Eric Bartkus Lowell City Council

(Many thanks to Jodie Seese, a passionate affordable housing advocate, for greatly helping with this promise).

If elected to city council, one of my main goals is to improve access to housing, including better planning of developments. The update to the Master Plan (which just started) should better guide developers into the best solution for neighbors. Lowell is a great place to live and work. Let’s keep growing well! Below is my Promise 15 to work hard on housing. All of my 21 Promises can be found at: https://ericbartkus.com/

Promise 15: Change the Master Plan to improve access to housing

One of the most important events in improving access to housing began recently. The planning commission is starting a 12+ month effort to update the Master Plan, last done in 2007. The plan is used to accomplish a “coordinated, adjusted, and harmonious development of the city” (from City website).

Five types of housing to improve: 1)New multi-unit developments (i.e., Rollaway), 2)Senior housing, 3)Downtown 2nd/3rd story apartments, 4)Non-profit efforts, and 5)New Ideas in Housing.

1)Multi-unit developments: An updated plan would give clear direction to builders/developers on the desired structure in each area. If approved building types and sizes were worked out in advance, this would prevent tension with neighbors.

2)Senior housing: Schneider Manor is a top notch facility for older adults, but unfortunately has a long waiting list. Their Board of Directors is trying to expand their facility, but the nearby flood plain requirements are difficult to meet. I will support any efforts for Schneider and other Senior Living facilities to build and help more people.

3)Downtown 2nd/3rd story Apartments: The historic buildings downtown are under utilized for housing. Many have fallen into disrepair. After starting Ability Weavers in 2016, we desired to move to the apartment above the store. The problem was that it was a complete disaster, including roof leaks, plumbing problems, and cracked plaster. A number of our downtown apartments need a complete rebuild. It wasn’t an easy process, but we remodeled and can now enjoy a modern apartment. I’d like to help other owners do the same. There are a number of MEDC (Michigan Economic Development Corp.) and other State programs to financially help renovate downtown historic buildings. We didn’t use these programs, but I will work with the agencies to educate the owners on the process.

4)Non-Profit Efforts: I toured a finished apartment and other facilities at Main Street Housing, formerly Denny’s. This is FROM’s pilot program into affordable housing and I was totally impressed. Jodie Seese, Wendie Preiss and the team of volunteers have done a fantastic job! Beryl and I started wishing our daughter Erin could live there. I fully support FROM’s efforts to build affordable housing next door to Main Street Housing that can help more people live in the city. Building in the flood plain there has unique challenges, but I hope an accessible/universal design is used which allows for wheelchair/stroller ramps. We have an employee at Ability Weavers that uses a wheelchair and she commutes from Walker each week. How much better it would be if she could live in Lowell!

5)New Ideas in Housing: I would like the city and the residents to consider newer housing types, including townhouse “brownstones”, accessory dwelling units (ADU’s), and permanent “tiny” smaller homes. Again I realize that most residential lots are in use, but when it is time for a remodel or change, it is smart for zoning to allow new modern solutions.

Summary: If elected to council I will help the planning commission:

*study housing needs (in process)

*explore ways to attract experienced builders with/without grants

*encourage current owner/neighbor input into changes

*develop smart housing solutions

*update the Master Plan and zoning

Thanks for reading! Please comment below or contact me to discuss further. Phone is 616-240-0227, email is eric@ericbartkus.com, or stop in at 517 East Main.