Public review of Grand Rapids’ Community Master Plan draft begins

Public review of Grand Rapids' Community Master Plan draft begins

Published on August 14, 2024

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Following a four-year community-led process to develop a new Community Master Plan, City Commission Tuesday released Bridge to Our Future, a draft blueprint for how the community will grow and develop over the next 20 years. It also launched the start of a 63-day public comment period to review the draft CMP document.

Once adopted by the City Commission, the Bridge to Our Future document will serve as a steering mechanism for the municipal government, primarily as it relates to land use. It will inform the City's five-year strategic plan. The City Commission will also prioritize its recommendations. The CMP priorities will be integrated into departmental operations and policies, annual work programs and budgets, development decisions, and economic initiatives.

Those wishing to comment on the Bridge to Our Future CMP can do so through October 16. The City invites comment via:

Email:[email protected]

Online form:bridgetoourfuture.com

U.S. Mail: City of Grand Rapids Planning Department, 1120 Monroe NW, 3rd Floor, Grand Rapids, MI 49503

Planning Director Kristin Turkelson said, "It is important to recognize that this is a land use plan. Bridge to Our Future is a foundation document and does not operate independently. The Community Master Plan guides the future growth and development of our city. It does inform other important plans such as our capital improvement plan, our Equitable Economic Development & Mobility Strategic Plan, and our community development work. The partnership of these plans will advance our entire holistic vision."

The effort to create a new Community Master Plan started in 2020 with a community review of the 2002 Master Plan to identify what needed to change with the next plan. Following this pre-planning phase, the Mayor appointed a 50-person Steering Committee that reflected the demographics of the City to provide guidance for the four rounds of public engagement that began in early 2023 and ended in June 2024. Each round built on the last and featured community-wide meetings, usually one in each ward, as well as small meetings in communities hosted by hired Community Connectors and Community Development Block Grant-funded Neighborhood Organizations. Additionally, each round featured online engagement opportunities. In total, over 4,700 participants were engaged.

The City and Steering Committee set a goal to be representative and hear the voice of the entire community during engagement. The Bridge to Our Future process achieved that mission as it relates to race and ethnicity as the Black/African American participation totaled 24%, exceeding Grand Rapids Census data of 19%. Hispanic/Latinx participation of 26% also surpassed the Census percentage of 16%.

Findings from public engagement and data analysis formulated the community goals and themes woven throughout the Bridge to Our Future recommendations. When implemented, the CMP aspires to build a sustainable city of inclusion, where people in all neighborhoods can live in safe and affordable housing, to move throughout the city in a variety of ways, to earn a living wage through meaningful job choices, and to gather together in vibrant spaces that celebrate our unique cultures and histories. The document's goals include:

Goals (Chapters)

1. Great Neighborhoods: Connected and diverse neighborhoods where residents can thrive. Grand Rapids neighborhoods will have access to housing, retail, open space, and more that meet the needs of residents in all phases of life.
2. Vital Business Districts: A network of unique and diverse businesses in all neighborhoods. Vital business districts will provide a variety of products, services, amenities, and safe, walkable places that attract people.
3. A Strong Economy: An economy that offers a prosperous quality of life. The Grand Rapids economy will offer a range of employers and job choices so that everyone can access and earn a living wage.
4. Balanced Mobility: A transportation network that is safe, reliable, and affordable. Grand Rapids will have mobility options that include a variety of ways to move about the city and beyond.
5. Development Character: A strong sense of place through high quality design. New development will improve or support the existing fabric of each neighborhood.

Themes

1. Equity: Where all residents have access to resources that allow for opportunity, influence and positive life outcomes no matter their starting point.
2. Safety: Where all people are secure and protected in all communities no matter where they live or come from, or what they look like.
3. Vibrancy: A variety of amenities, including arts, culture, and recreation opportunities, that activate and contribute to the energy of the city year-round.
4. Culture: Traditions and experiences that originate from one's background and lived experiences and can be shared and celebrated with others.
5. Sustainability: Balancing growth, environmental stewardship, and well-being in a way that fulfills current and ongoing needs and opportunities of future generations. Additionally, as part of the planning process, three Area Specific Plans were created and cover Creston, Butterworth, and the Southtown Neighborhoods.

The Michigan Planning Enabling Act-which sets out the specific process for review and approval-governs adoption of the City's Bridge to Our Future CMP. The remaining tentative review/adoption schedule for the plan includes:

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