GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — The City of Grand Haven is considering a sweeping set of zoning amendments aimed at addressing a housing shortage that has made it harder for families to put down roots in the community.
WATCH: Grand Haven weighs zoning changes to expand housing options
The proposed changes would affect where and how residents can live, what kinds of housing can be built, and whether affordable housing requirements would be imposed on developers.
Grand Haven Planning Director Brian Urquhart said the proposals align with the city's master plan to increase the area's housing stock and provide more affordable options.
"We want to attract the housing type where people can start here in Grand Haven and also raise a family in Grand Haven, because our school age population has decreased so much. And we're really targeting that as a stakeholder of why we want to be able to make it affordable, the best that we can with the regulatory framework that Grand Haven has to offer."
Among the proposals under consideration, the city would reduce the minimum dwelling size in its Low Density Residential district from 760 square-feet to 570 square-feet. The city is also weighing whether to allow two-family homes, or duplexes, in Medium Density Residential zones, without requiring property owners to get special approval before building a duplex.
Accessory dwelling units, such as in-law suites or backyard cottages, could also be permitted by right in certain districts under one proposal. Grand Haven is additionally considering formally defining and potentially permitting triplexes, quadplexes, and other "missing middle" housing types.
Other proposals include reducing the required number of parking spaces per residential unit from 2 to 1.2, allowing year-round on-street parking with an odd/even system during winter months, and limiting the number of short-term rentals in residential districts.
The city is also considering requiring that 10% of all units in multi-family developments or planned developments be designated as affordable, and allowing up to 50% lot coverage — up from 35% — when a property includes an accessory dwelling unit, duplex, triplex, or quadplex.
The talks come as Ottawa County works to add more than 16,000 new homes over the next five years to keep up with demand.
The Planning Commission will hold a work session to discuss and narrow down the potential proposals at a future date, with plans to present their ideas to the public by summer 2026.
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