EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was corrected to note that the item was recommended to Douglas City Council and not Saugatuck City Council.
A controversial housing proposal returned before the Douglas Planning Commission on April 9, and this time received the votes necessary to move forward.
The residential condominium project along Center Street is located on property that once held a golf course. It’s been the subject of discussions since 2009, when an initial proposal was submitted but never advanced.
BDR Inc. purchased the land in 2011 and submitted a new proposal, known as Westshore, which was approved in 2012. The plan included existing residential and site condominiums, private roads, utilities and designated open space.
Since then, two phases of construction have been completed. In 2023, the company submitted an amendment request to allow for the construction of 41 additional units on the western portion of the parcel. The request stalled over a 20-foot strip of land intended to connect the development to Lakeshore Drive.
The project appeared before officials Feb. 12. The amendment reduced open space and included new private roads extending from Center Street to McVea Drive. A motion to approve with conditions wasn’t seconded, and the item was tabled.
During the meeting April 9, developers requested a reduction in required open space from 65% to 61.9% and said there’d be no more than 39 stand-alone condominium units.
The original PUD would’ve had up to 78 units in the third phase. Representatives said, if the 65% requirement were enforced, that number could be as low as 25.
A number of residents spoke in opposition. Others submitted letters. They questioned how developers computed open space percentages, alleging they used backyards (representatives disagreed), and voiced frustration at how much information was obtained 15 years ago — when the project was first approved.
After lengthy discussion, commissioners voted to recommend approval to Douglas City Council, with conditions, 5-2. The body is next expected to meet April 20.
Both commissioners and councilmembers will need to consider a site plan before the company can break ground.
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Westshore PUD takes step toward roughly 40-unit expansion in Douglas
Reporting by Austin Metz, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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