East Lansing council approves conditional rezoning for three Grove Street parcels

The East Lansing City Council voted April 7 to adopt ordinance 15‑62, approving a conditional rezoning for three parcels on Grove Street to allow licensed residential rental units for up to four unrelated people or a family.

Planner Landon Bartley told the council the request would change zoning to RM‑32 to permit licensure that is not allowed under the current R‑2 district and described six conditions offered voluntarily by the applicant to limit uses and ensure compliance with city ordinances. The council opened a public hearing, heard neighborhood comment and then voted to act the same night after staff and the applicant answered questions.

Kevin Hagen of the Hagen Group, the applicant, said his plan keeps the two houses on site and includes modest site renovations. "We are going to add some concrete for parking, that will have a drain by the sidewalk, which will take the water from the sidewalk back to the backyard," Hagen said, describing steps meant to limit stormwater impacts. He also said the project will reduce overall coverage at one parcel to help runoff.

Neighborhood speakers were mixed; Tim Rozowski told council he supported the conditional rezoning and said it had neighborhood backing, while other public commenters at the meeting raised larger concerns about scale and infrastructure at different nearby sites. Mayor Altman and several council members said the applicant’s stormwater measures were an important step given recent local flooding.

The motion to adopt ordinance 15‑62 incorporated the conditions listed in the council packet by reference and passed by voice vote. The council’s action allows the applicants to pursue rental licensing under the conditions attached to the rezoning. The council did not record individual roll‑call tallies in the audio transcript.