ESCANABA — Efforts to bring more housing options to Escanaba for the city’s aging population were highlighted during Escanaba’s regular city council meeting Thursday.

“Escanaba has a large population of Baby Boomers who are slowly approaching retirement age, this has increased the need for alternative housing as homeowners in this age group search for a smaller and easier to manage home,” said Council Member Karen Moore. “Condominiums are an excellent choice for this group. There are very few in this category in this city. In fact, when I was running for city council this was the most requested need.”

Moore had teamed up with City Assessor Jim McNeil to create a presentation that could be shown to developers. The document discussed Thursday included a number of sites owned by both the city and private landowners that were interested in working with developers for the creation of condos and other multifamily housing.

According to McNeil, the city is following the national trend of there being more demand for housing than there is supply. However, the city currently does not have condos largely due to the city’s zoning ordinance.

“We can have condos, but we do have to do some changes to be a little bit more accommodating,” said McNeil.

Specifically, the city’s parking requirements for new developments are too restrictive in many areas. In addition, some areas that would be prime for condominiums and multifamily housing would need to be rezoned to mixed use instead of being strictly commercial districts. Those issues must be addressed at the planning commission level before coming to the council for final approval.

While the council was in general highly supportive of the documents presented, the plan to advertise to potential developers, and the push for more housing options, two council members balked at the inclusion of land on North 26th Street, near Meijer, Aldi, and Walmart. Earlier this year, a developer had approached the city to put in a low- to medium-income apartment complex in that location, which was defeated in a split-vote of the council.

“I really feel that the city made a mistake by passing on that housing complex that was brought by a developer to provide adequate housing opportunity within the area even located on this map right here. And I felt that we made a mistake and I really think that now we’re opening the door to want developers to come in to provide housing,” said Council Member Tyler DuBord, who added he didn’t believe condos were the number one housing need in the city when there were so many others seeking single family or apartment housing.

Council Member Ralph Blasier also expressed he thought the city had made an error by rejecting the proposal.

“We did make a mistake. We made a mistake on a two-to-five basis and, you know, that’s life. That’s why we’ve got an odd number of people,” he said.

Council Member Peggy O’Connell, who had voted against the housing complex disagreed, claiming the two types of housing being discussed were very different.

“The market that we’re missing is market rate housing. We’re missing the people who don’t qualify for housing projects such as the one that was here,” said Council Member Peggy O’Connell.

City Manager Patrick Jordan said he regularly spoke with the developer who had brought the housing complex proposal to the city and he had expressed to them that the city would be more open to a senior-focused or market-rate housing project if they had such a plan in the future.

The discussion of being developer-friendly brought up another issue that has been contentious in the city: whether or not to seek Redevelopment Ready Community Certification through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).

The city was previously certified through the program, which aims to market communities as development-friendly. The program also gives cities access to certain tools from MEDC.

The city ended it’s certification through the program largely due to a requirement for public hearings at the planning commission level for all developments that MEDC wanted abolished. After months’ of debate between the city council and the planning commission, the requirement was dropped for developments where the use would be permitted by right, and the planning commission instituted other methods to encourage community participation.

While the city ended its certification, it never completely dropped out of the program. Instead, it dropped back to “engaged” status, which is typically reserved for communities seeking certification for the first time. During Thursday’s meeting, the council voted to inform the MEDC that it was committed to move towards certification. The commitment is needed by April 30 for the city to move forward with the process this year.

In other business the council

— Postponed the possible condemned a home located at 226 North 12th Street. The building was heavily damaged by fire last year, and family members of the property owner have been working to restore the home to a livable condition.

— Set a public hearing on the city’s proposed 2021-2022 fiscal year budget for the May 6 regular council meeting.

— Approved the hire of Great Lakes Fireworks of West Branch, Mich. for the annual Independence Day fireworks display, scheduled for Saturday, July 3. The cost of the display and labor will be $10,000, and the city’s recreation department will be raising additional funds to contribute to the display. Great Lakes Fireworks is a sole source supplier.

— Awarded the contract for sanitation services and portable restrooms for the 2021-2022 seasons to Stenberg Brothers, Inc. of Bark River. The company way one of two that submitted bids to supply the services.

— Awarded concession contracts for the summer season to Bobaloon’s of Escanaba and Sticky Fingers Confections of Gladstone. Bobaloon’s will operate in the territory comprised of the Escanaba Municipal Marina and the Municipal Beach and Aronson Island. Sticky Fingers will operate in Ludington Park.

— Held the first reading of an ordinance to prohibit hunting within the city limits. The second reading, public hearing and possible adoption was set for the May 6 regular city council meeting.

— Approved annual chemical bids for the city’s water and wasterwater plants.

— Approved the hire of Coleman Engineering of iron Mountain to provide filter media sampling and testing at the water plant for an amount not to exceed $4,100. The item was included in the city’s budget for this fiscal year.

— Approved a traffic control order to place stop signs on North 30th Street on the northwest and southeast corner of 3rd Avenue and North 30th Street intersection to create a three-way stop.

— Approved the hire of Independent Roofing of Escanaba for the replacement of the water treatment plant roof for an amount not to exceed $114,900. The council deviated with the initial recommendation of Water/Wastewater Superintendent Jeff Lampi by approving the hire due to a possible miscommunication over the length of the roof’s warranty between Lampi and the bidder he recommended.

— Went into closed session to discuss an ongoing legal case on the advice of the city attorney and the pay rate for dispatchers.