Dear Heritage Hill Neighbors & Friends,
My name is Therese Voevodsky. I live in Heritage Hill and I am writing this petition to ask for your support. There are many proposals going to the various planning and historic preservation commissions in Grand Rapids which I believe will be extremely detrimental to our neighborhood. The two that I am most concerned with (that I know of...there may be more) are at 50 College Ave, SE and the corner of Madison & State (where Clark's Food Center currently is located).
A Brief Overview:
At 50 College the proposal is to change the zoning from professional office to residential, put in 87 apartment units in 4 stories (instead of current 2 stories). This is 102 beds with only 102 parking spaces.
At Madison & State the proposal is to put in a 71 unit apartment building with only 30 parking spaces!
I believe these 2 projects together are going to cause conservatively 100-150 cars to spill out onto street parking along College, Washington, Gay, Prospect, Lafayette, Jefferson, Madison and Union. These 2 projects are only 1.5 blocks apart. Where are all these people going to park?
Please see below comments which I have prepared to share with the commissions. If you would like to add anything please let me know. If you would like to continue receiving updates please let me know. If you would like your email removed from the list please also let me know.
Sincerely,
Therese
Background:
From the very beginning of this proposal my husband Mike and I and our neighbors, Geoff & Susan Gillis have been diametrically opposed to it but no one seems to be listening to us. As the neighbors that will be most impacted by the development of the property directly across the street from us and the only owning residents on this side of the block, we feel that we should have input into what is built there, specifically in regards to whether an exception should be made to change the zoning.
We feel very strongly about this for the following reasons:
1. This block of College is already the most populated and congested of Heritage Hill, possibly all of GR. Changing the zoning to residential and allowing 87 more units (102 beds) to go in is not viable or sustainable. Granted, the developers have planned for 102 off-street parking spaces which is great and apparently more than required. However, there are currently too many cars overflowing onto street parking due to the high density properties on Fulton & College and Cherry & College, and the overflow parking from GRCC. Adding potentially 150-200 more cars (50-100 with no off-street parking) will be devastating to this neighborhood. I've subsequently found out that potentially 100-140 more cars will be requiring parking due to the 10 story 71 unit building going up where Clark's Food Mart currently stands. They are only allotting 30 off-street parking spaces. These 2 developments are within 1.5 blocks of each other and will conservatively require 100-150 cars to spill out onto the streets to park. Where are all of these people going to park?
2. Whenever we have a chance to replace one of the ugly buildings that went up in the 60's & 70's (when GR collectively lost its mind and started tearing down these beautiful old homes) we should replace it with something low density, high quality, and historic looking, like the graystones or brownstones in Chicago. I find it utterly incredible and ridiculous that I and my neighborhood historic home owners, who by the way actually live here unlike the developers, can't add even ONE more unit, but we are contemplating allowing 87 to go in across the street and 71 to go in less than 2 blocks away.
3. The developers are asking for an exception to the zoning for this property. Several months ago, I asked them to come back with examples from their other properties about the number of units, number of people, and number of cars that are living/parking there, including off-street. To my knowledge they have not done that. I believe we have a right to know the environmental impact of these buildings and to request that a formal Environmental Impact Study and traffic pattern study be conducted to determine what impact there will be on the neighborhood. I also understand that the claim is that anything less than what is being requested is not financially viable. Let them prove this by showing us the finances and other potentially viable alternatives.
4. We are being asked to provide input but no one is listening. We are being asked to support a zoning change and a development plan without enough information to do so. I think we need to slow down and get all the information necessary to improve these plans so that we can support them. This is incumbent upon the developer to do so. The developer is Orion Construction and they've recently claimed to have over 550 apartments in development for Grand Rapids. See full article at:
http://orionbuilt.com/news-media/expect-more-neigh...
This group is capable of doing really nice, high end historic looking work. I think we need to hold them to that high quality standard in Heritage Hill. See the Keller & Almassian building and the Baker Student Housing projects at:
http://orionbuilt.com/projects
Please join us in our quest to stop the over-development and lack of sufficient parking in Heritage Hill. Please sign the petition and forward it to neighbors and friends who might also support us. Whether they live in or near the Hill, it will impact them directly. Thank you so much!
Therese Voevodsky cell: 520.203.3355 Please call me if you have any questions.
Updates
January 1, 2017
The parking situation at these proposed sites is already a major concern for everyone I talk to. I am busy preparing our formal testimony for the planning commission meetings.
January 1, 2017
The momentum is undeniable now. Heritage Hill is clearly ready to protect our streets from this level of congestion.
