County staff and consultant propose countywide corridor analysis to identify infill sites, balance groundwater and farmland

County staff and a consultant outlined a corridor-analysis approach intended to identify underutilized parcels and corridors where smaller-footprint and attached housing could be built without extensive new infrastructure.

Ryan Kilpatrick, the consultant leading the analysis, told commissioners the project maps zoning, assessor data, vacant land and infrastructure and overlays development barriers such as wetlands and groundwater risk to identify opportunities for infill and targeted, higher-density housing.

"What we're really trying to do is understand what can the private sector actually get done in any given market," Kilpatrick said, summarizing the analysis that drew on zoning data for Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties and assessor records. He said Ottawa County has a large amount of vacant land but much of it is not in locations where households want to live; regulatory minimum lot sizes and infrastructure costs also constrain options.

Kilpatrick and staff emphasized two constraints specific to Ottawa County: strong agricultural land uses that the county and residents want to preserve, and a groundwater issue tied to the Marshall Sandstone formation in parts of the county where well levels are declining. Staff noted that extending water infrastructure to well-dependent subdivisions can be costly and change the character of communities.

The consultant presented findings that, in aggregate, a substantial portion of the county's housing needs could be met by right-sizing product types (small single-family lots, townhouses and multifamily) and prioritizing parcels with existing infrastructure. He said the analysis estimates that many households could be served by market-rate small-footprint or attached housing if zoning and regulatory barriers were adjusted in appropriate locations.

Commissioners discussed next steps: staff and Kilpatrick will develop a proposal for a countywide corridor analysis, and the commission plans to engage partners including Lakeshore Advantage and Housing Next to explore funding. Kilpatrick offered to provide maps and to work with local units of government on choosing priority corridors for targeted planning and outreach to landowners and developers.

Commissioners said the corridor work could help identify 1–2 priority neighborhoods where small-footprint or missing-middle housing could be piloted, and they asked Kilpatrick to share his presentation with county staff for follow-up.