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CITY OF MUSKEGON
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
June 12, 2025 @ 4:00 PM
MUSKEGON CITY COMMISSION CHAMBERS
933 TERRACE STREET, MUSKEGON, MI 49440
MINUTES
CALL TO ORDER
L. Willet-Leroi called the meeting to order at 4:01 p.m. and roll call was taken.
ROLL CALL
Members Present: L. Willet Leroi, K. Johnson, J. Seyferth, B. Mazade, S. Gawron,
and J. Montgomery Keast
Member(s) Absent: S. Blake and L. Simmons II
Member(s) Excused: D. Keener
Staff Present: M. Franzak and S. Romine
Others Present:
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
A motion to approve the Minutes of the regular Planning Commission meeting
on May 15, 2025, was made by J. Montgomery Keast, supported by K. Johnson,
and unanimously approved.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
A. Case 2025-19: Request for a special use permit to operate an urban
commercial farm at 2407 Barclay St, by Coty Sloan. Planning
SUMMARY
The applicant is an urban flower farmer and is moving his business, Restoring
Eden, from Georgia to Michigan. He is requesting a special use permit to
operate an urban commercial farm at 2407 Barclay St. He would grow flowers
on site and supply them to florists, event planners, and customers. The
ordinance allows for urban commercial farms in this zoning district with the
issuance of a special use permit, but it does not allow for retail sales on site.
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The property is zoned R, Neighborhood Residential, and there is an existing
duplex on site. The parcel is fairly secluded, with no residential neighbors in the
back and a storage facility to the south. The applicant will own the duplex and
live in the unit to the north, and a tenant (not involved with the farm) will rent
the unit to the south (closest to the farm). Ruddiman Creek runs through the
southernmost portion of the lot. The parcel measures 1.7 acres.
Please see the enclosed site plan document that shows the layout of the farm.
Please also see the copy of the Community Gardens, Private Gardens, and
Urban Commercial Farms ordinance.
Notice was sent to all properties within 300 feet of the property. At the time of
this writing, staff had not received any comments from the public.
EXERCISE
Planning Commissioners, please be prepared to answer and discuss the
following questions as they relate to Section 2332.4 of the zoning ordinance:
1. Do you believe this use is consistent with all adjacent uses and structures?
2. Do you believe the proposed use would be considered offensive or a
nuisance for any of the following reasons?
a. Increased traffic
b. Noise
c. Vibration
d. Light
3. Do you find that adequate water and sewer infrastructure exists or will be
constructed to service the use?
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of the special use permit for the urban commercial
farm. Furthermore, staff believe this would be a great location for on-site sales,
although the ordinance does not allow for it. It may be worth exploring an
amendment to the accessory commercial unit (ACU) ordinance to provide an
opportunity for urban farms to operate sales carts/booths on-site, and also
designating this area, which is fairly commercial, as an allowed ACU
designation.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
M. Oakes, 2379 Park St.: Has concerns about yard waste being placed on her
property, which is adjacent to the applicants.
CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING - MOTION
A motion to close the public hearing was made by J. Montgomery Keast,
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supported by J. Seyferth, and unanimously approved.
MOTION PASSES
MOTION
Motion by K. Johnson, seconded by J. Montgomery Keast, that the request for a
special use permit to operate an urban commercial farm at 2407 Barclay St be
approved.
ROLL VOTE: Ayes: K. Johnson, J. Montgomery Keast, L. Willet Leroi, S. Gawron,
B. Mazade, and J. Seyferth.
Nays: None
MOTION PASSES
B. Case 2025-20: Request for a special use permit to operate a cat café at
926 2nd Street, by The Arc of Muskegon. Planning
SUMMARY
The property is zoned FBC, Mainstreet. Cat cafes are allowed as a special use
permitted under the following conditions:
a. Keeping of domestic animals shall be consistent with the provisions of
Chapter 26, noise, and Chapter 70, nuisances/littering of the City’s Code of
Ordinances.
b. Limited to cats (felines) only.
c. Capacity: The establishment must provide 62 square feet per one (1) cat and
no more than 15 on-site at any one time.
d. The cats shall always be kept separate from food preparation areas.
e. The boarding of cats shall take place entirely indoors.
f. Any cats leaving the establishment must be in a carrier.
g. A sign indicating a 24-hour emergency phone number shall be kept current
and posted on the site in a place clearly visible from the exterior.
