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CITY OF MUSKEGON
PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
DATE OF MEETING: Thursday, March 10, 2016
TIME OF MEETING: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE OF MEETING: Commission Chambers, First Floor, Muskegon City Hall
AGENDA
I. Roll Call
II. Approval of Minutes from the regular meeting of February 11, 2016.
III. Election of Officers (Chair and Vice Chair)
IV. Public Hearings
None
V. New Business
Training session (Freedom of Information Act, Open Meetings Act, and Parliamentary Procedures)
VI. Old Business
None
VII. Other
VIII. Adjourn
AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT POLICY FOR ACCESS TO OPEN MEETING OF THE
CITY COMMISSION AND ANY OF ITS COMMITTEES OR SUBCOMMITTEES
The City of Muskegon will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing impaired and audio tapes
of printed materials being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities who want to attend the meeting, upon twenty-four hour
notice to the City of Muskegon. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the City of Muskegon by
writing or calling the following:
Ann Marie Cummings, City Clerk
933 Terrace Street
Muskegon, MI 49440
(231) 724-6705
TTY/TDD: Dial 7-1-1 and request that a representative dial 231-724-6705
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CITY OF MUSKEGON
PLANNING COMMISSION
REGULAR MEETING
MINUTES
February 11, 2015
Chairman T. Michalski called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. and roll was taken.
MEMBERS PRESENT: T. Michalski, B. Larson, B. Mazade, J. Doyle, E. Hood
F. Peterson, J. Montgomery-Keast, S. Gawron
MEMBERS ABSENT: B. Smith
STAFF PRESENT: M. Franzak, K. Cummins
OTHERS PRESENT: D. Rinsema-Sybenga, Muskegon Community College 221 S.
Quarterline Rd; T. Matheson, Matheson & Matheson, 560 5th St NW #405,
Grand Rapids; M. Colpetzer, Fleis & Vandenbrink, 27725 Stansbury
Boulevard, Suite 150, Farmington Hills; L. Morrisson, Mercy Health, 1500 E.
Sherman Blvd, Muskegon
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion that the minutes of the regular meeting of January 14, 2016 be approved, was made by J. Doyle,
supported by J. Montgomery-Keast and unanimously approved.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Hearing, Case 2016-04: Request for two major departures from the zoning ordinance (window glazing,
doors) and site plan approval for the buildings at 981 3rd St and 396 W Clay Ave, by Muskegon Community
College. M. Franzak presented the staff report. Muskegon Community College will be locating several of
its academic programs in the former Muskegon Chronicle and Masonic Temple buildings downtown. The
buildings are located in the Downtown (DT) context area of the Form Based Code (FBC) zoning district, and
while the proposed use is allowed, the site plan did not meet two requirements of the code: window glazing
and door placement.
The code requires that all windows have clear glazing. New windows are being proposed on the building at
396 W. Clay Ave. on the large stone material area facing Hackley Park. The clear window glazing
requirement is nearly met; however, the bottom and top portion of the windows are proposed to have a 100%
non-transparent coating to screen mechanical features. The building does meet the 50% building space
window requirement. The rest of the glass will have 100% transparency. Non-transparent window coating
in this instance is somewhat unique because it is an existing building. The code further requires buildings to
have a door every 75 feet. This requirement was put in place to make buildings appear more welcoming and
give downtown a more active feel. Long stretches of buildings without entrances reduce the walkability
experience. This plan proposes the addition of one new door and the removal of three doors on the building
at 396 W. Clay Ave. This will leave 112 feet of space between the new door on Clay Ave and the corner of
the building at the intersection of 3rd St and Western Ave. The existing building space will be home to an
educational facility long-term. Since it is not a retail space, the changes are seen as an improvement. The
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existing glass door furthest to the east is the most critical. The removal of the other door entrances will not
significantly reduce the distance between doors. All replacement windows will be replaced with clear glass.
T. Michalski and J. Montgomery-Keast inquired about the placement of a curb cut in relationship to the
newly-proposed handicapped-accessible door on Clay Avenue. B. Mazade asked about landscaping and
parking lot improvements. D. Rinsema-Sybenga of MCC spoke to the history of the project, and stated that
they hoped to begin holding classes at the facility the fall semester of 2017. T. Matheson spoke regarding the
project’s goal to create transparency and forming a better connection to the downtown area, while
maintaining historical elements of the building. They were working the State Historic Preservation Office
(SHPO) for federal funding through the Bank Enterprise Award program (BEA). He addressed removal of
the three existing doors, stating that they are exit doors and cannot be accessed from the street. He addressed
the curb cut concerns on Clay Avenue and presented samples of the proposed transparent and non-
transparent window treatments.
