Status of Feasibility Study: Complete
The feasibility study will help guide our efforts and recognize what the needs of our community are and understand what we can sustainably support in this community.
You can see both a summary as well as the full report below.
A Strategic Planning Analysis
-Economic and Residential Outlook-
Barry County and the Census Designated Place of Delton
The Revitalize Delton Community Project and associated stakeholders recognize the need to ensure the availability of a variety of housing alternatives to meet the needs of a diverse base of today’s and tomorrow’s constituents in order for Delton to remain positioned to attract and retain future workforce generations. The group seeks to enhance quality of life components and make “Main Street” investments in support of the school district, local businesses, the arts, dining, and civic amenities. Having these amenities all within a reasonable distance of one’s home, and investing in a full continuum of new quality rental and ownership housing alternatives will ensure continued economic expansion and prosperity of our community.
The Southwest Barry County Sewer and Water Authority’s Sprague Road land parcels have been identified as potential redevelopment opportunities.
The Feasibility Study (“the Study”) identified a logical continuum of plan types with different housing product types and price points that would be suitable for the Greater Delton Region (GDR). The housing product types are described in the Study along with projections of the numbers of each product type that could potentially be developed and supported by the community. The Study presents options for stakeholders to use as a guide for their decision-making on the direction and timing for the development of housing in the GDR as well as a proposed roadmap.
The Study determined that, across most product types, it is expected that up to three developments could be concurrently marketed at any given time, providing that product selections offer a continuum of plan types and rent/price points, and continuous construction and delivery schedules are maintained for all phases and/or individual projects. In addition, the Study recommends that all developments adhere to the following criteria:
1) Builders must maintain a disciplined approach to residential product offerings which follow a logical hierarchy in terms of form, unit size, and rents/prices that can be easily understood by consumers;
2) Housing products must remain within the affordability limits of the market to ensure that developments are equally attractive to young professionals in the early stages of their careers, middle income/entry level home buyers, localized move-up purchasers, transferees, downsizing empty-nesters, as well as those younger (or mature) cohorts desirous of a low maintenance lifestyle;
3) Represent local/regional privately held homebuilding companies. It is imperative that public officials work with developer partners to establish strict development covenants for all future projects which ensure homebuilders maintain consistent architectural elevations, color palettes, and aesthetic treatments including streetscape, lighting, signage, landscape and placement of pocket parks, walking trails and other greenspace for active and passive recreation/reflection that meet the needs of existing and transferee households, and;
4) To sustain proactive regional economic development initiatives to attract and retain workforce talent, Barry County/Township and/or the State of Michigan elected representatives/officials, together with community stakeholders including the Chamber of Commerce, Barry Community Foundation and the Delton Kellogg School District must continue to collaborate with regional employers to promote employment opportunities and initiate workforce training and continuing education programs. Barry County/Township, Barry Community Foundation and/or State officials must be prepared to collaborate with home builders regarding infrastructure and other public improvements and/or regulatory requirements to achieve shared goals of ensuring the availability of quality housing options which span the full continuum.
The Study established that there is more than adequate support for development of new quality rental alternatives and, if priced properly, a variety of ownership alternatives which would expand housing options to appeal across a broad range of multi-generational consumer segments.
Over the 2023-2029 forecast and extended to 2033 for forecasting, the Study projected that the defined GDR could support construction of 1,345 new residential units annually, distributed among 710 units yearly in ownership forms and 635+ multifamily units annually with development potential. Given the overall lack of quality new construction throughout Barry County and in the Delton Census Designated Place (“CDP”) in particular, annual demand by housing type could double in any given year if supply were made available and competitive rents/sales prices are maintained. Moreover, reflecting lack of development of scale in the planning pipeline, the Delton CDP has the potential to maximize market share over at least the near term.
A thorough analysis of various lifestyle factors reveals that there is sustaining demand for a variety of rental housing options as well as ownership forms directed to both family segments as well as younger cohorts now entering the workforce professional singles and childless couples, and more mature constituents tied to a lifestyle setting.
The Study outlines suggested development matrices representing those housing forms which carry the strongest initial levels of market support and can sustain acceptable occupancies and/or sales rates over the long term. These matrices outline distinct moderate and low-density rental forms, along with a modicum of attached and detached ownership development. Given the overall lack of quality new residential construction throughout Barry County and the Delton area, the Study concludes that the strongest initial residential opportunities rest with market rate/workforce apartment forms. Future larger scale single family opportunities will evolve over time incumbent upon successful implementation of redevelopment plans.
The housing product types presented in the Study are:
1) Moderate-Density Market Rate/Workforce Apartments, including Three-Story Garden Apartments, Two-Story Private Entrance Garden Apartments, and Ranch Villa Apartments with Direct Access Garages.
2) Mainstream Market Rate/Workforce For Sale Alternatives, including modest new for sale development opportunities for attached and detached for sale housing which will appeal to entry level/mainstream, move up and/or move down consumers along with limited developments
appealing to established single family/discretionary income households.
3) Workforce For Sale Alternative Single Family Housing such as a standalone subdivision designated for moderate income households using brownfield credit vehicles and or partnerships with the Barry County Land Bank/Land trust.
The Study provided information on the economic, demographic and residential outlook for the GDR, including employment trends, residential construction trends, residential outlook and future sales price/rent appreciation considerations. It also reported on the residential marketplace, including an overview of the apartment market, ownership market, and single family detached and attached markets.