18 Comments
This area is already extremely congested. Parking is inadequate, streets are not wide enough and the intersection of 5 streets is already overburdened. These housing developments fly in the face of longstanding efforts to keep this historic neighborhood a low density, pleasant city neighborhood with a balance of owner occupied housing. I do not see even one benefit to the neighborhood!
As a resident on Madison and a property owner of home on Gay, I have a very invested interest in the project proposed. It is detrimental to th preservation of this unique historic district. Please oppose the zoning change.
I am all for development but adequate parking must be considered!
I agree! Hold the real estate developers accountable! Keep Heritage Hill how it is! If development is inevitable, it should be done in a way that is conducive to our neighborhood along with consideration to its beautiful historical appearance.
Back in the 1970's Heritage Hill was being threatened by much of the same activity that is beginning to occur now just spun differently. While it would be nice to see something done with the building at College the current plan is not acceptable. Parking, overcrowded streets, speeding are serious issues already existing in our neighborhood. This opportunistic activity by many real estate developers has no intention of keeping Heritage Hill as it has become known. As usual it is all about the money.Their vision is very short sighted.
Parking is a major concern. We are tired of the excessive abuse that results from the free for all parking on many streets. Lafayette is inundated with students who do not want to pay for parking. The 3 foot city statute to allow ingress/egress from driveways is not adhered to, nor is it adequate to allow safe ingress/egress from our own driveways (should be 6 feet at least). Many times they block us in completely. Regarding 50 college, 102 beds and 102 parking spaces is only adequate if there is only one car per apartment. What happens when there are 204 cars? ALSO: Why do they have free reign to increase units when as an owner I am not allowed to event rent one room? This is unfair for owners residing in HH. Not interested in having non-resident landlords getting this ability - just those of us living here trying to maintain HH.
Curbing the population density of Heritage Hill has been a focus for many years. This is part of what makes our neighborhood a close-knit caring community, as opposed to a big city of strangers! Not to mention car traffic is already becoming something to avoid. More is not better here.
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Dear Heritage Hill Neighbors & Friends,
My name is Therese Voevodsky. I live in Heritage Hill and I am writing this petition to ask for your support. There are many proposals going to the various planning and historic preservation commissions in Grand Rapids which I believe will be extremely detrimental to our neighborhood. The two that I am most concerned with (that I know of...there may be more) are at 50 College Ave, SE and the corner of Madison & State (where Clark's Food Center currently is located).
A Brief Overview:
At 50 College the proposal is to change the zoning from professional office to residential, put in 87 apartment units in 4 stories (instead of current 2 stories). This is 102 beds with only 102 parking spaces.
At Madison & State the proposal is to put in a 71 unit apartment building with only 30 parking spaces!
I believe these 2 projects together are going to cause conservatively 100-150 cars to spill out onto street parking along College, Washington, Gay, Prospect, Lafayette, Jefferson, Madison and Union. These 2 projects are only 1.5 blocks apart. Where are all these people going to park?
Please see below comments which I have prepared to share with the commissions. If you would like to add anything please let me know. If you would like to continue receiving updates please let me know. If you would like your email removed from the list please also let me know.
Sincerely,
Therese
Background:
From the very beginning of this proposal my husband Mike and I and our neighbors, Geoff & Susan Gillis have been diametrically opposed to it but no one seems to be listening to us. As the neighbors that will be most impacted by the development of the property directly across the street from us and the only owning residents on this side of the block, we feel that we should have input into what is built there, specifically in regards to whether an exception should be made to change the zoning.
We feel very strongly about this for the following reasons:
1. This block of College is already the most populated and congested of Heritage Hill, possibly all of GR. Changing the zoning to residential and allowing 87 more units (102 beds) to go in is not viable or sustainable. Granted, the developers have planned for 102 off-street parking spaces which is great and apparently more than required. However, there are currently too many cars overflowing onto street parking due to the high density properties on Fulton & College and Cherry & College, and the overflow parking from GRCC. Adding potentially 150-200 more cars (50-100 with no off-street parking) will be devastating to this neighborhood. I've subsequently found out that potentially 100-140 more cars will be requiring parking due to the 10 story 71 unit building going up where Clark's Food Mart currently stands. They are only allotting 30 off-street parking spaces. These 2 developments are within 1.5 blocks of each other and will conservatively require 100-150 cars to spill out onto the streets to park. Where are all of these people going to park?
2. Whenever we have a chance to replace one of the ugly buildings that went up in the 60's & 70's (when GR collectively lost its mind and started tearing down these beautiful old homes) we should replace it with something low density, high quality, and historic looking, like the graystones or brownstones in Chicago. I find it utterly incredible and ridiculous that I and my neighborhood historic home owners, who by the way actually live here unlike the developers, can't add even ONE more unit, but we are contemplating allowing 87 to go in across the street and 71 to go in less than 2 blocks away.
