BEACH DISTRICT: East Bay residents pick priorities

May 15—TRAVERSE CITY — A steady stream of East Bay Township residents visited Harbor Brook Hall on Tuesday afternoon to give rapid-fire input on the new "Beach District" vision.

Their top suggestions fell into four main categories: 1) Adding more pedestrian crossings on U.S. 31; 2) Burying utility lines; 3) Widening continuous sidewalks; and 4) Planting more trees along area roadways.

Preserving the character of the area also was top of mind for some.

"My primary concern is managing growth while preserving our 'Up North feel' and environment," said local resident Carol Kuesel. "I realize that the area is expanding but there are many ways to ... to protect the lakes and natural areas we have."

The free pubic event was billed as a "design charrette," a participatory input process that brings together a wide variety of people — residents, business owners, local officials, landscape architects and others — to develop solutions in a fast, intensive way.

Participants hovered over large tables displaying maps and images of the district. After talking with staff members, they used sticky notes and adhesive dots to provide their input on key elements of the plan.

Ideas and input collected Tuesday will be incorporated in a second showing Thursday afternoon. Other public sessions will take place this week for specific stakeholder groups.

Large easels at the charrette also displayed results from a recent survey that compiled input from 440 local residents and business owners. Asked what new amenities they'd most like to see in the corridor, respondents said (in order of popularity): — Safe crossings along U.S. 31 Northern — New places to dine — More recreational opportunities — More outdoor eating and drinking establishments — Public gathering areas — Easier access to the TART Trail — Public parking — Improved bus stops

Jill Polmateer, who lives in the township, said she came to the charrette "to see what's going to happen with the area" and give her input.

Polmateer said she was pleased to hear about the county's (imminent) decision to purchase the former GO-REC property that borders on Rennie, Spider and Bass Lakes. But at the same time, she expressed concerns about the density of development along the waterfront.

"I know it's going to happen — this area has been developing since the early '70s," she added. "But I hope it can be done thoughtfully."

BEACH DISTRICT ELEMENTS

The Beach District is a densely developed commercial zone featuring more than 20 hotels with several more either under construction or in the planning process. It stretches about 1.5 miles from Three Mile Road to Holiday Road, including two adjacent residential neighborhoods.

Traverse City State Park, Pirate's Cove Adventure Park, restaurants, retail and condominiums are other key elements of the zone.

Physically, the district is connected by a sandy beach on East Grand Traverse Bay, U.S. 31 and the nearby TART Trails network. Hundreds of thousands of people visit the area throughout the year, particularly during the warm weather months of May-September.

Consulting firm Beckett & Raeder is leading the Beach District visioning process, funded by a $97,215 grant the township received in late 2023.

Once all the input is collected and organized, Beckett & Raeder will develop an in-depth document with a final recommended plan and ideas for implementation, including possible funding sources, officials said. That document is expected by late 2024.

The overall goal of the visioning effort is to create a public-private partnership that will enhance the area in multiple ways, including multi-model transportation, aesthetics, landscaping and pedestrian safety, while preserving natural assets such as the beachfront and trees.

The current theme is: "Create a place to go to ... instead of go through."

Funding for the Beach District project — so far — comes from several sources. The Michigan Coastal Management Program approved a total of $150,000 for the effort. Another $96,000 grant came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Program. The Bay Area Transportation Authority is contributing $4,000.

Additional funding will be needed to actually implement the plan, officials said.

GETTING PUBLIC BUY-IN

The charrette is one part of an ongoing community engagement effort that includes stakeholder meetings and a community survey, according to Sam Lasusa, who works on community and economic development for the township.

"Getting feedback is important, and so is getting community buy-in," he said. "Without community support, improving the corridor won't succeed. That's why we need everyone to participate."

Both BATA and the TART Trails organization are working with East Bay Township to provide specific ideas for the Beach District plan.

"We think transportation alternatives, such as buses and bicycle routes, are important parts of calming the traffic flow in the area and improving the visitor experience," said BATA's Eric Lingaur. "Our staff is delighted to be part of the planning process."

Amy Hartzog, a planner for TART Trails Inc., said she was happy to see so many participants mentioning the group's non-motorized pathways: "Linking the Beach District to our trail network fits all of our core values — health, recreation, access, sustainability and connecting people to nature."

WHAT IS A CHARRETTE?

The term "charrette" means "cart" in French and originated in 19th century France. Proctors at a famous Parisian art school "would use a cart to collect final drawings from students as they frantically put finishing touches on their work."

Speed and intensive, hands-on input are the hallmarks of modern-day charrettes. The nonprofit website Involve.org puts it this way:

"Charrettes are best used for projects focused on community regeneration: including master plans within a city's comprehensive plan, town center plans, transit-oriented development plans, affordable housing development plans, and wide-scale redevelopment projects."

A somewhat similar charrette process was used in 2015-17 to re-envision the Eighth Street corridor between Woodmere Avenue and Cass Street, also known as the North Boardman Lake District or "NoBo."

In 2013, Suttons Bay Township held a three-day charrette to help develop rural form-based zoning ordinance and related land-use ideas. The National Charrette Institute at Michigan State University was involved in that project.

To learn more about the East Bay Township Beach District planning process, visit: www.eastbaytwp.org/news_detail_T6_R308.php.