The South Haven City Council has given property owners in one neighborhood a reason to feel relieved. During a Monday meeting, the council opted not to approve a proposed Commercial Rehabilitation District in the area of Woodman Street, Oak Court, and Willow Court. That followed a public hearing on the request from Bunde’s Bakery for the district to be established so it could do some building improvements and add apartments to the building’s upper levels. The council was told a large area of the city is already a Commercial Rehabilitation District, but it doesn’t reach Bunde’s.
“They were interested in this potential economic development tool as all of the other businesses that currently exist on the north side and most others in the general area are in the existing district,” Assistant City Manager Griffin Graham said.
The Commercial Rehabilitation District would enable businesses in the affected area to get a tax abatement on work done for a period of up to ten years. Attorney Matt VanDyke, speaking for the Water’s Edge Condominium Association, said residents don’t want the nature of their neighborhood changed.
“Imposing this Commercial Rehabilitation District in the neighborhood signals to potential developers that this area is prime for commercial development when, in fact, nothing could be further from the truth,” VanDyke said.
Several citizens spoke in opposition to the rehab zone. They said they weren’t swayed by assurances from the city, given their experiences with past developments. The owner of the bakery spoke and said he didn’t realize asking for the current rehab zone to be extended to his property would involve the entire neighborhood. In the end, the city council let the question die without taking a vote.
