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CITY OF MUSKEGON
PLANNING COMMISSION
SPECIAL MEETING
DATE OF MEETING: Monday, May 22, 2017
TIME OF MEETING: 4:00 p.m.
PLACE OF MEETING: Commission Chambers, First Floor, Muskegon City Hall
AGENDA
I. Roll Call
II. Approval of Minutes from the regular meetings of April 13 and May 11, 2017.
III. Public Hearings
a. Hearing, Case 2017-12: Request for a preliminary and final Planned Unit Development for a
multi-use project in an R-1, Single Family Low Density Residential District at 1580 Park St.
(former Craig School). Uses will include a juvenile remediation program, landscaping and home
repair business and a small business incubator.
b. Hearing, Case 2017-13: Request for a preliminary and final Planned Unit Development for a
multi-use project in an R-1, Single Family Low Density Residential District at 1161 W Southern
Ave. (former Nims School). Uses will include professional offices, research and development,
light assembly, and a small business incubator.
IV. New Business
V. Old Business
VI. Other
VII. Adjourn
AMERICAN DISABILITY ACT POLICY FOR ACCESS TO OPEN MEETING OF THE
CITY COMMISSION AND ANY OF ITS COMMITTEES OR SUBCOMMITTEES
The City of Muskegon will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing impaired and audio tapes
of printed materials being considered at the meeting, to individuals with disabilities who want to attend the meeting, upon twenty-four hour
notice to the City of Muskegon. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the City of Muskegon by
writing or calling the following:
Ann Meisch, City Clerk
933 Terrace Street
Muskegon, MI 49440
(231) 724-6705
TTY/TDD: Dial 7-1-1 and request that a representative dial 231-724-6705
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STAFF REPORT
May 22, 2017
Both former schools, Nims and Craig, are being proposed for re-use by AvaSure, LLC. Please read the
Executive Summary below, written by owner, Brad Playford.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
AvaSure proposes to add to its operating facilities in the form of acquisition and expansion into the
two facilities mentioned below in Muskegon. As a resident of the Muskegon area and an
entrepreneur, personally I have interest in the welfare of this area and growing my company here is a
first step in a broader effort of contribute to the Muskegon area economic vitality. A number of
organizations and are planned for these facilities.
Thematically, the eventual interior design of these buildings will be in the motif of the historical use
of the buildings – that is – learning and wonder through the eyes of a child.
Many of the plans below involve forward thinking, further operationalization & implementation and
business execution. Naturally there will be a risk quotient attached to them. But as a business
entrepreneur and pragmatic realist, I am confident that with & through the success of AvaSure, and
with the early partnerships started with the City of Muskegon, Community encompass, Muskegon
County, C3/Fresh Start & others, we will continue to align and enable a multi-faceted organization to
support these and other additional ideas and endeavors.
CURRENT AVASURE FACILITIES
AvaSure Grand Rapids - 90,000 FT2
5801 Safety Dr Belmont, MI
Employees - 95
AvaSure develops, markets and manufactures technology based clinically innovative patient safety,
communication & work flow solutions for the global healthcare market. It will continue its operation
at it Belmont, MI facility. Office space will expand to Muskegon Nims facility.
www.avasure.com
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Hearing, Case 2017-12: Request for a preliminary and final Planned Unit Development for a multi-use
project in an R-1, Single Family Low Density Residential District at 1580 Park St (former Craig School).
These uses will include a juvenile remediation program, landscaping and home repair business and a small
business incubator.
SUMMARY
1. Craig School closed in 2012 and has sat vacant since that time.
2. Since this is a very large building and there are several uses requested; the best option for reusing this
property is a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The underlying zoning of this property is R-1,
Single Family Low Density Residential District.
3. This PUD is being proposed by AvaSure, the potential buyers of the property. They are proposing
the following uses on site (please see the enclosed floor plan):
• Juvenile Remediation Program and other Community Service Organizations
Since soliciting the school system for acquisition, a county-based juvenile remediation service
called Fresh Start, run by an organization called C3, has expressed strong interest in
subleasing part of the facility. They would use the facility for programs to assist troubled
youth during the day in a classroom type setting, offering life/work classes. There would not
be any overnight accommodations on site. C3 also suggested that they may attract a group of
other supporting community service organizations who may want to sublease space.
• Community Outreach Programs
AvaSure has been engaged in multiple initiatives with Community Encompass along the
themes of youth development, literacy, and housing rehabilitation/beautification. Community
encompass proposes to utilize this facility as their field operations location and will deploy
housing rehab, beautification and other future initiatives from this site. They would be staging
daily activities from this site and would utilize the building for inside storage of the various
tools, implement and equipment necessary for activities such as house rehab, landscaping and
other beautification activities.
• Multi-Tenant Commercial Sublease
AvaSure would offer remaining available space in the building for small business sublease to
include commercial office and assembly (which would include the usage of power tools and
small machinery that would not to exceed a 110V draw on power. Any heavier equipment
based will be located offsite).
