Consultants present Tassel Park and village plan; residents raise traffic, flooding and density concerns

Tony Slanek, principal at OHM Advisors, presented a three-phase village-area plan to the Cascade Charter Township DDA and Board of Trustees, saying the project ‘‘moves from exploration to a preferred, transformational concept’’ and is intended to guide private investment and local policy. He told the joint meeting the plan centers on four goals: activate the riverfront, create a vibrant mixed-use village center, improve multimodal streetscapes, and build an authentic local brand.

Slanek said the Tuffy site and Thornapple Plaza could serve as a catalyst for redevelopment and described a preferred concept that leans toward higher-intensity, mixed residential and commercial uses to support retail and walkability. ‘‘You have an incredibly unique asset, and that’s obviously the river,’’ he said, adding the plan proposes stronger river access, terraces, and programming that could include small amphitheaters and kayak docks.

Josh Holmes, director of design with OIGM, walked the board through park-level concepts for Tassel Park, including terraced steps to the water, small amphitheater seating, boardwalk elements near the dam, and preservation of mature trees. Holmes emphasized the designs are conceptual and recommended that the township ‘‘lock down a program’’—a definitive list of uses and priorities—before moving to detailed design.

Consultants urged pairing the vision with the township’s pending form-based code so that future redevelopment meets a consistent aesthetic and urban design standard. Slanek said the document functions both as a marketing tool for developers and a policy tool to establish expectations about materials, setbacks and building orientation.

Residents and trustees raised practical concerns during the Q&A. Multiple speakers said high vehicle speeds on Thornapple River Drive create safety and noise problems adjacent to the park; consultants recommended coordinating with Kent County to pursue a road diet, lane narrowing, and on-street parking to calm traffic. A local business owner warned of chronic flooding linked to upstream development and asked the planning team to prioritize stormwater controls: ‘‘As you change that around, you’re gonna have water problems coming downhill towards the river,’’ the resident said.

Doug Lee, owner of Jam Bean Coffee Company, described efforts to reinvest in an older downtown building and warned that until vehicle patterns on the main corridor change, pedestrianized village goals will be limited. Lee cited an estimated traffic figure for the corridor and asked for clarity about construction timelines that affect local businesses.

On implementation and cost, the consultants gave a high-level, early estimate (described in the presentation as ‘‘around $10,000,000’’ for a full build-out with multiple program elements) but stressed costs depend on the selected program, level of activation, utilities and whether elements such as buried utilities are pursued. Next steps identified by the team include finalizing park programing for Tassel Park/Tuffy site, integrating the plan with the form-based code, coordinating traffic and road studies with Kent County, and presenting refined concepts to potential developers and funders.

The meeting recorded robust public discussion but no formal vote on the plan itself; the agenda and procedural items were handled at the start of the session. Consultants and trustees agreed on a phased approach that starts with park planning and further stakeholder engagement before large-scale construction moves forward.