The building unit measures 907 sq ft, which would allow up to 14 cats on site. The
applicant has stated that they plan on having between 4-6 cats.
Notice was sent to all properties within 300 feet of this parcel. At the time of this
writing, staff had received one email in support of the project.
EXERCISE
Planning Commissioners, please be prepared to answer and discuss the
following questions as they relate to Section 2332.4 of the zoning ordinance:
Page 3 of 9
1. Do you believe this use is consistent with all adjacent uses and structures?
2. Do you believe the proposed use would be considered offensive or a
nuisance for any of the following reasons?
a. Increased traffic
b. Noise
c. Vibration
d. Light
3. Do you find that adequate water and sewer infrastructure exists or will be
constructed to service the use?
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of the special use permit with a maximum number
of 14 cats.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
C. Larsen, 932 2nd St: Concerned about smell, the proximity of cats to the
common areas within the condo association, and the units that are above the
commercial spaces.
E. Prow, 934 2nd St: Owns the business next door and worries about smells from
the cats, and for those who may have allergies.
CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING - MOTION
A motion to close the public hearing was made by J. Seyferth, supported by J.
Montgomery Keast, and unanimously approved.
MOTION PASSES
MOTION
J. Montgomery Keast moved, seconded by J. Seyferth, that the request for a
special use permit to operate a cat cafe at 926 2nd Street be approved with
the following conditions:
1. The maximum number of cats is 6.
2. The special use permit becomes revocable if an unreasonable number of
odor or noise complaints are received.
ROLL VOTE: Ayes: J. Montgomery Keast, J. Seyferth, K. Johnson, S. Gawron,
and L. Willet Leroi
Nays: B. Mazade
MOTION PASSES
Page 4 of 9
C. Case 2025-21: Request to rezone the property at 62 Irwin Avenue from R,
Neighborhood Residential, to RM-1, Low-Density Multiple Family
Residential. Planning
SUMMARY
The property is zoned R, Neighborhood Residential. The parcel measures 13,200
sq. ft, and the former, vacant church on site measures 2,583 sq. ft. The applicant
would like to convert the former church into residential units. The current zoning
would allow up to a duplex, but the building is large enough to host more units.
A rezoning to RM-1 would allow up to 16 units per acre, which would be four
units on this property, assuming each unit would meet the necessary size
requirements. With RM-1 zoning, the applicant would also have the option to
apply for a special use permit for a single-room occupancy building, which he is
also considering.
The parcels to the west along Peck Street are also zoned RM-1. However, staff
have been holding focus group discussions with these business owners about
the possibility of rezoning the district to form-based code. Initial discussions were
very positive and well-received. Even if these parcels were to be rezoned away
from RM-1, the rezoning of 62 Irwin should still be considered for a rezoning to
this designation, and staff do not believe this would be considered a spot zone.
The Master Plan specifically talks about being flexible with the zoning of former
civic buildings and allowing more density in their redevelopment.
Notice was sent to all properties within 300 feet of this parcel. A the time of this
writing, staff had not received any comments from the public.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: I move that the request to rezone the property at 62
Irwin Avenue, from R to RM-1, be recommended to the City Commission for
approval.
PUBLIC HEARING COMMENCED:
No public comments were received
CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING - MOTION
A motion to close the public hearing was made by J. Montgomery Keast,
supported by K. Johnson, and unanimously approved.
MOTION PASSED
MOTION
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Motion by K. Johnson, seconded by J. Montgomery Keast, that the request to
rezone the property at 62 Irwin Avenue, from R to RM-1, be recommended to
the City Commission for approval.
ROLL VOTE: Ayes: K. Johnson, J. Montgomery Keast, J. Seyferth, L. Willet Leroi, S.
Gawron, and B. Mazade
Nays: None
MOTION PASSES
D. Case 2025-22: Request to rezone the property located at 1188 Lakeshore
Drive, from Lakefront Recreation (LR), to Form-based Code, Urban
Residential (FBC-UR). Planning
SUMMARY
This vacant lot measures 1.6 acres and is zoned LR, Lakefront Recreation. It is
located between the Lakeshore Yacht Harbour Marina and Adelaide Pointe,
and is owned by Cole's Quality Foods. The applicant is considering purchasing
the property and would like to build a single-family house to live in. The LR
zoning designation does not allow for housing. The lot does not have frontage
on a street, but the applicant is working with the Lakeshore Yacht Harbour to
obtain an easement from the southern end of this lot to W. Western Avenue.
