During an on-campus meeting, East Lansing City Council members largely favored a controversial proposal that will add another housing complex to northern East Lansing.
As of press time, the council had not formally voted on the proposal, but a majority of the council voiced its support of the vote during the meeting.
The Beaumont, a complex made up of condominiums, apartments and single-family houses, could begin construction as early as this spring or summer.
Patrick Gillespie, president of Gillespie Development & Management, proposed the 40-acre community, which would be built on Coleman Road near Crossing Place Apartments, 3636 Coleman Road.
The complex, dubbed by developer Gillespie as an "alumni village," will offer rented and for-sale units to MSU alumni, young professionals and empty-nesters.
"We've listened to the desire of the city to not draw students out into this development," Gillespie said.
East Lansing residents voiced mixed feelings about the new complex, which some fear will bring about added traffic, noise and sprawl. Another issue is the number of units that would be rented rather than owned.
"The ownership condition is an important one," East Lansing resident Liz Harrow said.
Harrow said she also worries that the new development will bring retail that might draw people out of East Lansing and increase traffic in the Northern Tier area.
"We can't build another Eastwood (Towne) Center or shopping strip and draw people out of the city," she said.
Other residents were optimistic about the plan, however, even if it shows the bittersweet signs of change.
"I'd like it to be a cornfield forever, but you can't stop progress," said resident James Olivetti. "I truly feel that Mr. Gillespie has been sincere and diligent.
"One of the major concerns is a student population, which I don't want to see and what I don't think this community wants to see."
The final proposal came after 23 revisions that included moving the pool farther away from neighboring residences and converting some rental properties to owner-occupied units in the complex's southern end.
The proposal is set to be adopted with an additional 19 conditions made by city officials, including one calling for an independent contractor to investigate the site for wetlands and conserve them if found.
"This is an issue that the planning commission has worked on for a while," Mayor Pro Tem Sam Singh said in regards to the wetland condition. "The planning staff has to really get into the routine of looking into these things."
A series of ordinances were introduced that would amend the city code and give greater control of East Lansing's wetlands to the city. The ordinances will expand the regulations affecting the identification and preservation of East Lansing wetlands and preserve vegetation in and near wetlands.
The Beaumont complex will be made up of 434 units, including 26 lots for single-family detached homes, 80 townhouse condominium units, 56 apartment condominium units and 272 rental apartments.
Don Jordan can be reached at jordand3@msu.edu.
