Houghton has grown since coming out of the covid pandemic. With growth comes challenges. Last night the city’s planning commission took into consideration several concerns brought by the public regarding two potential developments.
Just so it’s clear, this body has a statutory obligation. When someone requests a zoning change, we have to go through the process. – Tom Merz, Chair, Houghton Planning Commission
Near Super 8 Motel on Lakeshore drive, the city’s planning commission did not recommend to the council a parcel rezoning from RSV to R-3 multifamily. Prior to the commission’s decision, members heard from residents nearby the potential development. Many expressed adding condominiums on the lot could impact the existing walking trail and increase public safety risk by adding more residential traffic in the small area.
We do not support the proposed plan east of the intersection of the walking path and the road for various reasons, including public safety, snow removal, and change in landscape with potential flooding. Currently, there is no storm sewer that I’m aware of on East Lakeshore Drive. Density exiting uh onto Lakeshore Drive only in the direction of a dead-end street. And cul-de-sac, not to mention the loss of valuable space in the community. – Steve Vairo, Resident, Houghton
Developer Brian Kangas shared he expects to wrap up another project soon and began considering potential areas for a second condominium project. He says his intent would be to build condominiums on the parcel and sell the properties at market rate.
I have heard of a lot of these concerns that people are talking about. As far as a walking trail, that is a big concern of mine as well. – Brian Kangas, Developer, Houghton Quality Housing
Adding onto the public’s concerns commissioners agreed the parcel has several grade and geography challenges the developer needs to further consider for any potential designs.
Well, I appreciate the developer, Mr. Kangas, being here because one of the questions I had is more specific with what the intention is. And I think there is a difference that he doesn’t want to have rentals there. He wants to sell them as condos, which makes a difference to some extent in the quality of the neighborhood because those people are investing in that neighborhood just like the people who are already living there. It’s different than renters who live there for a short time. – Kristine Bradof, Houghton Planning Commission
I don’t know that it’s necessarily a good bet that property close to the waterfront is going to come in less expensive than any other given property that’s being developed in the area. And there is no guarantee of it not being purchased by somebody who would then rent it out in a long- or short-term fashion under this particular rezoning proposal. I think what we’re looking at with this is a pure R3 rezoning. And I have other questions about this that were brought up that I don’t know that I’ve had a great answer to yet, such as the actual buildability of this parcel. – Ben Ciavola, Houghton Planning Commission
The commission did not recommend rezoning the East Lake Shore Drive parcel.
A second public hearing held by the planning commission reviewed considerations for rezoning a Houghton housing commission owned parcel for multi-family development. An initial rezoning was tabled in August. Neighbors of the Waterworks area returned to the City Center to further express concerns adding multi-family developments could devalue property in the area, as well as concerns regarding construction and the project’s timeline.
I’m generally opposed to this rezoning, largely for the reasons that Dean brought up, many of the reasons that he brought up. I think it’s inconsistent with the neighborhood. I think it’s unfair to people who bought homes next to this parcel. Assuming it was going to be residential single family to then change that. – Greg Wade, Resident, Houghton
We brought specific concerns, where a lot of the support is very general. It doesn’t explain why specifically it needs to be this parcel that has to be rezoned. And I think my neighbors have said that in kind of a different way, but I’ll say it that way. The other thing I want to bring up is I feel like rezoning, whether we call it spot zoning or granting special privilege, Dean made a good case for that. I think the alternative to that is if it is granted, basically setting a precedent that any house that’s on Oak Grove, Parkway, Sugar Maple, Brookside, Ravine side could then be R3 in the future. My neighbors have brought up a lot of good points. I don’t want to reiterate them, but I feel like all their points are specific to these lots that are two reasons. I feel like there is some support out there. I think myself and all my neighbors are very sympathetic to having more housing options in Houghton. – William Atkinson, Resident, Houghton
The five-acre parcel in the waterworks neighborhood has been owned by the Houghton housing commission since 1981. Before surrounding subdivisions were developed. The housing commission hopes to fill the gap left by missing middle housing, with three duplex and two quadplex buildings that would offer rent stable housing to households making up to 120 percent of the city’s median household income.
Our plan would be to put the initial one in, you know, probably next summer and then apply for more funding if there’s any available. We also did all the conditions that we could think of, everything that was brought up at the last meeting. We tried to address with you guys and take all of that into consideration. And all we’re trying to do is provide some housing in the Houghton area. We have waiting lists with over hundreds of people on them. So it’s needed, although this isn’t a low-income property, it is needed. – Sherri Hughes, Executive Director, Houghton Housing Commission
Prior to approving the conditional rezoning for the Houghton Housing Commission’s Waterworks Neighborhood property, the commission cleaned up the table. In August an initial rezoning for waterworks was brought to the commission and then tabled. Following public comments at the previous meeting, the Houghton Housing Commission added conditions to meet community concerns, in order to present a new conditional rezoning amendment. Commissioners then opened discussion for the new conditional rezoning.
There’s just something about this that they’re in townhouses and we’re not, it’s going to cause our property values to drop. The Sands indicates that’s not always true. Could be, but it’s not. And yes, traffic is a problem up on M26, and I’ll say it, I’m not very religious, well sometimes. Thank God there is traffic in the public space. When I came here in 1980, there was one building up there. It’s where Kirkish furniture sits. That was it. And the city plan called for development up in that corridor. Housing, where a lot of you live, and commercial activity. I see the traffic up there as being good. – Tom Merz, Chair, Houghton Planning Commission
I look at them as two separate neighborhoods because they are physically separated now that there no longer is that conduit of water works going right up the hill. – Kristine Bradof, Houghton Planning Commission
I think that Craig made a lot of great points there, a lot of what I wanted to say. But I think that, you know, in general There is an affordability crisis in the Upper Peninsula, especially in towns like ours. If you’ve been to Marquette recently, it’s a very different place than it was 10 years ago. There’s been a lot of construction there that, uh for one thing, has not reduced property values. It just caused them to go incredibly higher, which is pushing people into other locations like here.You see it throughout the Upper and Lower Peninsula. And we have really two mechanisms for us to increase housing and to potentially increase affordability. One is market rate housing, and the other is subsidized housing, like the kind of project that we’re just trying to lay some of the groundwork for if this gets going again. – Ben Ciavola, Houghton Planning Commission
The planning commission recommended to the city council rezoning the parcel from r-1 to r –3 for the neighborhood waterworks. The Houghton housing commission will still need to present project designs and plans to the planning commission before any construction starts. Houghton Housing Commission executive director sherry Hughes mentioned during testimony the project did receive a MSHDA Mi Neighborhood grant for the project and hopes to start construction on the first building next summer.
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