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Westside residents say they are all for growth, but are not for buildings with 16 stories

Posted at 10:09 PM, Feb 28, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-28 23:05:12-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- There's no doubt that downtown Grand Rapids is booming with new restaurants, breweries, hotels and luxury apartments.  There are several new projects underway in the city, from a 42-story tower at 10 Ionia to the West Side super block and grocery store.

But with so much growth, some neighborhoods on the West Side are raising their hands and telling the city to slow down. Tuesday night those residents had a chance to voice concerns with city commissioners and hear thoughts from elected officials on all the development.

Residents voiced several concerns at the meeting, including a complaint regarding the height variance, which can go up to 16 stories. They also were upset about the lack of communication from city leaders.

Many residents said they didn't move to Grand Rapids only to have it feel like more like New York City or Chicago.

"I've lived on the near West Side for 18 years and I really care a lot about my neighborhood," said resident Catherine Mish. "And I was really concerned when I saw the proposal about the zone and ordinance changes in particular on the height of buildings that was proposed for this side, the west side of the highway."

Under those changes, buildings and developers will be able to build up to 16 stories on the West Side, something City Commissioner John O'Connor says will benefit the community.

"It's been reported that maybe it's 16 stories, but 16 stories is only attainable if you achieve some bonuses and bonuses are for things that the city views as a positive impact in terms of developments," O'Connor said.

The average height will be 10 stories, but if the building provides things like public art, officials say they can add on a story.  The same thing for green spaces and a big one: affordable housing.

Residents like Mish, a former Grand Rapids city attorney, aren't against development. In fact, most people at Tuesday's meeting support a compromise like a 10 story building, but they say there was a lack of communication from the city and they need more than 30 days to digest and understand the zoning code.

"We did recognize there were some concerns about the process and we are more than willing to listen to the neighbors," O'Connor said.

Both city officials and residents seemed to agree they were for growth, but had different ideas on how to achieve that.

"The danger to the neighborhood if they build 16 story buildings or they allow it to be built in those locations, it's going to cause development to encroach on the rest of the neighborhood," Mish said.