Todd Ponstein of Georgetown Development Co. reviewed with the Planning Commission the history of this project. They are proposing 158 units on 30.6 acres which is 5.16 units per acre. The price to be set on these condos will be in the $150,000 range. Most units are 4-plex units with some no-step styles and traditional styles.
Jason Vander Kodde of Nederveld gave an overview of the site. One variation from the plan submitted in November is that one two-unit building has been eliminated and an aesthetic pond has been added on the east of the site. He then addressed the following concerns brought up by the Planning Commission in November:

1. Blue Space - The site contains 3.53 acres of blue space, which is 11.5% of the site.
   
2. Street Width - The Planning Commission asked for justification for constructing 20-foot wide streets as opposed to 24-foot wide streets. Jason Vander Kodde highlighted information from four different studies and documentation. The Ottawa County Planning Commission Right of Way Task Force Report provided a foundation for arguing that there are many positive benefits which accompany narrow streets and that narrow designs are safer, enhance the quality of life and provide greater opportunities to preserve natural and cultural heritage. A study by Peter Swift states that a 20-foot street has 41% less accidents per mile per year than a 24-foot street. Mr. Vander Kodde also cited two additional reports relating to narrowing streets reduces speeds.
   Ten Harmsel – Concerned with where the snow would go if they had a great amount of snow to plow.
   Vander Kodde –There is adequate room along the detention ponds or it could be removed or moved around the development.
   VanDoeselaar – Does this design allow for some areas of parallel parking?
   Ponstein – They don’t allow parking on the street and do not see a need for it. There are parking pads available.Vander Kodde – The driveways will be 25 feet long and will have adequate parking for two vehicles. Also the condos that have shared driveways have two additional parking spaces at the end of the drive. The parking ratio of visitor spaces to units is consistent with condominium developments, such as Elmwood, Windsor Hill and Kirkridge. They feel they have enough parking spaces for the use they are proposing.
3. Building elevations - Jason Vander Kodde reviewed with the Planning Commission elevations of the new condos as they relate to the existing condos. There will be between two and five feet of vertical difference at best along the north property line.
4. Storm water retention – Jason Vander Kodde reviewed the engineering plans for how they will handle the off site drainage that will run through this development. He provided a detailed description of how storm water will arrive to this site and how it will be handled once it gets on site. It was explained how the proposed design will create more storm water detention than currently exists.
5. Jason Vander Kodde also feels that financial surety for dead end roads is not necessary. Their roads will be phased roads with temporary cul-de-sacs as they are being constructed to allow for traffic to turn around as necessary. During Phase I and II when the roads are dead-end, they will meet the Ottawa and Kent County standards. They will not have a dead end road for the long term.
   VanDoeselaar – Has concerns with how close the Summer Green residents will now be to the new lines of Summer Creek buildings.
   Vander Kodde – They have oriented their buildings to be sensitive to that and have moved many of their buildings to stay at least 80 feet away from the Summer Green Condominium buildings in most instances.
   VanDoeselaar - Will residents have to have flood insurance?
   Vander Kodde – Doesn’t believe so, the current flood plain will be re-mapped.
   VanDenBerg – Will any of the swales have rock barriers to slow the water down?
   Vander Kodde – Yes.

The Statement of Findings and Recommendations is as follows:

The property shape, topography, drainage and other environmental concerns make the PUD an ideal way to promote flexibility and creativity. The City will be able to provide more input on issues such as drainage and buffering from the adjoining property. There is more governance over multi-phased projects and it still needs to be substantially compliant with underlying zoning.
The plan meets the regulations as set forth with the proposed deviations (the current requirement is in brackets) and benefits.

1. Private Road Width of 20’ (24'). Studies from Ottawa County, Peter Swift, Dan Burden, and James Daisa and John Peers state that a narrower road results in slower speeds and improves safety, which is beneficial as the road is a long winding loop due to the shape and topography of the property. A 20’-wide road could be permitted if parking is not allowed on the street.
2. Private Road to Adjoining Parcel Setback of 7’ (20’). The MDEQ requires a minimum amount of creek disturbance, which the proposal allows while retaining the stormwater detention on the subject property. This may be beneficial if an appropriate buffer can be developed to minimize the impact on the adjacent property.
3. Building-to-Building Rear Setback of 50' (80’). This deviation is the result of the location of the floodplain, floodway, and wetlands. It only impacts internal units. The buildings will be at least 75’ apart and this deviation will enable enclosure of the proposed decks.
4. Temporary Extension to Maximum cul-de-sac length of 1664' (800’). Ottawa County and Kent County allow up to 75 units per access point with which this project complies. Neither County has a limit on temporary cul-de-sac length. The final design is a looped road that complies with length requirements. The road configuration is a result of the natural conditions.
5. Turnaround device as a Hammer-Head (40' cul-de-sac). This will reduce the amount of asphalt for a piece of road that services two buildings. It enables this location to have a lesser impact while providing a turnaround function.

