Hagan Realty One Step Closer to Grove Street Housing Project, as Council Approves Rezoning Request
Hagan Realty is one step closer to being able to construct townhomes on Grove Street, after its rezoning request for the project was approved at the Jan. 21 City Council meeting.
The request was granted in a 3-2 vote, with Mayor George Brookover, Mayor Pro Tem Kerry Ebersole Singh and Councilmember Dana Watson voting in favor, and Councilmembers Mark Meadows and Erik Altmann voting against.
This is the second time Hagan Realty has gone to council with a rezoning request in the area. In 2023, the company was denied a similar request that covered seven parcels in the same area. The request at Tuesday’s meeting was to rezone three parcels.

Even with the rezoning approved, Hagan Realty will still need council to approve a site plan before it can move forward with its proposal to construct townhomes with up to 48 total bedrooms on the site, which is near the Ridge Road and Grove Street intersection.
Hagan Realty has not yet completed a final site plan, but the conceptual plan for the project shows townhomes that have one, two and four bedroom units. Brian Hagan of Hagan Realty said he envisions college students, young professionals and families living in the complex, if a site plan is eventually approved.
The debate around the proposal has now raged on for nearly two years, as supporters have said it fills the city’s need for affordable housing in an appropriate area and the Hagans’ are attentive, local landlords.
On the other hand, residents who live in the area have opposed the project because it would increase density in the area, may create traffic congestion and could add to existing stormwater management problems.
Watson said the rezoning request was appropriate, and that concerns about the project may be addressed during the site plan process.
“As of today, as far as I’m concerned, the applicant meets what they’re asking for,” she said.
After announcing he planned to vote in favor of the rezoning, Brookover said his standards will be high during the site plan review, and that council will have a lot of say in steering the project.
“I think we have a vast amount of control over this as it goes forward,” Brookover said. “I’m going to be very, very, very critical about how this is developed.”

Brookover also noted that enrollment at Michigan State University keeps increasing, and there is no indication the university will build housing for those new students.
“I am begrudgingly coming to the opinion that the city, unfortunately, is going to have to accommodate that housing,” he said. “If I thought that MSU is going to use any of its existing, vast amounts of land to build dormitories, I might have a different opinion on this development.”
Altmann said he does not believe the area is appropriate for the complex.
“There is an owner occupied neighborhood right across the street along Ridge Road that everybody forgets to talk about,” he said. “It’s a small neighborhood but it’s very much a neighborhood.”
Altmann also noted concerns about flooding, as the area has flooded in the past. He worries that paving over more green space will exacerbate existing problems.
Coming into the meeting, there was some debate about if stormwater management should be addressed during the rezoning phase or the site plan review. Matt Hagan of Hagan Realty previously said the company plans to have tests done on how to mitigate stormwater, but is waiting for the rezoning to be approved before paying for the expensive tests.
When explaining his vote against rezoning, Meadows said he isn’t opposed to these parcels being rezoned, but he would like rezoning to be accompanied by a complete site plan. He also said he thinks the zoning designation being requested allows for too much density.
City receives nearly $700,000 grant for before and after school programs, summer camps.
During his communications portion of the meeting, City Manager Robert Belleman announced that the city’s Parks, Recreation and Arts Department received a grant worth more than $695,000 to support its before and after school programming and summer camps. The grant was awarded through the Michigan Department of Education and Michigan Department of Lifelong Education Advancement and Potential.
The money will be used on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) curriculum development and implementation, and will pay for guest speakers, field trips, family support and engagement events, and more, Belleman said.
“We’re grateful and very excited for the expansive learning opportunities this grant creates for our participant families,” he said.