CITY OF
HASTINGS
MASTER PLAN
AMENDMENTS
Adopted June 5, 2000
On March 2, 1998, the Hastings Planning Commission adopted a work program in order to update the 1992 Master Plan for the City of Hastings. The purpose of this work program was to identify certain areas of the City for possible future land use changes. These areas which are identified below were selected as the Planning Commission determined that these areas were experiencing development pressure, have been subject to nearby rezonings or had some specific item of concern which required a more detailed analysis than was done in 1992. The areas considered in this Master Plan update are as follows:
1. The area north of Walnut Street along Michigan near Mercy Ambulance and along Green Street.
2. The area along State Street and Court Street between Market and Broadway.
3. North Michigan between High and Thorn adjacent to the business district.
4. The area adjacent to Hastings Manufacturing.
5. The State Street and Railroad Street area.
6. South Hanover Street north of the City limits to approximately South Street.
These amendments are illustrated on the attached maps along with a narrative describing the proposed amendments.
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MASTER PLAN AREA 1 |
Zoning (2000): Combination of D1, Industrial, B2, Commercial, R2, Residential and A/O, Apartment/Office.
1992 Master Plan: A/O along Green Street, Medium Density Residential (R2 zoning). I Industrial.
Existing Land Uses and Area Character: Houses along Michigan generally well kept. East side of Michigan contains poorly maintained car wash and houses at Grand Street.
Issues Constraints to Redevelopment:
· Shallow depth of lots on east side of Michigan.
· Cost to rehabilitate or tear down existing buildings.
· Well kept houses are still valuable for residential use.
· Location of future driveways for new development at corners of Michigan and Green. Need to control traffic flow by prohibiting left turns out of site onto Green Street.
· The Mercy Ambulance parcels at the southwest corner of East Walnut and Michigan were rezoned from R2 to B-2 in 1997 and 1998. In light of this B2 rezoning and the proximity to commercial zoning and uses along and north of Green Street should this area be planned for more commercial uses.
· Given the improvements to the industrial building on the east side of Michigan, what is a reasonable land use for the lots abutting Michigan Street.
MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The D1 future land use for the area south of Grand Street should be deleted. The D1 plan (and zoning) is a threat to the long term stability of the neighborhood and the possibilities of converting these houses to industrial are very low. The City should rezone this area to R2 to match the adjacent zoning. In 1997, the City rezoned the Hollenbeck parcel (just south of Grand) to R2 from D1 at the owners request.
2. The parcel at the southeast corner of Michigan and Green is designated as Office. This type of land use will not generate as much traffic as commercial, but will be compatible with adjacent land uses. Access should be from Michigan Avenue and not Green Street.
3. The area fronting on the east side of Michigan and the north side of East Grand is proposed to be retained as Industrial. This will allow for expansion of the existing industrial use to the east. Also the shallow depth of these lots makes it difficult to use these lots for other uses not related to the existing nearby industrial use.
4. The area north of Walnut and west of Michigan is retained as R-2. The houses on these two lots and to the west are well kept and contribute to the stability of the neighborhood. The small size of these two lots make conversion to office or commercial very difficult. While the Mercy Ambulance site was zoned to Commercial in 1997 and 1998, it has not had a negative impact on the nearby residents.
If the land to the east is developed as industrial and if Mercy Ambulance converts to another commercial use, the Planning Commission should review this area again for possible non-residential future land use.
5. The Master Plan recommends that the area at the northeast corner of Jefferson Street and Green Street be amended from A/O to Commercial because of its location next to a service station and the traffic on Green Street.
6. The Master Plan recommends that the A/O designation be retained for the area on the south side of Green Street between Michigan Avenue and Jefferson Street due to the lot size, existing multi-family uses and the need to maintain compatibility with the single family uses to the south.
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MASTER PLAN AREA 2 |
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State and Court Streets: Market to Broadway
Zoning (2000): R2
1992 Master Plan: R2
This area on the north side of Court between Market Street and South Broadway currently serves as a buffer between the commercial uses on State Street and the single family homes on the south side of Court Street. This area is occupied by single family owner occupied housing and some rental dwellings, the fact that it abuts existing and future commercial uses on the north make this more of a transitional area rather than one which should be devoted to long term single family owner occupied housing.
Allowing this area to convert to commercial uses would likely increase the traffic on Court Street and may affect houses on the south side of Court. However, the depth of the commercial zone along State Street does not allow for efficient development and creates access problems. Vehicles cannot exit this area to the south, and are forced to turn left onto State Street creating the potential for more accidents.
MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Retain as Medium Density Residential in order to preserve the residential character along Market Street.
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MASTER PLAN AREA 3 |
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Zoning (2000): Mostly B1, Central Business District with adjacent zones being A/O, R2 and D1.
1992 Master Plan: Commercial/Office with Medium Density Residential (R2 zoning) north of East Thorn.
Constraints to Development: Lots on Michigan north of Thorn are on a hill which creates some problems in construction and parking.
Issues/Concerns:
· No commercial uses exist north of East Thorn on Michigan except for Hastings Flower shop. Should this area continue to be zoned for B2 uses?
· How far north of the Thornapple River should commercial uses be allowed?
· The character of the area on Michigan north of Thorn is more residential than commercial. There are several two and three family homes in this area. The hilly terrain will make conversion to commercial difficult
MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
A/O use for the B1 zoned land north of Thorn is more appropriate than commercial. Hastings Flower Shop should remain as B1. The City should sponsor this rezoning.
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MASTER PLAN AREA 4a, 4b, & 4c |
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These areas are part of the Eastside Redevelopment Plan completed in December of 1999. This Plan is being adopted as part of the 2000 Master Plan update along with the following additions:
Area 4a. (Area north of the Thornapple River, south of Mill Street, east of Michigan Avenue and west of the southerly extension of East Street).