3. The developers are asking for an exception to the zoning for this property. Several months ago, I asked them to come back with examples from their other properties about the number of units, number of people, and number of cars that are living/parking there, including off-street. To my knowledge they have not done that. I believe we have a right to know the environmental impact of these buildings and to request that a formal Environmental Impact Study and traffic pattern study be conducted to determine what impact there will be on the neighborhood. I also understand that the claim is that anything less than what is being requested is not financially viable. Let them prove this by showing us the finances and other potentially viable alternatives.
4. We are being asked to provide input but no one is listening. We are being asked to support a zoning change and a development plan without enough information to do so. I think we need to slow down and get all the information necessary to improve these plans so that we can support them. This is incumbent upon the developer to do so. The developer is Orion Construction and they've recently claimed to have over 550 apartments in development for Grand Rapids. See full article at:
http://orionbuilt.com/news-media/expect-more-neigh...
This group is capable of doing really nice, high end historic looking work. I think we need to hold them to that high quality standard in Heritage Hill. See the Keller & Almassian building and the Baker Student Housing projects at:
http://orionbuilt.com/projects
Please join us in our quest to stop the over-development and lack of sufficient parking in Heritage Hill. Please sign the petition and forward it to neighbors and friends who might also support us. Whether they live in or near the Hill, it will impact them directly. Thank you so much!
Therese Voevodsky cell: 520.203.3355 Please call me if you have any questions.
Updates
January 1, 2017
The parking situation at these proposed sites is already a major concern for everyone I talk to. I am busy preparing our formal testimony for the planning commission meetings.
January 1, 2017
The momentum is undeniable now. Heritage Hill is clearly ready to protect our streets from this level of congestion.
18 Comments
I live at 45 College Ave, apt #2. There is already so much traffic & problems with parking in this neighborhood especially in the winter when you can only park on one side of the road & people leave their cars anyway & then the snow plows can't get through etc. it's a mess as it is, I can't imagine how horrible it will be with hundreds of added cars ripping through our neighborhood. I agree that low density brownstones would be a good compromise.
This area is already extremely congested. Parking is inadequate, streets are not wide enough and the intersection of 5 streets is already overburdened. These housing developments fly in the face of longstanding efforts to keep this historic neighborhood a low density, pleasant city neighborhood with a balance of owner occupied housing. I do not see even one benefit to the neighborhood!
As a resident on Madison and a property owner of home on Gay, I have a very invested interest in the project proposed. It is detrimental to th preservation of this unique historic district. Please oppose the zoning change.
I am all for development but adequate parking must be considered!
I agree! Hold the real estate developers accountable! Keep Heritage Hill how it is! If development is inevitable, it should be done in a way that is conducive to our neighborhood along with consideration to its beautiful historical appearance.
Back in the 1970's Heritage Hill was being threatened by much of the same activity that is beginning to occur now just spun differently. While it would be nice to see something done with the building at College the current plan is not acceptable. Parking, overcrowded streets, speeding are serious issues already existing in our neighborhood. This opportunistic activity by many real estate developers has no intention of keeping Heritage Hill as it has become known. As usual it is all about the money.Their vision is very short sighted.
Parking is a major concern. We are tired of the excessive abuse that results from the free for all parking on many streets. Lafayette is inundated with students who do not want to pay for parking. The 3 foot city statute to allow ingress/egress from driveways is not adhered to, nor is it adequate to allow safe ingress/egress from our own driveways (should be 6 feet at least). Many times they block us in completely. Regarding 50 college, 102 beds and 102 parking spaces is only adequate if there is only one car per apartment. What happens when there are 204 cars? ALSO: Why do they have free reign to increase units when as an owner I am not allowed to event rent one room? This is unfair for owners residing in HH. Not interested in having non-resident landlords getting this ability - just those of us living here trying to maintain HH.
Curbing the population density of Heritage Hill has been a focus for many years. This is part of what makes our neighborhood a close-knit caring community, as opposed to a big city of strangers! Not to mention car traffic is already becoming something to avoid. More is not better here.
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I live at 45 College Ave, apt #2. There is already so much traffic & problems with parking in this neighborhood especially in the winter when you can only park on one side of the road & people leave their cars anyway & then the snow plows can't get through etc. it's a mess as it is, I can't imagine how horrible it will be with hundreds of added cars ripping through our neighborhood. I agree that low density brownstones would be a good compromise.