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Harrison Township board directs start of Attainable Housing District process for Old Shook Rd. property
Summary
The board voted to begin the process to establish an Attainable Housing District for 24629/24645 Old Shook Rd., a step intended to support development of up to four affordable units by G4 Limited Housing Development Authority, LLC using a $200,000 MSHDA award. Required public hearings and resolutions will return to the board for final approval.
The Harrison Township Board of Trustees voted June 23 to direct township staff to begin the formal process to establish an Attainable Housing District for property at 24629/24645 Old Shook Road, a step the board says is intended to help enable the construction of up to four affordable housing units.
The request came from G4 Limited Housing Development Authority, LLC, which the record shows has "applied for and received $200,000.00 in Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) funds to help with the construction costs to build one of the two duplexes on this property." Under the district the parcel’s taxes would be reduced by approximately 50% for a period proposed by the applicant (the board directed staff to begin the formal proceedings for a ten-year term), with the taxes reverting to the normal rate at the end of that period.
Township officials described development challenges on the 1.43-acre site: the lot is narrow (approximately 165 feet of frontage and 495 feet deep), requires a driveway longer than 250 feet to serve the units, and will need extended underground water and sewer services. The minutes note the parcel went through tax foreclosure in 2015 and again in 2022, which officials said indicates development costs likely exceed the unassisted market value of any finished product.
Supervisor Kenneth Verkest asked whether the board supported starting the formal process. Following discussion, the board approved a motion directing the Supervisor, Clerk and Assessor to begin the procedure to establish the Attainable Housing District and to schedule the required public hearings and resolutions, with those items to return to the board for final votes. Motion by Treasurer Lawrence Tomenello; second by Trustee Liza Brown; motion carried.
Next steps specified in the record include public hearings and required reporting to the state before any final approvals. The board did not finalize the district at the June 23 meeting; staff will present the required hearings and resolutions at a future board meeting.
