeast, describing how surrounding buildings and parking could feel to neighbors. Judith Baxter, who said she has spoken previously about the development, asked the commission to hold another public hearing in September and called current outreach "not effective…