East Grand Rapids — The planning commission approved a site plan Tuesday for Calvin University’s proposed football stadium at 3120 Lake Drive, clearing the way for phases 2 and 3 of a development the university says will add permanent seating, a press box and fan amenities.

Zoning administrator Jade Giannotti told commissioners the stadium sits on a small parcel of the campus that falls inside East Grand Rapids and that many functional elements — parking, utilities and circulation — are located on the Grand Rapids side of the campus. Giannotti recommended several conditions if the commission approved the plan, citing interjurisdictional impacts.

Commissioners and applicants emphasized mitigation for neighbors. Tom Parker of Progressive Companies, the project architect, said the design places most seating and amenities on the home side and orients spectator facilities to minimize impacts. "The intent is that amplified sound would come from the visitor side pointed towards the home side," Parker said. Calvin’s CFO Dirk Pruse added that an informal 10 p.m. curfew already limits night activity, and said the college would be willing to formalize limits: "10:00, we're really lights off," he said.

Neighbors urged firmer limits. Resident Colleen Chad, who lives directly across the bowl, described amplified music and practices that she said were louder than expected: "When the music is played on the loudspeakers, it almost amplifies," she told the commission during public comment. Multiple residents asked for decibel targets at property lines, limits on amplified sound during practices, and a photometric plan for lighting.

To balance campus needs with neighborhood concerns, the commission attached explicit conditions to its approval. Those conditions require: plans for sound amplification submitted to city staff before installation and designed as a distributed system not directed at residences; a decibel review/acoustical study that city staff accepts as residentially appropriate; a photometric (lighting) plan that demonstrates limited light spillage at property lines; stormwater-management items in the staff memo be resolved to the satisfaction of both East Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids; and that lights and any sound amplification be limited to games, practices and special events and be turned off by 10 p.m. The commission also required that games and events not be scheduled simultaneously with other campus events that would exceed parking capacity.

The motion to approve the site plan with those conditions passed by voice vote. The applicants said phase 2 work would proceed first and that phase 3 — which includes additional restrooms and guest amenities — would depend on fundraising.

Next steps: the university must provide the required sound and photometric plans and address the stormwater items identified by staff before final permits are issued. If the acoustical or photometric studies indicate changes are necessary, staff will review compliance under the conditions the commission adopted.