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Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette
Houghton City Manager Eric Waara talks during the Planning Commission meeting in 2018. The Planning Commission will tackle two chapters of the master plan in 2021.
HOUGHTON The Houghton Planning Commission agreed to what parts of the city’s master plan it will review this year as part of a process that will also lead to recommendations on development in the city’s downtown.
The Planning Commission decided Tuesday it would tackle two chapters in the city’s master plan this year: 10, which covers the downtown, and 13, which discusses zoning ordinances.
In January, the City Council voted to have the planning commission conduct an overview of the year-and-a-half-long process leading up to the Veridea Group’s withdrawal from negotiations over potential development of the big parking deck area on Lakeshore Drive, and make recommendations on a process for the city to follow going forward. At the Planning Commissio
Split decision on Coles Creek rezoning
Split decision on Coles Creek rezoning
February 25, 2021
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Houghton City Council approved resolution 2020-314, which pertains to rezoning a parcel representing a majority of the former Michigan Smelter site, but rejected 2020-315, a smaller lot where the seaplane hoped to relocate its base of operations. The first vote was 4-3, with newer council members Brian Irizarri, Jan Cole, and Joan Suits voting against. The other count was 2-3, with Councilor Mike Needham and Mayor Bob Backon abstaining due to their membership on the Planning Commission.
Public comment was split, perhaps leaning slightly in favor when correspondence was factored in. Kristine Weidner argued that the site’s former superfund status should not be seen as a hindrance to future development. Instead, she felt it would represent an intended progression for the property per the Environmental Protection Agency’s own guidance.
gneese@mininggazette.com
HOUGHTON The Houghton Planning Commission’s recommendations on downtown development will go beyond the big parking deck.Â
At a special meeting Tuesday, the Planning Commission discussed next steps in tackling the mandate given to them by the City Council. After the Veridea Group withdrew from negotiations over the sale of the parking deck property on Lakeshore Drive, the council last month voted to have the Planning Commission review the year-and-a-half process leading up to that point, and make recommendations on a process going forward.Â
On Wednesday, the City Council formally asked the Planning Commission to incrementally revise chapters of its master plan, after the Planning Commission voted to ask the council for the request at its Tuesday meeting. Part of the revision will include a specific action plan for the big parking deck and downtown development as the first step in another approach. Â
gneese@mininggazette.com
Planning Commission will hold a special meeting in two weeks to start the road that will lead to recommendations on a future process for the city to follow in deciding on the future of the big deck area on Lakeshore Drive.
After unveiling a plan for a $40 million mixed-use development, Marquette-based The Veridea Group withdrew from negotiations over the city over concerns the city did not have a defined process laid out for how to proceed.
At its most recent meeting, the City Council voted to have the Planning Commission review the year-and-a-half-long process and make a recommendation.
gneese@mininggazette.com
HOUGHTON After funding delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project to build a new pier in downtown Houghton is back on.
Wednesday, the Houghton City Council committed a $951,600, 25% match for the project, which involves building a pier and improving parking between the Portage Lake Lift Bridge and Michigan Technological University’s Lakeshore Center. The rest of the $3.732 million cost comes from the Michigan Economic Development Corp. The MEDC had given the city a letter of interest in 2019, and the city had been ready to bid out the project the following March.
COVID intervened. The state then redirected the pier funding toward COVID relief. MEDC asked Houghton in November to update its proposal.