Commission reviews draft master plan and urges coordination with Solen Township on sidewalks, signage and traffic

Commissioners reviewed the draft master plan and discussed outreach and coordination steps, including a community night in April and sending the draft to neighboring jurisdictions for statutorily required review.

Planner described the plan structure (background, future land use map, goals and objectives and implementation steps) and enumerated nine future land use categories: low-, medium- and high-density residential, neighborhood commercial, highway commercial, central business, downtown mixed-use, public/institutional and light industrial. Staff emphasized the future land use map will guide rezonings and zoning amendments by matching desired character with requests for development.

Interjurisdictional coordination: Commissioners highlighted sidewalk gaps and inconsistent signage across the city and the adjacent Solen Township. A commissioner asked staff to draft a letter to the Kent County Road Commission asking for traffic-calming or a three-way stop at the Pine Street/White Creek intersection given new apartment development; Sergeant Paulson offered to forward the concern up the county chain. Commissioners suggested comparing Cedar Springs' sign and sidewalk ordinances with Solen's to create cohesive standards in the shared planning area.

Next steps: Staff will present the draft at an April community night, collect feedback and return any changes to the commission in May, then distribute the draft to neighboring jurisdictions as required before adoption.