Why You Should Support the Zoning Changes in 2024!
This text is from the Agenda Action request submitted by the Planning Department to the City Commission. You can find the whole document here: Agenda Action Request
The Zoning Ordinance text amendments to be considered are intended to increase housing supply, diversify housing types, and increase housing affordability. A detailed briefing will be provided in connection with this item.
BACKGROUND
In the spring of 2023, an update to the 2020 Housing Needs Assessment was presented by the City’s Housing Practice Leader, Ryan Kilpatrick of Housing Next. The update determined that by 2027, approximately 34,700 dwelling units are needed countywide, with 14,106 of the units in the City of Grand Rapids, to accommodate household growth and older home replacement. In response to the Assessment, the City Commission expressed a desire to evaluate the City’s housing policies and requested that the Planning Commission provide them with recommendations.
To ensure general alignment on potential zoning changes, a joint Planning Commission/City Commission meeting was held on July 13, 2023. During the meeting, the Planning Director facilitated a discussion around five categories identified by staff as starting points for consideration. These categories were chosen because of past planning work (i.e. Great Housing Strategies and Housing NOW!), current planning work (update to the 2002 Community Master Plan) and State and National zoning reform work. These five categories included Accessory Dwelling Units, Unrelated Occupants, Group Living Uses, Small Scale Residential Infill/Missing Middle Housing Types and Parking Requirements. Both Commissions generally agreed that zoning amendments pertaining to the five categories held the potential to increase housing supply, diversify housing types, and increase housing affordability.
Since July 2023, the Planning Commission, with the support of city staff, began thorough deliberation on each of the five categories. On September 28, 2023, the Commission discussed changes to regulations for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and the number of unrelated occupants that may occupy a household. On November 9, 2023, the Commission discussed group living uses, small scale residential infill/missing middle housing, and parking requirements. And finally, on January 11, 2024, the Commission reviewed the draft text amendments to ensure the desired changes were accurately captured and were ready for a public hearing.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSED HOUSING POLICY TEXT AMENDMENTS
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)
Streamline review process and allow as a permitted use
Remove owner occupancy requirement
Modify height and setback requirements
Permit in association with single- and two-family dwellings
Eliminate parking requirement
Unrelated Occupants
Modify definition of Family, increasing unrelated occupants from four (4) to six (6)
Group Living
Modify Single-Room Occupancy (SRO) requirements:
Modify SRO definition
Allow small-scale SROs in residential zone districts
Provide a tiered review process for small, medium and large-scale SROs
Require a Good Neighbor Plan when permitted as a Special Land Use
Increase tenancy requirement from 32 to 90 days
Modify Transitional/Emergency Shelter requirements:
Allow small-scale shelters in residential zone districts
Add additional use regulations
Require a Good Neighbor Plan when permitted as a Special Land Use
Small Scale Residential Infill
Within the TN-LDR (Traditional Neighborhood–Low Density Residential) Zone District:
Reduce lot area and width requirements for two-family and multiple-family residential developments of six (6) or fewer units
Permit multiple-family residential developments of six (6) or fewer units when located on Link Residential or Network residential streets (as defined by the Vital Streets plan)
Eliminate established (i.e. median) lot area and width requirements
Allow conversion of existing single- and two-family housing stock to higher densities
Parking
Within the TN-LDR (Traditional Neighborhood–Low Density Residential) Zone District, eliminate parking requirements for developments of six (6) or fewer dwelling units on Link Residential or Network residential streets
Modify the required distance to transit (from 300 feet to ½-mile) to allow for increased utilization of the parking reduction
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
The proposed zoning text amendments represent significant changes from existing policies. However, it’s important to remember that these changes are heavily informed by past planning work (2015 Great Housing Strategies and the 2018 Housing NOW! effort), current Community Master Planning (CMP) work, state and national zoning reform publications and best practices from around the country. It is relevant to note that the Request for Proposals for the current Community Master Plan update, approved by the appointed 50-member steering committee, the City Planning Commission and City Commission, states the City’s willingness to advance critical housing discussions and recommendations prior to the adoption of the CMP adoption (page 10 of the approved CMP contract with Planning Next). It is staff’s opinion that the proposed text amendments align with the community feedback we have received thus far.
Strong Towns GR fully supports these changes as they will open the door to incremental development within the City, in areas that may be struggling with density. The Planning department has been hard at work on these changes for the the last year! They are experts that have done the research and analyzed the data, determining that these changes are part of a proposed solutions to Grand Rapid’s housing crisis, which we as residents have been asking for in the previous master plan and the current master planning process. These changes will not impact every neighborhood to the same degree, and will still require individuals in each neighborhood to enact change. But by allowing these change to be done by right, we as a community are able to get more creative within our build environment and help Grand Rapids thrive!
- Anna Carley, STGR Executive Director