The applicant is requesting to rezone the property to Form-Based Code, Urban
Residential, which would allow up to a duplex and an accessory dwelling unit,
in terms of density. However, he is only planning on developing one single-family
house. Much of the lot is unusable for construction as it lies below the ordinary
high watermark, and there is also a large slope in the building footprint area.
Utilities will need to be installed underneath the former railroad ROW, and the
applicant will be responsible for obtaining easements from CSX. A driveway will
also need to be installed at the end of the cul-de-sac and across the bike path.
A permit from the City Engineering Department will be required.
The Future Land Use map in the Master Plan identifies this parcel as "Lakeshore",
which is described as "Mixed-Use development and recreational, water-related
activities located along the Muskegon Lake shoreline. The large lot sizes,
uniquely shaped parcels, and wide range of permitted uses, Planned Unit
Developments (PUD), are common in this land use category."
A site plan is not required for a rezoning project, but one has been provided to
show how the development would work. The applicant has worked with City
Page 6 of 9
staff to create a driveway that would be placed in a way to minimize conflict
with the bike path.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends approval of the request, with the condition that the project
moves forward. The applicant will have to purchase the property and obtain
easements for the driveway and utilities before permits can be pulled. While the
rezoning to FBC-UR does not totally align with the mixed-use designation in the
Future Land Use map, the low elevation of most of the lot prevents its
redevelopment into anything substantial. A single-family house may be about
as large of a development that could fit on this lot, given its development
challenges. The addition of a housing unit will contribute to the mixed-use along
the shoreline.
PUBLIC HEARING COMMENCED:
No public comments were received
CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING - MOTION
A motion to close the public hearing was made by J. Montgomery Keast,
supported by J. Seyferth, and unanimously approved.
MOTION PASSES
MOTION
Motion by B. Mazade, seconded by J. Montgomery Keast, move that the
request to rezone the property at 1188 Lakeshore Drive from LR to FBC-UR, be
recommended to the City Commission for approval with the following
conditions:
1. The applicant receives permission to install all necessary utilities under the
former railroad easement within the next 18 months of this meeting.
2. Building permits are issued within 24 months of this meeting.
3. The zoning of the property shall revert back to LR if these conditions are not
met.
ROLL VOTE: Ayes: J. Seyferth, J. Montgomery Keast, K. Johnson, B. Mazade, S.
Gawron, and L. Willet Leroi
Nays: None
MOTION PASSES
E. Case 2025-23: Request to amend the Planned Unit Development at
1148/1204 W Western Ave (Adelaide Point) to allow retail and other
commercial uses in the boat storage/warehousing buildings. Planning
Page 7 of 9
Removed from the agenda at the applicant's request.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
NONE
NEW BUSINESS
A. Case 2025-24: Request for a site plan review for building additions at
2034, 2084, and 2140 Latimer Dr, by GE Aerospace. Planning
SUMMARY
GE Aviation owns the three contiguous parcels at 2034, 2084, and 2140 Latimer
Dr. The buildings at 2034 and 2084 Latimer Dr were combined a long time ago,
although it is unclear how that was accomplished on two separate parcels. The
proposed 33,800 sf addition will connect the rear portions of these two buildings.
The maintenance building is located on 2084 Latimer Dr, but the proposed
addition to it will be located on 2140 Latimer Dr. At the staff's request, the
applicant has begun the process of combining the lots. This review can be
conducted as all three parcels have been combined.
The plan also proposes 244 additional parking spaces with improvements made
to the northern portion of the parcel. Trees and landscaping have been added
to the parking islands. The stormwater permits for the properties must be
updated with the Engineering Department.
The parcel is zoned I-2, General Industrial, and is located in the Port City
Industrial Park. Please see the attached site plan.
Motion by B. Mazade, seconded by J. Seyferth, to approve the site plan for
2034, 2084, and 2140 Latimer Dr with the conditions that the lots be combined
and the stormwater permits are amended.
ROLL VOTE: Ayes: J. Seyferth, K. Johnson, L. Willet Leroi, J. Montgomery Keast,
B. Mazade, and S. Gawron
Nays: None
MOTION PASSES
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ANY OTHER BUSINESS
NONE
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT
NONE
ADJOURNMENT
The Planning Commission meeting adjourned at 6:01 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Ann Marie Meisch, MMC City Clerk
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