On August 12, the Grand Rapids Commission will reconvene and decide on their next steps for the Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP).
Our take: A majority of the plan is not a concern, and we align with a number of recommendations (particularly around active parks, land use and certain pro-housing items), but there a number of areas of areas where we still have strong concerns:
- The plan is too big and too vague. The plan outlines 197 actions, 71 programs, 84 processes and 38 policy changes. Many of them are unclear, unrealistic, and resource-heavy to implement.
- It will create regulation overload. The plan pushes mandated energy reporting, audits, and retrofitting. It seeks to set new local building standards that are more burdensome than state code, creating confusion, risk, and costs for businesses. (Strategy 3, Action 1 / Buildings and Industry)
- It creates new costs for businesses. An energy Benchmarking & Transparency Ordinance adds reporting burdens and potential penalties, which will be especially difficult for small businesses. (Strategy 2, Action 1 / Buildings & Industry)
- It will deter development. Construction costs will be raised by advocating for stronger building codes and design mandates, making redevelopment harder. (Strategy 3, Actions 1 & 4 / Buildings & Industry)
- It has mixed messages on housing – making it more expensive. While supporting positive density and land-use items, it also proposes:
- Adopting the most stringent energy codes (they are even tied up in lawsuits for excessive cost)
- New cost-prohibitive mandates like EV charging, solar, and electrification
- More greenspace requirements = less buildable land
(Strategy 1, Actions 3, 5 & 6 / Residential Homes, Strategy 1, Action 5 / Buildings & Industry, Strategy 3, Action 2 / Nature-Based Solutions)
- It promotes new taxes. The plan calls for taxes to fund home upgrades and e-bike programs. (Strategy 3, Action 3 / Residential + Transportation)
- It picks business winners and losers. Certain business models (like cooperatives) are labeled as “equitable,” implying others are not. That’s a slippery slope. (Strategy 1, Action 7 / Food Systems)
- It will create more patchwork rules. Food waste bans and plastic bag restrictions are proposed, policies that would add costs for restaurants and grocers. (Strategy 2, Actions 6 & 11 / Food Systems)
The Bottom Line
The City of Grand Rapids shouldn’t go a mile wide and an inch deep. It is a recipe for overpromising and underdelivering.
Instead, we recommend setting specific actions and programs that are SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound) and have a broader community consensus particularly when the City is already facing growing budget deficit projections.
- Recommendations for alignment & action: There are certainly elements of the 197 actions that the City is already doing, that will have a meaningful impact and should be enhanced. This includes actions like providing high-quality parks and community spaces, and increasing streetscaping and tree plantings (particularly in neighborhoods of focus).
- The best thing the City of Grand Rapids can do to reduce emissions is to invest in vibrant neighborhoods and business districts that are walkable, safe, and rich in amenities because these communities naturally support lower-emission lifestyles.
WHY INVEST IN VIBRANT NEIGHBORHOODS?
Vibrant Neighborhoods Support Housing Affordability
- Compact, mixed-use development allows for more housing near jobs and transit, reducing the sprawl that drives emissions.
- Affordable housing near amenities helps families avoid having to move to far-flung areas where driving is the only option.
- Promoting mixed-income neighborhoods increases economic mobility and opportunity.
- Fewer car trips = fewer emissions. If residents can walk or bike to work, school, shops, and services, they rely less on vehicles, which are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Well-lit streets, safe intersections, and community policing make people more likely to walk, bike, or take public transit instead of drive.
Amenities Encourage Local Living
- When neighborhoods include grocery stores, parks, childcare, and retail, people spend more of their time and money locally. This keeps economic activity close to home, supports neighborhood small businesses and reduces “emissions leakage” to other areas.
- Trees, parks, and green space absorb carbon, cool neighborhoods, and improve air quality—while also encouraging outdoor activity.
Building thriving neighborhoods creates places where people can live, work, and play in our city. This reduces transportation emissions, supports housing affordability, enhances economic mobility, and creates healthier, more resilient communities.
We are all striving for a community where families and businesses can grow together – it is important that we focus on the things that we must do well, and not try to do everything at once.
WHY IT MATTERS
This plan and its recommendations come at a time when commercial offices and the restaurant/retail industry are struggling. Any new requirements are just one more extraneous item that places an additional burden on some of our community’s favorite gathering places or stops the construction of our next favorite spot.
These new programs and requirements would only pertain to Grand Rapids and would further drive up the cost of being in the urban core and could throw up new barriers to redevelopment and future investment.
HOW TO ENGAGE
Read the plan! Your voice matters— email or call the Commissioners (info here) or speak at the July 29 meeting at 7:00 PM to give public comment. Multiple Commissioners mentioned not hearing enough from the community on this plan, so every contact counts. Information on the plans follows below!
- Being brief is ok!
- Be polite and share your knowledge – you are an expert explaining concerns based on your experience.
If you have any questions, contact Trevor at trevor@grandrapids.org
Joshua Lunger
Vice President of Government Affairs
Grand Rapids Chamber