The results of a survey conducted by the Allendale Township Planning Commission were released last week with many of the questions included churning up zoning issues related to Grand Valley State University.

The 10-question survey had more than 300 respondents, the majority of which were township residents, but some local business owners, GVSU students, faculty, staff and alumni also responded.

Of the respondants, 38 percent said the most pressing issue facing Allendale Township is the impact of GVSU. In issues regarding the impact of GVSU, where respondents were allowed to check three of their greatest concerns regarding the university, 47.7 percent were concerned with students not being a part of the Allendale Township community, 38 percent were concerned with the interaction between local businesses and college students, 36.8 percent were concerned with the location of student housing and 29.9 percent were concerned that there is too much student housing.

In transportation-related issues, 31.1 percent responded that traffic produced by GVSU concerned them most, and 24.3 percent said they were concerned with the availability of public transportation.

Fifty-five respondents chose “other,” with the majority of “other” concerns focusing on the behavior of students in terms of excessive drinking and partying as well as the treatment of homes in circumstances where multiple students live in single-family homes in residential neighborhoods. Other concerns also detailed more specifics of concern around the division of Allendale Township residents and GVSU student communities and the need for sidewalks along dangerous roads.

In terms of the expansion of GVSU and student housing complexes, 194 of 332 respondents said it is important that future multi-family housing developments that primarily serve GVSU students should be located and designed to avoid conflicts with existing and planned single family housing. Another 176 respondents indicated the same future housing developments be allowed to have a higher density with taller buildings in order to allow a greater concentration of students closer to the GVSU campus and reduce the need to extend student housing further west of existing locations.

There has been some controversy in the recent past with the development of high-density apartment complexes in Allendale Township, namely the $20 million construction of The Grove, funded by Campus Crest Communities with a planned location on the northwest corner of Lake Michigan Drive and 48th Avenue. Though construction for The Grove won approval from the board of trustees 4-3 in July, the final decision has been in limbo since trustee David Morren and owners of other apartment complexes near GVSU argued that density calculations used to approve The Grove gave the complex an unfair competitive advantage.

The issue of the rezoning of the complex has been added to the ballot for residents to vote on in a February election.

The survey also asked respondents to categorize township issues in terms of importance. Out of the 329 people who responded to the specifically to the importance of “engaging GVSU as a community member,” 236 – or 71.7 percent – responded it was important, while 93, or 28.3 percent, responded it was not as important as other issues.

The Allendale Township Planning Commission held a town hall meeting on Nov. 21 to get feedback from residents about the survey results, zeroing in on more specific issues relating to future zoning decisions.

The survey results and public feedback will help guide builders and township officials in zoning decisions and locations of township development during the yearlong, $35,000 redraft of the 2003 master land-use plan.

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