This project is consistent with the underlying zoning but not the current Future Land Use Plan which is scheduled to be updated this year. The Master Plan encourages residential PUD’s with one of the purposes being to encourage open space. This project has 53% open space with a public walking path running the entire length of the property along the creek.
Upon review of the presentation on stormwater modeling and the relationship between road width and traffic speed a public hearing will be set for April 16, 2008.

1. Adjust the one-way entrance off Shooks Drive into a two-way drive.
2. Add a driveway on 32nd Avenue for accessibility to the site.
3. Add a drive-thru along the north end of the building. He has a potential tenant that would require a drive-thru.
4. Add an LED reader board at the bottom of the existing freestanding sign.

Ron Van Singel of the Merestone Group reviewed this plan and stated that the changes being proposed are consistent with the plan that was originally approved in the PUD. Extra area was set aside on the north side of the building so a drive-up could be put in there. The proposed drive off of 32nd Avenue would line up with the drive on the west side of 32nd Avenue.
Strikwerda – Recommends making the entrance off Shooks Drive a two-way drive for safety purposes. Adding a driveway off 32nd Avenue creates another conflict point on 32nd Avenue. He feels that fixing the drive off Shooks Drive would give adequate access to this property. The drive-thru along the north side of the building was originally intended for use by a bank, which would require only four stacking spaces. Even with four stacking in this area there is a concern that the east driveway could be blocked, which could also create a potential problem for access to the vacant lot behind the plaza. Adding the proposed changeable message space to their sign is acceptable because the Planning Commission does have the ability to increase sign space by 15% for changeable message space.
Westrate – Agrees with making the Shooks Drive entrance a two-way drive. Does not like the idea of an entrance off 32nd Avenue. It would increase the potential for accidents.

The Statement of Findings and Recommendations is as follows:
Plaza 32 meets the current zoning and is consistent with the Master Plan. The following amendments are intended to draw more people into the plaza.

1. Adjust the one-way entrance off Shooks Drive into a two-way drive. This adjustment is beneficial since a large percentage of patrons are already exiting this entrance-only driveway. It is safer to make it a two-way drive to avoid the potential for head-on collisions.
2. Add a driveway on 32nd Avenue. The proposed placement is aligned with the access into the Flagstar Bank across 32nd Avenue, which also serves the large vacant property. When the property across the street is developed, that will be a much busier driveway. It would also be 160’ from Shooks Drive where 200’ is required so this deviation would need to be defended. The Master Plan states, “For proper access, a maximum of two driveways, with a preference for one driveway is recommended for the site.” So it is permissible but not preferred. With the expansion of the Shooks Drive access this driveway is not as necessary. This driveway will also create an additional conflict point on 32nd Avenue.
3. Add a drive-thru along the north end of the building. The underlying zone district, Light Commercial, does not allow a drive-thru by right. This use may be allowed as long as safeguards, features, and/or planning mechanisms can be put in place to ensure compatibility. The concern is how the drive-thru will function on this site. The potential tenant is a coffee shop, which needs about 4 stacking spaces versus the requirement of 10 that a fast food restaurant needs. Two stacking spaces fit along the north side of the building, the third and fourth stacking spaces block access to the back of the building, a fifth stacking space blocks the joint driveway that provides access to the vacant property to the east. Occasionally blocking access to employee parking behind the building is less significant than blocking access to the vacant parcel east of this property. Another option is forcing the drive-thru traffic behind the building but that does not appear feasible.
4. Add an LED reader board at the bottom of the existing freestanding sign. The current sign is 70 s.f., which is what they are permitted. The Planning Commission may increase sign space by 15% for changeable message space. The proposed changeable message space addition will make it about 79.3 s.f., which is within that range.

A public hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2008.

Dan Strikwerda, AICP
Planning/Zoning Administrator