EL City Council Welcomes New Councilmember Garcia, Decides On Housing Proposal

By Lieza Klemm

EAST LANSING — The City Council meeting on Jan. 24 started with the administration of the

Oath of Office to new Councilmember Noel Garcia Jr. Garcia spoke of his commitment to “help

people and make the community better,” citing experience with the police oversight commission.

Garcia, who ran for an East Lansing school board seat in 2018, was one of five final candidates

for the position in 2022 to fill a vacancy left by Lisa Babcock. Garcia represents the East

Lansing 54B District Court and will complete the term that ends with the Nov. 7 election.

Interim Director of Planning Peter Menser presented recommendations for next steps for

housing proposals at the 27 acre city-owned property at Coleman and West roads. East Lansing

has owned the property since 2018, but despite plans for corporate offices, hotels, and retail

space, the land remains undeveloped.

“My best advice… is to press pause on this project,” Menser said. “I can’t understate the

tremendous opportunity this land represents to the city.” The council unanimously voted to table

the matter until plans were solidified.

“The landscape has changed … especially our assumptions coming out of the pandemic,” East

Lansing Mayor Ron Bacon said. “The market is a little clearer now in terms of a way forward.”

The economy during the pandemic brought uncertainty in terms of what the community needed

and Bacon has “more confidence in finding a purpose for the property.” Bacon suggested

“reshopping” the request for qualifications and proposals, which could help planners decide on

what to build on the land. During previous council meetings, members discussed various

concepts for the land, but no conclusion has been reached.

A contract with Floor Care Concepts to install new pickleball courts in Patriarche Park was

approved by the city manager with a 4-1 vote. Councilmember George Brookover questioned

where the funds would be coming from. According to the contract, East Lansing taxpayers

would be on the hook for the $43,000 bill for the courts. “We don’t have [that money] in the

contingency plan,” Brookover said. “We have $30,000, more or less.”

Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Wendy Wilmers Longpre presented the council with the

plan. “[Patriarche Park Pickleball Association] has already raised $145,000,” Longpre said. “My

confidence level that they will be able to raise the remaining $13,000… is very high.”

East Lansing City Attorney Anthony Chubb clarified that while payment would fall on the city,

adding the Pickleball Association as a third party to the contract would give them a “property

interest in the product once it is installed

and completed.” Including the association

as a third party could create issues with

who is allowed on the courts, making the

courts a property of the association.

If the funds are not raised in time, Longpre assured the council that the Department of Parks

and Recreation would produce the additional resources. “We have funds in the parks and rec

portion of the income tax fund that could cover this expense if necessary,” Longpre said in

response to Brookover’s concerns.

Example of color-coat The renovation of the color-coat system is an add on to the

system, image via
iStock original contract to complete the courts. The color-coat

system is a specialized coating system designed to separate

areas of a pickleball court. “In the existing contract, [there is] striping for the pickleball courts,

but not a color-coated surfacing,” Longpre said. “This is the final component that gets those

courts in a condition that the pickleball players are most interested in seeing.”

Source List:

Peter Menser -

Phone: (517) 319-6861

Email: pmenser@cityofeastlansing.com

Noel Garcia, Jr. -

Phone: N/A

Email: ngarcia@cityofeastlansing.com

Ron Bacon -

Phone: (517) 643-5091

Email: rbacon@cityofeastlansing.com

George Brookover -
 Phone: (517) 319-6869

Email: N/A

Wendy Wilmers Longpre -

Phone: (517) 319-6940

Email: wlongpr@cityofeastlansing.com

Anthony Chubb -

Phone: (248) 457-7054

Email: achubb@gmhlaw.com