The expansion of an existing apartment complex has many city residents concerned that a new development will bring traffic congestion, flooding and too many people to an area they say is already overly crowded.
"There's already enough apartments surrounding our little neighborhood and now they want to add more," East Lansing resident Ann Chick said.
Hollander Development Corporation submitted an application in April to expand the existing Deerpath Apartment Complex, near Haslett Road in East Lansing. The plan would add 32 additional apartments in two buildings.
The East Lansing City Planning Commission has reviewed the application and will discuss the development's plans at Wednesday's meeting. But neighbors of the existing complex are ready and willing to voice their opinions on the expansion.
"We haven't acted on it yet," said Bob Owen, the city's planning and zoning administrator. "But we plan to discuss at the meeting how to proceed on this development."
Joseph Hollander, president of the development corporation, said his company is looking into purchasing a 1.6-acre plot of land located next to the existing Deerpath complex in order to build two buildings. The buildings would house 64 new residents.
Hollander said although residents might be concerned about more people residing in the area, other land in the city is a lot more crowded.
"If you live right next to the complex, I'm sure it would feel like there are a lot more people," Hollander said.
"But with the number of apartments we are adding, the area would still be considered medium density. It will probably be one of the least dense apartment developments in the city."
In addition to density worries, residents near the apartment complex are also concerned about the strain additional projects will have on their sewage system.
"There is a major draining problem in our neighborhood now," East Lansing resident Betty Medler said. "If it can't handle the problem now, they won't be able to when there are even more residents."
Hollander said he hasn't heard about any problems with the existing drainage system, but residents' concerns about the area are hard to pinpoint.
"There have been so many issues raised it's hard to define what the real concerns are," Hollander said.
He believes one of the largest problems in the area is the amount of traffic. The city told the corporation the only sufficient entrance to the new properties would be off Haslett Road. City officials say about 17,000 vehicles travel on Haslett Road every day.
Hollander said this new entrance will definitely irritate traffic, but traversing the area will not spawn too many headaches - even for the area's aging neighbors.
"Left turns onto Haslett just require patience," he said.
"It's similar to making a left turn onto any major street. I understand the older you get, it gets more intimidating to make those turns, so residents nearby the complex are concerned."
Although the Deerpath addition is causing some controversy, Deputy City Manager Jean Golden said the expansion or development of new rental-owned properties always is a concern of the city's permanent residents.
"Typically, with the expansion of apartments, people are concerned with having more renters as opposed to owners," Golden said.
"It is an issue that has a tendency to bring people out to council meetings. The residents are concerned that we maintain a proper balance of rental and owner-operated properties."
