The Holland City Planning Commission recommended rezoning and approved a site plan for a Doors of Hope project that will provide seven new small-footprint rental units aimed at people at risk of homelessness.

Terry Caldwell, executive director of Doors of Hope, told the commission the nonprofit has served the community for 18 years and has expanded programs to address housing instability, including a Hope Homes initiative. “Our mission is to encourage individuals and families to achieve lasting independence by building meaningful relationships and helping to identify and break the cycles of generational poverty and crisis living,” Caldwell said on the record.

Scott Sternberg, a project representative, described the design approach: a mix of small-footprint units (some as small as 440 square feet up to two-bedroom units), retention of an existing large house on the corner, added bike storage and front sidewalks, and materials intended for longevity rather than low-cost vinyl cladding. He said the project is intended primarily for rental housing because that is the current need. “Right now ... ours will be rental properties because that is the need that Doors of Hope is coming at primarily,” Sternberg said.

Paul Sachs, director of Strategic Impact for Ottawa County, expressed county support and noted that the county recently published 16 open-source design variations intended to lower barriers to building affordable housing. Commission members praised the collaborative model and the open-source floor plans, which supporters said reduce architectural fees and development costs.

City staff outlined the approvals requested: site-plan approval, a recommendation to city council to rezone the properties to a PUD, a waiver to allow a detached unit smaller than the 500-square-foot minimum (proposed at 440 sq ft), a waiver for a 20-foot width where 22 is standard, and a reduced sidewalk on Waverly (staff described engineering and grade reasons for the partial sidewalk). The staff report and packet, available to commissioners, included the PUD resolution language and staff conditions.

Commissioner (speaker 7) moved to recommend rezoning to PUD to city council; the motion passed on a recorded verbal “aye.” The same commissioner moved to approve the site plan and PUD resolution, including staff comments and the added condition that city council approve the rezoning; that motion, which included the housing-size and width waivers and the reduced sidewalk agreement, was supported and recorded as approved in the meeting transcript.

The commission also heard supportive remarks from local stakeholders, noted minor plan edits made after study sessions (bike storage, building shifts for fire compliance and added green space) and received staff assurances that the project team will continue coordination with city departments.