A motion to close the public hearing was made by B. Larson, supported by J. Doyle and unanimously
approved.
A motion that the major departures from the ordinance regarding clear glass and door removal be approved
with the following conditions: 1) the plan shall state that all replacement windows use clear glass at ground
level, 2) the new windows over stone be approved as presented, and 3) the doors on Clay Ave be removed as
proposed, was made by J. Montgomery-Keast, supported by B. Larson and unanimously approved, with T.
Michalski, B. Larson, B. Mazade, J. Doyle, E. Hood, F. Peterson, J. Montgomery-Keast, and S. Gawron
voting aye.
Hearing, Case 2016-05: Request for a Special Use Permit to allow a ten-story building addition and
relocation of a helipad at 1500 E Sherman Blvd, by Mercy Health Partners. M. Franzak presented the staff
report. The site measures just over 37 acres (51 acres if you include all 4 parcels) and can be accessed off of
Sherman Blvd and Mercy Drive. Mercy Health Partners is proposing a 10-story building addition at 1500 E
Sherman. The zoning ordinance states that all buildings over three stories in Medical Care (MC) districts
receive a Special Use Permit. Additionally, they propose to relocate the helipad site which also requires a
Special Use Permit. Both projects can be included on the same Special Use Permit.
The 10-story addition will connect to the southern end of the existing main hospital building. The helipad
will be moved to just south of the building addition. While the proposed helipad does not meet the 100-foot
setback on the east property line, a shorter distance may be approved by the Planning Commission. The
ordinance suggests that the helipad contain perimeter landscaping and fencing; however, the plan does not
depict such. The parking lots will be reconfigured to make room for the addition: The parking lot to the
south of the existing main building will be removed; the parking lot to the west of the existing main building
will be reconfigured; and the parking lot to the north of the property will be enlarged. The parking lot to the
north will have a new drive and sidewalk for ingress/egress. The existing drive (located to the east of the lot)
does not have a sidewalk, and will increase from 153 spaces to 715 spaces. The total number of parking
spaces on the site is 1784. The plan should state that all parking lot lighting will be 100% cutoff and
downward facing, and the existing sanitary line on Mercy Drive which is depicted as a 10” sanitary line and
not 12” as shown. The applicant must confirm the existing sanitary sewer size on Mercy Drive or confirm
that the sewer line can handle the additional flow from the lift station. The Fire Department listed the
following items to be addressed before final approval can be given: a) Fire flow water supply shall be
completed, b) Define the total fire area so that fire flow and hydrants can be determined, c) Additional
hydrants are currently required. Submit plan showing all hydrants; proposed and existing; d) There is no
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water supply in or near the vehicle parking areas, e) Current water main shows hydrants on a dead end drive.
Water main shall be looped; and e) The farthest parking lot road width is 22 feet wide without a safety walk
for pedestrians.
B. Mazade asked for clarification regarding the stormwater runoff from the parking lot, noting that the
elevation differed from the east side of the parking lot to the west side by 18 feet. M. Colpetzer introduced
storyboards to showcase the campus configuration, the parking lots, the walkways, the relocation of the
helipad, and the storm drainage system. He emphasized that each phase of the project would be presented to
Engineering for approval before finalization. M. Franzak asked where the secondary helicopter pad would
be located. M. Colpetzer stated that the County airport would be the dedicated diversion point. J.
Montgomery-Keast expressed concern regarding the potential polluting of Little Black Creek by stormwater
runoff and U.S. 31 contaminants. Colpetzer explained that none of the water actually discharges into the
creek, and stated that the drainage plan actually diverted runoff between the wetlands into a natural settling
area. He explained that three 12-inch pipes connecting the drainage area emptied into a holding pond where
the sediment percolated into the ground prior to entering the wetland area.
A motion to close the public hearing was made by B. Mazade, supported by B. Larson and unanimously
approved.
A motion that the Special Use Permit for the 10-story addition and the relocation of the helipad be approved
with the following conditions: 1) A new site shall be submitted to and approved by staff, which includes all
of the comments from the Engineering and Fire Departments, 2) The perimeter of the helipad be fenced and
landscaped, 3) A sidewalk be added to the existing drive leading to the northernmost parking lot, and 4) The
plan must be revised to state that all parking lot lighting will be 100% cutoff and downward facing, was
made by B. Mazade, supported by B. Larson and approved, with S. Gawron, E. Hood, F. Peterson, B.
Larson, J. Doyle, and B. Mazade voting aye, and T. Michalski and J. Montgomery-Keast voting nay.
NEW BUSINESS
None
OLD BUSINESS
None
OTHER
None
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m.
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