Kalamazoo planners approve special-use permit for six-person rooming house at 1303 Lake Street

The Kalamazoo City Planning Commission on an 8-0 roll-call vote approved a special-use permit allowing the converted dwelling at 1303 Lake Street to operate as a rooming house for up to six unrelated adults.

The approval follows staff findings that the property — an approximately 1,850-square-foot house built about 1904 — meets life-safety and building-code requirements and that the proposed use aligns with surrounding residential land uses in the RM-15 zoning district. The commission debated, and rejected, a binding condition requiring the owner to define and surface an unimproved secondary driveway.

City planning staff told the commission the house was vacant around 2020, was later purchased by Housing Now LLC, renovated and inspected under the city's rental-registration process. The housing inspector identified the unit's occupancy pattern as a rooming house (six unrelated adults sharing one kitchen) and referred the matter to zoning for a special-use permit because of the RM-15 district's requirements. The staff report noted the property already holds a rental certificate and recommended approval with a condition to improve and define the existing secondary driveway; that condition, staff said, could be met by a paving permit within one year and could allow gravel, asphalt or other approved surfacing.

Commissioners debated whether making the driveway improvement a binding condition was necessary. The proposed amendment to the motion to add a binding driveway-surfacing requirement failed on a 4-4 tie (Yes: Curtis, DeCenzo, Kosheva, Smith; No: Audette Bauman, Patelco, Swan, Wilson). After reopening the required public hearing (the commission paused earlier when staff said the RingCentral public-call function was not connected), the commission re-voted on the special-use permit and approved it unanimously in the subsequent roll call (Yes: Audette Bauman; Curtis; DeCenzo; Kosheva; Patelco; Smith; Swan; Wilson).

Maurice Golladay, the property owner and manager, spoke to commissioners about day-to-day operation. He said the property has operated as a rooming house for about three years and that many tenants do not own cars: "We probably average maybe 3 cars. In 3 years, half of the tenants don't have cars. So we haven't had any problem." He also said the manager enforces overnight-guest rules and that the property has not generated police calls. Golladay confirmed the owner is aware of the staff driveway recommendation and said he had no objection to improving the driveway.

Planning staff described enforcement and monitoring as part of the city's housing-inspection program: the property received a 28-month rental certificate following inspection; the housing department will re-inspect and require renewal at the certificate's expiration if it remains a rental. Staff emphasized complaint-driven enforcement for over-occupancy and said follow-up typically begins with a phone call and a site visit; formal citations require documented proof of a violation.

The commission approved the permit without the driveway condition; site-specific compliance items such as garbage, fencing and parking enforcement remain under the jurisdiction of the city's housing and code-enforcement programs.

The applicant and the commission briefly discussed notice: staff reported one phone inquiry from a nearby resident who called to ask what the mailed notice was about and offered no objection.

The commission moved on to the next agenda item after the vote.