@citykid Those are all good things to hear. I like the idea of duplexes/adu's by right with certain restraints, that seems like it's worth pushing a bit for.
One of these days I really gotta get myself into gear and become more involved in the city, going to meetings, voting in the minor elections, all that fun stuff. If a few of us here had been making appearances at council over the years we probably would have had a positive impact, maybe helped council avoid a few missteps.
@citykid, happy to hear everything you said. As for the ADUs, whether we get it or not, I'd like to see public discussion on it. There is just so much that doesn't happen not necessarily because there is any organized opposition to it, but because people have never even thought about it. As long as there is discussion, I'm happy. BTW, when should we start hearing about this, publicly, like, starting the official process to start going further? I had no idea there were big changes going on behind the scenes in the Planning Office. This sound exciting.
But, yeah, ADUs are a big thing with me, now, because I've seen cases in my own life where a relative wants to care for their elderly or disabled parent/relative on-site instead of institutionalizing them, but each of them wants a certain level of privacy. I think with certain regulations, ADUs solve a lot of these issues.
I just think so many of the modern social/quality of life problems we have are the result of the failure of old Euclidian zoning. It doesn't meet the needs of the modern society, anymore. We're not staying in jobs 40 years and getting married at 20 years old, anymore. So what ends up happening is that we essentially just chase younger people to apartment complexes out in the suburbs, because many fewer people are wanting to deal with the costs and cultures of single-family homes on overly large lots. There will always be a need for that, but we need other living and working options to reflect the reality of our modern economy and society.
Love that Lansing has already started broaching this with a reworking of the code, but we have the potential to be a leader for cities of our size nationwide with real significant zoning reform and experimentation.
@hood@MichMatters You both touched on good stuff - The Planning & Zoning Office is keeping track of all comments received about FBC/zoning and over half have been requests for ADUs. I do think it helps for those comments to be laid directly in front of city council too. Joan Nelson, formerly of Allen Neighborhood Center, has picked up the standard so to speak and has actually been writing a monthly column in the City Pulse about this stuff: ADUs, return to co-housing and boarding houses, and the 15-minute city concept. If you want to read - they have been in the first Wednesday issue of the last few months. She hosted two meetings at ANC solely discussing ADUs and steps toward implementation. I think she is brainstorming a southside discussion with one of the builders behind some of the lot splits and rezonings for duplexes that have been Planning Commission cases, once her summer calms down.
Like I mentioned - P&Z is doing a comprehensive plan update right now, and these concepts will be in it so any zoning updates can be based on them per MPEA and MZEA requirements. If you would like to take the survey to make any of your opinions known please feel free to take it when you have the time. https://forms.office.com/g/N7BY59ZdrB It should wrap up by the end of the year.
Informational materials for the zoning amendments will ready right after that and probably be published for review for a few months though. No one cared about the first amendment draft in 2021, but there is still a need for transparency and proper review time. MichMatters - its funny, some council members were against our FBC because they didn't want "to be the first" or experiment, but I think now that its been two years and the city didn't burn down, there is a desire to just make the zoning code business-friendly and to do all the new urbanism stuff that makes a city walkable, safe, and desirable.
I noticed that steel starting to go up within a week of when I last grabbed pictures, it's good to see it taking shape. It's a little taller than I thought it'd be, makes for a different feel along Shiawassee.
The city broke ground on the new entertainment center downtown today. There was a depiction of the center in the online LSJ by Intrigue Studios! [as they do] kind of busy but interesting. I noticed they are calling the Hillsdale part of the new housing development City View "Theater District". It will be great if that comes to be more than a name.
I'm not sure the southern few blocks of downtown is distinct enough of an area to justify it's own name but if "theater district" were to stick then I'd have no complaints.
The new rendering is a lot better than where they started. I'm still not super excited about the style but depending on how it's constructed and the materials used it could turn out pretty cool.
Yeah, I guess this thread is more appropriate:
MichMatters -
Might discuss this more in the general thread, but I think the $400 million is for the new public safety center they will be building down on Washington.. The $40 million for the "Lansing Housing Project", I've been told, is being spread out over multiple projects. There was also money in there for the Walter French renovation.
In the LSJ article the first item mentioned is "New Lansing City Hall, $40 million", I'd say we're getting a new City Hall. $40 million still won't pay for anything nice, hopefully the city is willing to bond out another $20-$40+ million.
Yeah, I think the LSJ was reporting on this incorrectly. The House Fiscal Agency's description says:
Conference includes $40.0 million GF/GP one-time funding for the
development costs of a city's campus plan for Lansing that includes the
modernization of the municipal administration campus.
This reads to me like it's for the public safety complex on South Washington that we had to vote for last year. I think the plan all along is to eventually move ALL the city offices down to that site. But for now, it's just the police, fire, jail, city clerk (which is already down there) and maybe the courts down there. Nothing's been brought back up about selling off city hall, yet.
Well, I'm completely 100% against that, it's the kind of idiotic decision I'd expect of this administration though. I'm biting my tongue until we hear more.
Comments
One of these days I really gotta get myself into gear and become more involved in the city, going to meetings, voting in the minor elections, all that fun stuff. If a few of us here had been making appearances at council over the years we probably would have had a positive impact, maybe helped council avoid a few missteps.
But, yeah, ADUs are a big thing with me, now, because I've seen cases in my own life where a relative wants to care for their elderly or disabled parent/relative on-site instead of institutionalizing them, but each of them wants a certain level of privacy. I think with certain regulations, ADUs solve a lot of these issues.
I just think so many of the modern social/quality of life problems we have are the result of the failure of old Euclidian zoning. It doesn't meet the needs of the modern society, anymore. We're not staying in jobs 40 years and getting married at 20 years old, anymore. So what ends up happening is that we essentially just chase younger people to apartment complexes out in the suburbs, because many fewer people are wanting to deal with the costs and cultures of single-family homes on overly large lots. There will always be a need for that, but we need other living and working options to reflect the reality of our modern economy and society.
Love that Lansing has already started broaching this with a reworking of the code, but we have the potential to be a leader for cities of our size nationwide with real significant zoning reform and experimentation.
Like I mentioned - P&Z is doing a comprehensive plan update right now, and these concepts will be in it so any zoning updates can be based on them per MPEA and MZEA requirements. If you would like to take the survey to make any of your opinions known please feel free to take it when you have the time. https://forms.office.com/g/N7BY59ZdrB It should wrap up by the end of the year.
Informational materials for the zoning amendments will ready right after that and probably be published for review for a few months though. No one cared about the first amendment draft in 2021, but there is still a need for transparency and proper review time. MichMatters - its funny, some council members were against our FBC because they didn't want "to be the first" or experiment, but I think now that its been two years and the city didn't burn down, there is a desire to just make the zoning code business-friendly and to do all the new urbanism stuff that makes a city walkable, safe, and desirable.
The new rendering is a lot better than where they started. I'm still not super excited about the style but depending on how it's constructed and the materials used it could turn out pretty cool.
MichMatters -
In the LSJ article the first item mentioned is "New Lansing City Hall, $40 million", I'd say we're getting a new City Hall. $40 million still won't pay for anything nice, hopefully the city is willing to bond out another $20-$40+ million.
This reads to me like it's for the public safety complex on South Washington that we had to vote for last year. I think the plan all along is to eventually move ALL the city offices down to that site. But for now, it's just the police, fire, jail, city clerk (which is already down there) and maybe the courts down there. Nothing's been brought back up about selling off city hall, yet.