Zoning (2000): D1, Industrial
1992 Master Plan: Industrial
The Eastside Redevelopment Plan (Option 1) recommends this area be utilized as a City park to serve as a replacement for the 3rd Ward Park which would be converted to a parking area for Hastings Manufacturing Company should the Company expand. The existing building in Area 4a could be converted to a public or private use.
As of this writing, Area 4a is being considered a site for a new library.
MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS
Area 4a is designated as a Planned Unit Development as this provides the City the most flexibility in allowing for the eventual re-development of this prime river side area. The Eastside Redevelopment Plan calls for a mix of uses on this site such as apartment, office or commercial if the library is located elsewhere.
Under a PUD, the City can work with a potential developer to modify the zoning regulations to achieve a project which fits this site and complies with the intent of the Eastside Redevelopment Plan.
Area 4b (Area north of Mill Street, 3rd Ward Park and the Hastings Manufacturing property).
The Master Plan follows the recommendations of the Eastside Redevelopment Plan (north of River Option 1). This option plans for the expansion of Hastings Manufacturing Company (HMC) and the conversion of 3rd Ward Park to a parking area for HMC. Under this option, land along the Thornapple River (Area 4a) would be acquired by the City and converted to a riverfront park. Refer to the Eastside Redevelopment Plan for additional information.
Area 4c. (Area north of Green Street, east of Hanover, south of Thornapple River and east of Jefferson).
The Master Plan follows the recommendation of the Eastside Redevelopment Plan (south of River Concept). This concept calls for the improvement and redevelopment of the area near Felpausch and Hastings City Hall. Please refer to the Eastside Redevelopment Plan for additional information.
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MASTER PLAN AREA 5 |
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Zoning (2000): D2, Industrial
1992 Master Plan: Industrial
Existing Land Uses and Characters of Area:
Spencers Towing, Farmers Feed Services (feed mill), Precision Auto Body, Padnos Iron Recycling, Mini-storage buildings, Single family dwellings, City lift station.
Nearby Land Uses: Thornapple River and 100 year floodplain, single family houses to the southwest and south across State Street.
Streets: Railroad is a paved two lane public street.
Positive Features: Visible from State Street but somewhat visually isolated from the north, west and east. Good access via State Street. Public utilities available. Located along a main entrance into the City. Close to downtown. Picturesque setting due to flood plain vegetation and overlook above Thornapple River.
Negative Features: Current land uses are poorly maintained and create a poor image of the City and are a visual blight to nearby residents. Building lots are shallow due to floodplain. Strip of land between Railroad Street and State Street (about 130 feet wide) is narrow which may create difficulties in locating many industrial uses due to required building and parking lot setbacks.
General Comments: Character of this area has been established as industrial. It will be expensive to redevelop for non-industrial uses as this will entail purchasing and relocating existing uses. If this area was vacant, it would not be master planned for industrial uses due to its proximity to the Thornapple River and the shallow depth of the buildable area.
MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATION
The Master Plan recommends this area for A/O to allow for a variety of land uses which would fit the edge of the floodplain and provide for a positive appearance along State Street. The City would need to take a role in buying and relocating the existing industrial uses in order to make the area more attractive for non-industrial uses. Without the City’s involvement, the conversion to A/O use may take much longer, if it occurs at all, because the area is unattractive for new investment.
With this alternative, the City could purchase the strip of land between Railroad Street and State Street and establish a park to serve nearby existing and future residents.
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MASTER PLAN AREA 6 |
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Zoning (2000):
· B2 and PUD south of Shriner Street.
· R2 and RS from Shriner north.
1992 Master Plan:
· South of Shriner Street: Commercial/Office.
· North of Shriner Street: Moderate Density Residential (R1 Zoning) on west side of Hanover;
· Medium Density Residential (R2 Zoning) on east side of Hanover.
Constraints to Development:
· Fall Creek flood plain and low land areas.
· Lack of gravity sewer at south end of City limits.
· Steep slope at rear of residential lots along east side of Hanover north of Shriner Street makes access difficult.
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Area South of Shriner Street, West Side of Hanover |
· The Fall Creek flood plain creates shallow lots which result in reduced area for new buildings.
· Protection of Fall Creek from construction activities.
· A number of dilapidated buildings exist on the west side of Hanover. These buildings are visually unappealing and would be costly to renovate or tear down.
· Lack of sidewalk along Hanover.
· The area south of the City within Hastings Township is also somewhat rundown in appearance with materials, construction equipment and junk cars stored outside.
Positives:
· Hanover is a main route into the City from the south.
· Four lane road provides good access.
· There are some new uses in the area, in particular the County Building within the Township and the new office building south of Barfield Drive. Also a new car wash and mobile home sales business were approved in 1999 for the area west of the Meadow Stone PUD.
· Meadow Stone PUD, as it develops, could serve as a catalyst for additional development along Hanover Street.
MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATION
The Master Plan recommends the commercial zoning line be extended to 20 feet east of Fall Creek. This provides more land for commercial development and matches the commercial rezoning line approved by the City for new development in 1999.
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Area North of Meadow Stone PUD East Side of Hanover |
The houses are well kept for the most part and the character of area is residential. Sidewalk exists along east side. Current R2 zoning allows duplexes by right as Hanover is a state highway.
MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATION
This area is proposed to be retained as Medium Density Residential (R2). The wooded nature of this area is conducive to larger lots and this would be permitted under R2 zoning. The Plan also recommends that as an alternative that Low Density Apartments (A2 zoning) is also acceptable again as apartments could be clustered on the site preserving some of the wooded portions. This more intensive use could also offset the cost of providing access. Apartment use of this site would be compatible with nearby uses to the south and the school to the north.