Manistee planners clear path for housing, warehouse uses on former industrial parcel

The Manistee Planning Commission has approved a change that could reshape part of an industrial-park property on the city’s west side, opening the door to warehouse space and possibly housing on a parcel that was previously tied to a cannabis permit.

At a June 4 public hearing, commissioners voted 6-0 to amend the special-use permit for 170 Glocheski Drive. The property is home to a state-licensed cannabis grow operation on the north side, but the vote allows the southern portion of the site to be split off and considered for separate development.

The southern parcel is about 2.88 acres. The commission’s action does not approve a specific new building or final site plan, but it removes a land-use hurdle that had kept the area attached to the existing cannabis-site permit.

What the vote changes

The amendment keeps the special-use permit in place for the northern parcel while freeing the southern parcel for other uses. Madeline Kazmierski, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, said the goal was to split the parcel back up and keep the special use only on the northern side.

The site was originally covered by a special-use permit approved at a Jan. 7, 2021 meeting. The new vote updates that arrangement and gives MRK Investment Properties more flexibility with the land that is not occupied by the grow operation.

For the city, the decision is a small but meaningful shift in how one industrial-park parcel can be used. It also reflects a broader planning direction that has been taking shape in 2026.

Why the site is drawing attention

Owner Ryan Fitzsimmons said he is considering commercial warehouse space first, with suites for small businesses, hobbyists, electricians and other tradespeople. He said he would like to begin development as soon as possible and, if logistics work out, could have foundations in by fall.

Fitzsimmons also said he would like to explore a residential component after the city’s master plan change. That possibility matters because the city’s newly adopted planning framework puts housing and more flexible land use at the center of future development discussions.

Manistee City Council adopted the master plan in March. City planning staff have said the plan will guide future land use and development, and a separate city housing roadmap described flexible zoning, smaller homes and more diverse housing types as part of the city’s longer-term housing strategy.

From industrial park to mixed-use question

The parcel sits in Manistee’s industrial park on the west side of North Washington Street. The city’s master plan says the industrial park should be further studied for potential mixed-use development scenarios, which is why the parcel change is getting attention beyond this one property.

The industrial park also has a longer public-development history. The city’s developer resource guide says it was built in part with a 1972 U.S. Economic Development Administration grant, underscoring how the area has been central to the city’s growth strategy for decades.

That background now intersects with newer policy goals. The current planning discussion is not just about a single permit amendment; it also reflects how Manistee is thinking about industrial land, housing demand and the mix of uses the city may be willing to support in the future.

What comes next

MRK will still need to work through site design and development logistics for the southern parcel. Additional approvals may be needed if the project adds residential uses or specific building forms.

The commission’s vote gives the owner a clearer path forward, but it does not lock in a final project. Warehouse suites, housing, or a combination of the two remain concepts rather than finalized plans.

For now, the immediate change is that the southern 2.88 acres are no longer bound to the original cannabis-site arrangement. That creates a new opening for redevelopment on land that had previously been linked to a single use.

The broader question is whether Manistee’s mixed-use planning direction will encourage similar projects elsewhere in the industrial park as the city continues to follow up on its master plan.