The Holland City Planning Commission on July 8 reapproved a site plan for a three-story, 38-unit apartment building on Collin Park Drive and acknowledged a future phase of five townhomes, continuing a previously authorized development after a change in unit counts.

Jacob Horner, head of real estate for Dwelling Place, said the Collin Park project was approved in 2023 as part of a larger financing package and that the current reapproval request reflects changes made while securing funding. “This is the development of Collin Parkland, which is some of it’s owned by the city of Holland. Another chunk of it is owned by Community Action House, our partner in this development,” Horner said. He said the apartment building was reduced from 41 units to 38 and that between the two buildings there would be 52 units total when both phases are complete.

Staff explained the site is in the redevelopment mixed-use zoning district (previously industrial), so this application did not require the form-based code waivers used on the other site. Planning staff recommended approval with the standard conditions in the staff report.

A commissioner asked about the unit mix; one commissioner noted an emphasis on one-bedroom units (about 44 one-bedrooms and eight two-bedrooms across the combined project as discussed in the meeting). Horner said the proposed unit mix was driven by a market study and by Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) requirements used in the project’s financing: the market analysis recommended a heavier one-bedroom mix to match demand. “They go and they look at the market, and they look at what the demand has been,” Horner said.

Horner and staff also addressed questions about accessibility and vouchers: 11 of the 52 total units will use Section 811 vouchers targeted for people with disabilities, and the applicant said about 10 percent of units (rounded to six) will be designed with full accessibility features. Horner clarified that residents do not need to be disabled to live in the complex; the vouchers apply to specific units.

Public comment included opposition from resident Dave De Jong and an extended neighborhood critique from Jan Van Tatum Holt of 340 West Fourteenth Street, who raised concerns about parking, winter maintenance, light and noise, and potential impacts on property values. Jan Van Tatum Holt said the proposed parking ratio (41 parking spaces for 38 units) was inadequate and predicted spillover parking on surrounding streets. “Anybody with a one-bedroom apartment and two people, they’re each gonna have a car,” Van Tatum Holt said.

Mayor (name not specified) and other commissioners addressed neighborhood concerns, saying the city’s prior outreach and the master-plan South Shore Village subarea work anticipated redevelopment in this area and that the site meets zoning and other staff conditions. The mayor said the city’s goal is to add affordable housing near parks, waterfront access and downtown amenities and described the project as serving teachers, firefighters and other essential workers.

A motion to approve the site plan with staff recommendations passed; the planning commission recorded the motion as carried. Staff said perimeter landscaping and downcast, shielded lighting will be required to reduce light spillover and that the site plan will otherwise follow standard city landscaping and stormwater requirements. No building permits were issued at the meeting; those remain subsequent administrative steps.