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B. Resort/ Residential - sons which include the proximity to the street grid to the water's edge. Gated
(Lakeside) established neighborhoods of Nims, communities and suburban styled site
Lakeside and Bluffton, the command- planning (i.e. excessively wide, curvi-
ing views of Muskegon Lake (which linear streets and cul-de-sacs) should be
While housing can and should be inte- would likely be lost on, or possibly ob- discouraged while architectural designs
grated to varying extents at most points structed by, more intensive uses). which hint at local vernacular styles
along the lake (excepting areas desig- with garages recessed or to the rear of
nated natural habitat), not all types of This site is also far enough away from the property, should be encouraged. All
housing are appropriate for every wa- existing lakeside industry that the pres- but the most benign industrial uses in
terfront location. Factors to consider in ence of companies such as Sappi Paper the vicinity should be relocated to the
residential site planning and design in- and West Michigan Steel will not likely maximum extent possible.
clude topography, views and surround- undermine the market appeal of higher
ing land uses and architectural styles. end residential housing. Serving as a prototype for the type of
residential community appropriate to
In very general terms, new residential While limited neighborhood and water- this location are the neighborhoods of
development should relate to existing front serving commercial development Bluffton and Lakeside themselves,
housing nearby. To the extent that could (and should) be incorporated into which are some of the City's most sta-
higher land use densities are found in any new development at this location ble and desirable residential communi-
areas closer to the central city, so too (preferably along Lakeshore Drive), it ties. With its traditional shopping strip
should be residential densities in down- should be carefully designed and sited (which includes the City's only movie
town waterside locations. In all cases, so as not to diminish the existing view- theater), Lakeside is also perhaps the
there should be a variety of housing shed, or visually overwhelm the resi- most self-contained. In fact, the
styles and types to choose from. dential character of the area. In general, neighborhood stands as a model of tra-
this means commercial buildings of ditional town planning principles of the
Because of the strongly residential pro- modest scale with larger buildings lo- type that have enjoyed a resurgent
file of its surroundings, the formerly cated at an angle to the water's edge. popularity in recent years: a variety of
industrial lowlands immediately east of housing
the Great Lakes Marina, and across To preserve the view corridors to Mus-
from Pinchtown, is best suited for resi- kegon Lake formed by Lakeside's
dential use (predominantly of the sin- north-south streets, and to harmonize
gle-family variety). While other com- new development with old, new
patible land uses should not be ruled Planned Unit Development at this loca-
out, this area is a prime location for tion should strive to extend Lakeside's
single-family housing for several rea-
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 36
Top: New "Neo-Traditional" residential development at
Seaside, FL. The variety of housing styles grouped along
traditional residential streets underscores the distinction
between mere subdivision and "community". * Source:
"The New Urbanism"Peter Katz.
Although somewhat less dense, the widely acclaimed Sea-
side, borrows the scale and architectural vernacular of
Muskegon's own Bluffton (right).
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 37
on smaller lots served by neighborhood reinforce, the predominantly residential play windows, awnings and outside seat-
commercial uses. character of the area. Public access and ing.
recreational facilities for activities such
Although most houses are modest in as sports and swimming should be in- Critical to an overall development pro-
scale and corporated into, and made a con- gram for the Lakeside commercial district
appearance, dition of, any new residential would be to physically unify both sides of
property development in the area. the strip through the development of pedes-
trian oriented infill buildings on the north
values here side of Lakeshore Drive. Because this is
are among primarily a neighborhood commercial
the highest The Lakeside Commercial Strip strip, parking requirements should be
in the City. greatly relaxed. Off-street parking should
This un- Clearly, what gives the Lakeside be placed behind building wherever possi-
doubtedly is neighborhood its distinct sense of ble. Shared parking arrangements between
attributable insularity and cohesiveness is its predominantly evening based businesses
to the gen- approximately 3 block long com- (i.e. taverns, theater) and daytime busi-
mercial strip along Lakeshore Drive. This
eral condition of the properties as much nesses (pharmacy, grocery store) should be
is perhaps the last economically viable
as to their proximity to Muskegon encouraged and coordinated.
pedestrian district outside of downtown
Lake. Yet despite the water's close-
Muskegon. It is one of the few places re- Funding Sources
ness, most of the Lakeside neighbor- maining in the entire county where one can
hood is largely cutoff from the water by walk from home to a movie, grocery store, Funding for common, "public" improve-
large swaths of privately held lands, pharmacy or restaurant/ tavern. ments could come from the formation of a
previously utilized for industrial use, Lakeside Business Improvement District
and the railroad tracks that served Unfortunately the strip suffers from too (BID), or from concessions for off-site im-
them. many gaps in the streetscape, and a lack of provements exacted from residential devel-
a consistent architectural theme. To rem- opers (i.e. in exchange for relaxing or for-
By developing the northern side of edy this situation a streetscaping theme giving on-site zoning restrictions under a
should be developed for the district which
Lakeshore Drive for single-family PUD scenario. Note: the latter technique,
seeks to enhance the strip's attractiveness
housing of appropriate design and could also be used to make necessary road
to local residents as well as tourists. Items
scale, the Lakeside neighborhood improvements along Lakeshore Drive and
to consider include benches, planters, styl- McCraken to mitigate the inevitable traffic
would be allowed to expand in a con- ized streetlights, and a permanent trolley impacts caused by new residential devel-
sistent and unified manner. As stated stop complete with shelter. Business own- opment in the area.)
above, this type of development ap- ers should be encouraged to enhance the
proach would interface well with, and "curb appeal" of their buildings with dis-
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 38
The Lakeside commercial strip
would greatly benefit from a con-
sistent street-scape program, and
selected facade improvements. At
present, the north side of Lake-
shore Drive is made barren by the
expanses of asphalt parking which
greatly diminish the visual interest
of the strip. Sensitive infill, consist-
ing of shallow buildings (with
parking at rear) with traditional
storefronts could make the strip a
destination for tourists and resi-
dents alike.
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 39