Kentwood commission approves Breton Ravines plat amendment and preliminary site plan, adds pedestrian easement over Grand Rapids sewer

The Kentwood City Commission on Dec. 2 approved a conditional precise plat amendment and the preliminary site plan for the Breton Ravines development, a roughly 67-acre project that the city staff said will include about 216 housing units across multiple phases.

City staff introduced the amendments and site plan changes, saying the developer added roughly 5 acres for stormwater management and consolidated separate detention ponds. The commission heard that Phase 1 includes 69 rental units, and phases 2–6 will include about 139 site condominiums and 8 standard condominiums. The Planning Commission had recommended conditional approval.

“About 67 acres, as you recall, and 216 units total,” said Lisa, a city staff member who presented the plan. She described site changes from the 2024 approvals and listed conditions of approval, including requirements for landscaping, lighting, fire marshal and city engineer sign-offs, wetland mitigation permits and review of final building plans.

Dan Larabell of Allen Edmond Homes, the developer, told the commission the major design change is attaching previously detached garages on about 24 units and that the change reduces wetland impacts and allows more favorable road grades. “Attaching the garages … allowed us to reduce the wetland impacts,” Larabell said.

Commissioners discussed neighborhood impacts, buffering and the appearance of a maintenance drive required by Grand Rapids that runs over a Grand Rapids sanitary sewer easement. After discussion of options — including articulated block paving, turf-block with grass, or a 10-foot non-motorized trail — the commission added Condition 12 requiring the developer to retain and convey a public pedestrian (non-motorized) easement over the Grand Rapids sanitary sewer easement, subject to staff coordination with Grand Rapids.

Commissioner Arts moved approval of the precise plat amendment and the preliminary site plan subject to the listed conditions (with the newly added Condition 12 tying a pedestrian easement to the approval); Commissioner Moseley supported the motions. The motions passed on voice/roll-call votes.

The approvals set the framework for later, more detailed reviews: final site condominium documents and final building plans will return to planning staff and the commission as required by the conditions.