laissez-faire development
Water Street – Deciding Who Drives the Process
A history of Water Street and how we arrived at this point in our city planning process would take up quite a bit of space. For now, a synopsis: Water Street was first presented in 2002 as a single developer housing development project along Michigan Avenue just east of the bridge above the Huron River and going south to the river and further east to Park Street. That model was not successful and the city has moved to a mixed-use approach involving both business and residential uses but with a multi rather than a single developer model. This multi use/developer model was and is supported by everyone on council, including the newly elected.
Key to this models success is an update of the zoning ordinances which had not been done before, not being necessary to the single developer model. Council has delayed direction or approval in new zoning. Without clear direction or zoning in place, the developers will drive the process. With zoning in place, the city will drive the process.
A basic Michigan planning concept is that Zoning should be based on a Master Plan, a document which guides a city in delineating its districts and zones. Our city has done its work, writing a master Plan which incorporated a vision for Water Street, taking into consideration the rest of the city zoning and plans. The new multi-use plan is based on a streetscape development of 2 floor buildings with businesses on the ground floor and residential or like businesses on the second floor. Of course zoning and planning can be adapted to include businesses that don’t fit the model. However, we must have zoning in place for that to happen. To propose businesses before the zoning has been proposed or adopted is putting the cart before the horse.
AY PAC is not against the Burger King per se, although it is hard to get excited about it. Instead we are for planning that fits the goals of our city, incorporates the needs of the entire community and lays groundwork for our future.
AY PAC is against settling for less than optimal simply because at this time there is not a plan. Pass the zoning first. Lead the process and do the job your constituents elected you to do.
posted by R Johnson
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