City Commissioners approved a planned unit development (PUD) located at 2033 and 2044 Lakeshore Drive in Muskegon on August 23. Lot 2033 sits on the corner of Moon Street and Lakeshore Drive in the Lakeside neighborhood. The approved PUD granted to Tiny Digs Muskegon LLC allows for 10 “Micro-lodging” units. The units are to be used only for short term stays of 30 days or less by definition, although actual stay limits may be less than that. A stipulation was also included that 5 canopy trees be planted along Moon Street.

Tiny Digs is not new to the tiny homes rental scene. They operate a similar business in Portland, Oregon. The hotel in Portland features a variety of tiny homes which range in styles and colors, and sleep a range of 2 to 5 guests. The representative of Tiny Digs Muskegon told the council that the aim is for a maximum of 2 to 4 guests in each unit at Lakeshore Dr. at a time. This is due to the limitations the size of the lot will impose on the sizes of the units. The representative also mentioned that the aesthetic character of the development would be pleasant and described it in a way that sounded quite suburban, even describing a possible white picket fence.

There were many concerns raised at the city commission meeting on the 23rd, from both nearby residents and city commissioners. Most questions seemed to be sufficiently answered by the time a vote came to pass with the exception of parking. The site is not in an area that has parking minimums, and there are currently no planned parking spots on-site for guests. Instead, Tiny Digs has arranged for parking at the lots of nearby businesses. Mayor Ken Johnson raised the concern about this arrangement disappearing in the event that those businesses are sold. This point did not seem to be properly answered, which lead to what seemed to be general confusion among commission members. At one point the commission seemed to make an effort to postpone voting on the issue in order that the concerns of those outspoken against the PUD be addressed. However, commissioner Hood made a motion to adopt the PUD. The motion passed 4-1, with Mayor Johnson being the only no vote. Commissioner Gorman and Commissioner Ramsey were absent.

OPINION: The pros most likely outweigh the cons for this development. Although some residents brought up the concern that the lots could service a larger and more dense building, my hope is that the existence of these short term rental units encourages exactly that sort of high density development throughout the Lakeside Form-Based code area. My hope is that these tiny homes act as a buffer between the commercial and residential areas, and bring more commercial interest to the Lakeside neighborhood without being a nuisance to nearby single family homes. This development also sparked a conversation on parking which will hopefully be a part of a transition in thinking away from parking as an immediately available resource everywhere in the city.