There has been a request submitted to the City of Grand Rapids to rezone some of the property at 2420 Coit Ave. NE (Riverside Elementary). Included in the request is also a plans for an 8,000 sq feet expansion and parking lot reconfiguration.
Please look below regarding the work done on this issue so far:
The Plan:
- The developer is GA Haan Development. The facility management company is Capital Health Group. With an 8,000 square foot addition the facility will include 45-50 residential rooms, a kitchen, dining facility, lounge and reception area.
- An existing parking lot will stay, the playground will be removed and an additional parking lot will be added to the east of the building off Oakwood street.
- Facility staff and the tenants will use the parking facilities. Some seniors will be independent enough to drive, other may use a bus. (The nearest bus stop will be on Coit) Seniors living in the units will not own the units. Seniors living here will not necessarily be low-income or middle class. Neither the developer, facilities Management Company or the City of GR can discriminate based on income.
- Because this is an assisted living facility status of care is on a scale of 1-5; one for those needing the least amount of care and five for those needing the most. Anyone needing more than level 5 care would be moved to a nursing home.
- Most likely service deliveries will be made by panel truck to an existing delivery area.
- An occasional ambulance may also service the area. Zoning requires the new use to include at least 30% of green space; even with the new addition the developer will exceed that minimum requirement with 68% of the land remaining green.
- Proposed plans include storm water mitigation.
Neighbor Concerns: (in random order)
- Has the market study showed a need for additional senior housing in this area?
- Will jobs created be living wage or minimum wage jobs?
- Loss of a playground
- Loss of connecting pathways/sidewalks
- Lighting, parking, traffic
- Loss of green space with addition & parking lot
- Car lights (employees & residents)
- Facility management issues
- Property value decline
- Sets precedence for the middle school building should GRPS sell it as well
- What about future needs and expansion?
- Long term consequences
- Other uses have not yet been explored
- Is it possible known sex offenders will live here? (there’s a school next door)
Decision by the Planning Commission on February 9, 2012:
- Zoning Change – passed unanimously by the commission (this zoning change stays with the property)
- The Special Land Use Permit – tabled to allow CNA time to organize residents and developer to further discuss the matter
- Next Planning Commission Hearing with Haan on the Agenda – March 8
