Kalamazoo Planning Commission votes 7–0 against rezoning near Asylum Lake Preserve
After nearly five hours of public comment and discussion, commissioners cited the lack of clarity from the applicant and potential environmental and traffic impacts as reasons for their decision.
The Kalamazoo Planning Commission on Thursday unanimously voted 7–0 against recommending a rezoning request for 4301 Stadium Drive, an 18.8-acre parcel at the corner of Stadium Drive and Drake Road, adjacent to Asylum Lake Preserve.
The request, filed by Stadium Drive #1, LLC, sought to rezone the property from RM-15 (Residential, Multi-Dwelling)and RS-5 (Residential, Single-Dwelling) to CC (Community Commercial) while keeping the existing Natural Features Protection Overlay (NFP-O) in place. Presenting the request were attorney Emily Palacios, representing the landowner, and David Rapp, a Grand Rapids–based developer listed as the contract purchaser for the property.
The land, part of which borders the Asylum Lake Preserve, has been the subject of recurring controversy since 2020, when a previous application sought to build a Drive & Shine car wash at the site.
Planning staff recommendation and commission discussion
During Thursday’s meeting, Assistant City Planner Bobby Durkee presented the request, explaining that planning staff had recommended approval because the proposed zoning was consistent with the city’s Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 Master Plan and Future Land Use Map.
Durkee said there were no specific development plans available for the property despite its rezoning request to the city’s Community Commercial district, which allows a wide range of auto-oriented, higher-intensity commercial uses along major corridors such as Stadium Drive. This point drew concern from several commissioners and residents.
After nearly five hours of public comment and discussion, commissioners cited the lack of clarity from the applicant and potential environmental and traffic impacts as reasons for their decision.
Residents pack City Hall to oppose rezoning
Hundreds of residents filled City Hall for the meeting, which stretched just past midnight. Dozens spoke during public comment, urging the commission to deny the rezoning.
A Change.org petition to “deny the rezoning for the property adjoining Asylum Lake Preserve” had gathered more than 14,000 signatures by Friday afternoon.
Many residents voiced environmental concerns tied to runoff, slope disturbance, and potential harm to the adjacent preserve. Others questioned the need for another car wash or high-intensity development in the area, and disrespect to the land to consider such a development.
“We have roughly 137 car washes in the greater Kalamazoo area and one Asylum Lake,” said resident Gabriel Giron. “So I ask the members of this commission: What do you want the legacy of Kalamazoo to be, and more importantly, what do you want your legacy to be? Because this decision will outlive everyone in this room. No one will remember what was said here tonight, but they will remember that the people appointed to this commission either saved this preserve or surrendered it — that you stood for the voices in this room or for the profits that drowned them out,” he said. “Your names will be etched in this story forever. So I urge you to stand with your community, not against it. Choose preservation over profit. Choose to protect Asylum Lake and the future of Kalamazoo.”
Another resident, Steve Vanderbush, suggested reimagining the property as an educational or cultural resource. “Maybe we’re trying to put a square peg in a round hole,” he said. “Is there an opportunity to connect this community back to this lake through history — through Native American history, through programs at Kalamazoo College and WMU? This could be a chance to make this a win for the entire community.”
Commission deliberation
Commissioners discussed the rezoning request after public comment, describing the proposal as incompatible with the city’s environmental protections and inconsistent with the intent of the NFP Overlay.
Commissioners also noted that the intersection of Stadium Drive and Drake Road — adjacent to the property — is among the busiest and most crash-prone in the city, raising concerns about traffic safety if the land were commercially developed. “I just fail to see, and have not been convinced by the arguments tonight, how an NFP can be in any way compatible with the highest-intensity commercial use,” Commissioner Roland Bissonnette said before the vote. “There doesn’t seem to be any room for reconciliation between those two things, they are diametrically opposed.”
Next steps
The Planning Commission serves as a recommending body, meaning its vote is not final. The Kalamazoo City Commission will make the ultimate decision on whether to approve or deny the rezoning request at a future meeting.
Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
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