City of Grand Rapids issued the following announcement on Oct. 9.
The Grand Rapids City Commission held its bimonthly meetings Tuesday and took action on such topics as marijuana licensing, a new land bank partner and 2020 meeting schedule, among others. The City Commission also recognized excellence in government and heard two annual reports. Here’s a recap:
Marijuana licensing
The City Commission approved a licensing ordinance for recreational marijuana facilities. The ordinance establishes the framework for local licensing and regulation of marijuana establishments and facilities as authorized under the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) and Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act (MRTMA).
The ordinance licenses all marijuana facilities regulated under MMFLA and MRTMA subject to zoning regulations that will be developed within the next six months. Medical marijuana businesses would be regulated and zoning approval would serve for license approval during the first six months under the proposed ordinance.
The ordinance provides an important tool by which the City can follow up on agreements made by the applicant during the application and review process, for enforcement actions if needed and helps support the City’s sustainability and accessibility goals. It includes a requirement for all facilities that grow marijuana to report basic energy usage data to the Grand Rapids 2030 District. This helps the City and related utilities better understand the energy and water needs for the marijuana industry.
The ordinance also includes universal design requirements that allow for true accessibility to marijuana facilities for customers and employees. City staff developed the ordinance language in collaboration with Disability Advocates of Kent County and representatives from the cannabis industry.
Approval of the ordinance kicks off a six-month period during which final licensing and zoning regulations are to be developed before the City begins accepting applications for recreational marijuana businesses. For more on the ordinance, CLICK HERE.
Medical marijuana park waivers
The City Commission amended the City’s marijuana parks waiver policy to conform to the zoning ordinance. The language change clarifies the role of the City Commission in deciding whether to object to a particular park waiver request. The amendment changes language to “decide whether to object” and similar phrasing. The original policy was adopted by the City Commission in December 2018 to create a framework for consistent review of waiver requests.
As adopted, the City’s medical marijuana ordinance requires facilities to have a 1,000-foot separation distance from any public park or playground in addition to other sensitive uses. The ordinance provides owners of those sensitive uses the opportunity to file objections to the waiver request. The final determination is made by the Planning Commission as part of the special land use process for those marijuana uses requiring such approval. For publicly owned parks or playgrounds, a request for waiver of the required separation distance is reviewed by the City Commission since the City is the owner.
Land banking
The City Commission approved a land banking agreement with the State Land Bank Authority (SLB) for managing the City’s tax-foreclosed properties and returning them to productive use. The agreement replaces the role Kent County Land Bank Authority once played and extends the availability of the most critical land banking services for the foreseeable future. To read more about the agreement, CLICK HERE.
Affordable housing
The Commission approved a brownfield plan amendment for five tax-foreclosed properties to contribute to affordable housing outcomes for the city. With the addition of the five properties, the Grand Rapids Brownfield Redevelopment Authority’s innovative Local Brownfield Revolving Fund (LBRF) has assisted the development of 200 affordable housing units in the city since 2016.
Most of the five tax-foreclosed properties will be used for high-quality affordable homeownership opportunities as part of the City’s partnership with the Kent County Land Bank Authority and nonprofit housing developers. They are:
- 922 Benjamin Ave. SE
- 333 Brown St. SE
- 921 Hazen St. SE
- 1019 Crosby St. NW
- 632 Crescent St. NE
The City Commission approved its 2020 meeting schedule. The following dates include the 9:30 a.m. Committee of the Whole and 7 p.m. City Commission meetings.
- January 7 and January 21
- February 11 and February 25
- March 17 and March 31
- April 14 and April 28
- May 12 and May 19
- June 2 and June 16
- July 7 and July 21
- August 11 and August 25
- September 15 and September 29
- October 13 and October 27
- November 10 and November 17
- December 1 and December 15
Acting Planning Director Kristin Turkelson, and Grand Rapids Housing Commission Executive Director Carlos Sanchez updated the City Commission during two separate Committee of the Whole presentations on their respective department’s past, current and future activities.
Planning Commission Annual Report
Turkelson was joined by Kyle VanStrien, Planning Commission chair, in presenting the Planning Commission’s annual report concerning its operations, membership composition, status of planning activities and recommendations to the City Commission related to planning and development issues. The two reported that the number of cases heard by the Planning Commission grew steadily over the past six years until declining slightly in Fiscal Year 2019. This past year, the Planning Commission considered 74 special-land use applications that included sign requests, zoning changes, alcohol uses, ground floor office, parking, multi-family, medical marijuana and various text amendments.
Housing Commission Annual Report
During the Grand Rapids Housing Commission annual report presentation, Sanchez provided a history on the agency, housing programs overview and status of several of its resident services. According to Sanchez, the Housing Commission provides 3,459 units of Section 8 housing in Grand Rapids that are available to low-income, disabled, homeless veterans and the elderly. He also reported that the Housing Commission owned 949 apartments and nine housing communities.
Sanchez acknowledged that despite all of the Housing Commission’s good work, the lack of affordable housing remained an issue in Grand Rapids. He estimated that more than 5,000 families were seeking affordable housing, with 2,500 of them still on the Housing Commission’s waiting list.
Sanchez also provided an update on several supportive services offered by the Housing Commission that enabled the elderly to age in place, empowered individuals with disabilities to live independently, supported families as they worked to achieve economic self-sufficiency and enhanced all clients’ quality of life.
He reported on the Housing Commission’s progress on developing more affordable housing. This includes:
- Construction of a 50-unit Section 8 development beginning in 2020 for homeless veterans that includes supportive services
- An additional 50 affordable homeownership units
The City Commission recognized two City programs and the City’s purchasing agent for national awards. The City’s GR PayIt program earned the Center for Digital Government’s 2019 City Government Experience Award and the City’s website portal placed fourth in the Overall City Government Experience competition. Purchasing Agent Amie Merren received the Michigan Public Purchasing Officers Association’s Marvin F. Klang award.
For a complete look at Tuesday’s City Commission meeting agendas, CLICK HERE.
Original source can be found here.
Source: City of Grand Rapids
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