Neighborhood Meeting to Discuss Development of the Former Riverside Elementary School | Events

From: http://www.crestongr.com

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