By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Could the city of Zeeland build a parking structure in the city’s downtown area in the near future?
The idea of constructing such a structure on the north side of downtown is being looked at by planning commissioners as they develop the city’s wish list for projects to undertake in 2026.
Commissioners last Thursday briefly discussed items that are being considered for the city’s capital improvement plan for next year. They will rank-order the projects they would like to give highest priority to and finalize that list next month, and then send that to City Council, which will look at the list during its goal-setting session in late January.
Parking has been an issue in the downtown area over the last couple of years. In the fall of 2024, after the Main Avenue reconstruction project was finished, the city instituted a two-hour limit for parking on most downtown streets, including on Main from State Street to Maple Street.
Then earlier this summer, the city put in place a four-hour limit at its city-owned north and south parking lots. At first, the limit was in effect Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the city dropped Saturday from the limit in the fall. The council in the fall also approved waiving the four-hour limit for active contractor vehicles and trailers containing “essential equipment and materials” that are considered critical for downtown construction projects.
Details such as where a structure could be built or how it would be paid for would need to be worked out. City Community Development Director Tim Maday suggested the possibility of using tax increment financing, a tool that has been used for projects such as the 17 E. Main development, as a possible option for paying for the project.
Some of the other projects under consideration for the capital improvement project list include construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Main and Fairview, converting the intersection of Main and Centennial Street to a four-way stop, improvements to Lawrence Street Park and adding a dog park to one of the city’s existing parks, according to city documents.
On a related note, commissioners Amanda Cooper and Dan Klompmaker agreed to serve as Planning Commission representatives in a working group that will review the city’s parking system, rules, regulations and leases. Two members of the Shopping Area Redevelopment Board (SARB) will also join the discussions.
“The purpose of bringing these members into the discussions is for them to gain a deeper understanding of the parking challenges, feedback, and pressures associated with ongoing downtown growth,” Maday wrote in a memo to the Planning Commission. “Staff, together with the city’s parking consultant, will meet with the group to review current parking conditions, recent changes, and the input received from the public.”
The process will aid the consultant and city staff in developing strategies to improve parking management. Those recommendations would be presented to SARB, the Planning Commission and City Council, Maday wrote.
“Staff believes that having members of the Planning Commission and SARB with a deeper understanding of the parking pressures and feedback we’ve received will strengthen future discussions among the larger groups,” Maday wrote.
Zeeland Record
Could the city of Zeeland build a parking structure in the city’s downtown area in the near future?
The idea of constructing such a structure on the north side of downtown is being looked at by planning commissioners as they develop the city’s wish list for projects to undertake in 2026.
Commissioners last Thursday briefly discussed items that are being considered for the city’s capital improvement plan for next year. They will rank-order the projects they would like to give highest priority to and finalize that list next month, and then send that to City Council, which will look at the list during its goal-setting session in late January.
Parking has been an issue in the downtown area over the last couple of years. In the fall of 2024, after the Main Avenue reconstruction project was finished, the city instituted a two-hour limit for parking on most downtown streets, including on Main from State Street to Maple Street.
Then earlier this summer, the city put in place a four-hour limit at its city-owned north and south parking lots. At first, the limit was in effect Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the city dropped Saturday from the limit in the fall. The council in the fall also approved waiving the four-hour limit for active contractor vehicles and trailers containing “essential equipment and materials” that are considered critical for downtown construction projects.
Details such as where a structure could be built or how it would be paid for would need to be worked out. City Community Development Director Tim Maday suggested the possibility of using tax increment financing, a tool that has been used for projects such as the 17 E. Main development, as a possible option for paying for the project.
Some of the other projects under consideration for the capital improvement project list include construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Main and Fairview, converting the intersection of Main and Centennial Street to a four-way stop, improvements to Lawrence Street Park and adding a dog park to one of the city’s existing parks, according to city documents.
On a related note, commissioners Amanda Cooper and Dan Klompmaker agreed to serve as Planning Commission representatives in a working group that will review the city’s parking system, rules, regulations and leases. Two members of the Shopping Area Redevelopment Board (SARB) will also join the discussions.
“The purpose of bringing these members into the discussions is for them to gain a deeper understanding of the parking challenges, feedback, and pressures associated with ongoing downtown growth,” Maday wrote in a memo to the Planning Commission. “Staff, together with the city’s parking consultant, will meet with the group to review current parking conditions, recent changes, and the input received from the public.”
The process will aid the consultant and city staff in developing strategies to improve parking management. Those recommendations would be presented to SARB, the Planning Commission and City Council, Maday wrote.
“Staff believes that having members of the Planning Commission and SARB with a deeper understanding of the parking pressures and feedback we’ve received will strengthen future discussions among the larger groups,” Maday wrote.
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