• Community Urban Garden
Beginning in 2018, and in conjunction with Community encompass, the facility grounds
would be in part developed into a commercial urban garden.
• Community Activities
AvaSure intends to support community based youth sports on the grounds at the basketball
and tennis courts. Some of the tennis courts may be converted to basketball courts.
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Former Craig School
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Zoning Map
Aerial Map
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DELIBERATION
Standards for discretionary uses:
1. Give due regard to the nature of all adjacent uses and structures and the consistency with the adjacent
use and development.
2. Find that the proposed use or activity would not be offensive, or a nuisance, by reason of increased
traffic, noise, vibration, or light.
3. Adequate water and sewer infrastructure exists or will be constructed to service the activity.
4. The proposed site plan complies with section 2331of the ordinance and has:
a. proper ingress and egress
b. sufficient parking areas, streets, roads and alleys
c. screening walls and/or fences
d. adequate fire and police protection
e. provisions for disposal of surface water run-off, sanitary sewage
f. adequate traffic control and maintenance services
g. preserves property values to related or adjoining properties.
MOTION FOR CONSIDERATION
I move that the preliminary and final PUD for the re-use of Craig School, 1580 Park Street, as described in
the staff report, be recommended to the City Commission for (approval/denial) with the following conditions
(if any):
6
Hearing, Case 2017-13: Request for a preliminary and final Planned Unit Development for a multi-use
project in an R-1, Single Family Low Density Residential District at 1161 W Southern Ave (former Nims
School). These uses will include professional offices, research and development, light assembly, and a small
business incubator.
SUMMARY
1. Nims Elementary School closed in 2012 and has sat vacant since that time.
2. Since this is a very large building and there are several uses requested, the best option for reusing this
property is a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The underlying zoning of this property is R-1, Single
Family Low Density Residential District.
3. This PUD is being proposed by AvaSure, the potential buyers of the property. They are proposing
the following uses on site (please see the enclosed floor plans):
• AvaSure Offices
AvaSure will expand its office space into the Nims facility. The expansion is needed due to
new products, services and markets already in development such as the Telemedicine market,
the international market, the patient monitoring as a service market, the long-term care market
and potentially other use markets such as education. In addition to the expansion of the
current AvaSys market, due to the expectation of growth into these new products, services and
markets, AvaSure will need to add employees in a host of roles including division heads,
product managers, market managers, sales positions, product marketing managers, engineers,
both clinical and technical deployment experts, project managers, new product testers,
technicians and other different kinds of office personnel. They are expected to hire 100-150
new employees over the next five years.
• Innovation, Research, Mentoring Center (Research & Development)
As part of a commitment to the community, AvaSure will open & develop an Innovation,
Research & Mentoring Center at the Nims location. This center will support some of the new
AvaSure ideas that will eventually be brought to market. It will also support the owners
interest in developing non-AvaSure innovative ideas. These ideas are pursuant to the free
enterprise ideals of job creation and community development. The center will also be
designed to allow community collaboration and involvement in ideas pursuant to either free
enterprise or a common good. These innovations could be technology based or non-
technology based. They could be products or services. The owner has already received
interest from the entities within the community to sublease some of this space for their ideas.
These innovations are meant to create new commercial activity with a goal to be located
within the Muskegon community area. The aim of the Center will also be to develop
community based innovation & excitement through prized based competitions for the best
innovation ideas from the area.
• Multi-Tenant Commercial / Business Incubator
As a follow-on to the Innovation Center, this facility will provide limited space for early stage
small commercial startup businesses. These businesses would include commercial office and
assembly (which would include the usage of power tools and small machinery that would not
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to exceed a 110V draw on power. Any heavier equipment based will be located offsite).
• Community Urban Garden
Beginning in 2018, and in conjunction with Community encompass, the Nims grounds will be
in part developed into a commercial urban garden.
• Community Ball Parks
AvaSure intends to preserve one ball diamond backstop and the soccer goals on the grounds
for community use.
Former Nims School
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Zoning Map
Aerial Map
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DELIBERATION
Standards for discretionary uses:
1. Give due regard to the nature of all adjacent uses and structures and the consistency with the adjacent
use and development.
2. Find that the proposed use or activity would not be offensive, or a nuisance, by reason of increased
traffic, noise, vibration, or light.
3. Adequate water and sewer infrastructure exists or will be constructed to service the activity.
4. The proposed site plan complies with section 2331of the ordinance and has:
a. proper ingress and egress
b. sufficient parking areas, streets, roads and alleys
c. screening walls and/or fences
d. adequate fire and police protection
e. provisions for disposal of surface water run-off, sanitary sewage
f. adequate traffic control and maintenance services
g. preserves property values to related or adjoining properties.
MOTION FOR CONSIDERATION
I move that the preliminary and final PUD for the re-use of Nims School, 1161 W Southern Avenue, as
described in the staff report, be recommended to the City Commission for (approval/denial) with the
following conditions (if any):
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