Byron Township pauses 97-unit development proposal at 84th and Burlingame

Byron Township officials tabled a request from Eastbrook Homes to build a 97-unit residential development on the southwest corner of 84th Street SW and Burlingame Avenue SW in Byron Center. The decision came after neighbors raised concerns about traffic, density, and the character of the community during a Monday township board meeting.

The proposed site sits directly across from Byron Center High School. Residents told the board they have seen enough high-density housing come to the area.

"PUDs take all of our very hard work on ordinances and throw them out the window," neighbor Darlene Potter said.

What Eastbrook Homes is proposing

According to township documents, Eastbrook Homes is seeking to rezone more than 14 acres of land from multifamily residential to a multifamily residential planned unit development, or PUD. The PUD designation would give the developer more flexibility in its design.

The proposal includes:

• 25 single-family condos
• 72 townhomes
• Homes priced in the $400,000 to $500,000 range, according to Eastbrook Homes

Kelly Kuiper, Manager of Land Planning and Entitlement for Eastbrook Homes, told the board the development would generate about 700 vehicle trips per day. She compared that figure to a previously approved commercial PUD for the same site, which would have produced roughly 9,200 daily trips based on a grocery store, gas station, and retail space.

"We believe that strong communities need housing opportunities for people at every stage of life. And I believe that this is the biggest benefit of this proposed PUD is the diversity in housing and the diversity in prices that we will be able to sell these houses at," Kuiper said. "The families who teach in our schools, provide health care, work in local businesses, serve as first responders and contribute to Byron Township every day deserve opportunities for home ownership."

Kuiper also noted that the property holds one of the few designations in the township master plan that specifically allows for mixed and attached housing.

Board and planning concerns

The board reviewed an analysis from local consulting firm Horizon Community Planning. The firm dated its recommendation May 8 and found the site appropriate for denser housing. However, the report criticized the proposal for lacking connectivity.

"Given the Master Plan's emphasis on walkability, coordinated development and integrated land use patterns, a more interconnected street and pathway network could have improved circulation, reduced reliance on Burlingame Avenue for all trips, enhanced pedestrian accessibility between residential and commercial areas and better positioned the site for future development coordination," the recommendation stated. "As proposed, the development functions largely as an isolated enclave rather than as part of a broader connected neighborhood framework."

Trustee Jay DeKleine echoed those concerns. He pointed to a previous PUD vote in the township as an example of what the process should look like.

"Our last PUD we voted in was a win for the developer, it was a win for the township, and it was a win for the neighbors," DeKleine said. "A PUD should be a win-win-win. And it's not."

DeKleine also set a clear standard for the board's expectations.

"A PUD should not sacrifice density. Period," he said.

What happens next

The board voted to table the PUD request. That means Eastbrook Homes can continue working on its plans without having to restart the entire approval process from scratch.

Township Supervisor Donald Tillema warned residents that development on the property is likely inevitable.

"I guarantee you something is going to happen there in that corner and across the street," Tillema said. "When there's water and sewer available, you can count on something is going to happen."

The nonprofit Housing Next projects that Kent County will need roughly 30,000 new homes by 2030. Developers across the region are working to meet that demand. The debate in Byron Center reflects the tension between that need and the concerns of residents who want to preserve the character of their neighborhoods.