'BEACH DISTRICT' CHARRETTE: Traffic, water quality key East Bay design issues

Peter Kobs, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·5 min read

May 10—TRAVERSE CITY — East Bay Township invites the public to participate in a hands-on design charrette process to help shape a brand and plan for the new "Beach District."

The underlying theme of the rebranding effort is: "Create a place to go to ... instead of go through."

Open houses will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 14, and Thursday, May 16, at Harbor Brook Hall, 2155 U.S. 31 North. The conference center is located on the waterfront just east of Tamarack Lodge. Free parking is available.

Five other public meetings will take place on May 14 and May 15 for a variety of stakeholder groups and interests.

A design charrette is 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.

Ideas and input collected on Tuesday will be then be incorporated in a "second showing" on Thursday afternoon.

ZONE OF INTEREST

The proposed Beach District stretches from Three Mile Road to Holiday Road. Sometimes called the "Miracle Mile," the densely developed commercial zone features nearly 20 hotels with more on the way, as well as condominiums, short-term rental properties, restaurants and Traverse City State Park.

In addition to lodging and dining, the 1.5-mile strip is connected by a sandy beach on East Grand Traverse Bay 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.

"Next week's design charrette is the next step in the visioning process that started in May 2017," said Claire Karner, director of planning & zoning for East Bay Township. "We're really looking at the big picture to improve the experience of the corridor and tie the various elements together in a thoughtful way."

Involving the public directly is essential to the success of the effort, she said. The township recently solicited public input via survey and received 440 responses.

GOALS AND PARTNERS

The overall goal of the Beach District 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 plan also seeks to "maintain the integrity and character of the residential segment of the corridor between Avenue B and the existing businesses located just west of Three Mile Road," according to township planning documents.

To lead with the visioning process, the township hired consulting firm Beckett & Raeder for $97,215, using grant money received in late 2023.

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, with local office in Traverse City, the firm specializes in landscape architecture, planning, engineering and environmental consulting. The Grand Traverse County planning department also provided technical assistance.

"Every charrette is somewhat different," said Sara Kopriva, a planner with Beckett & Raeder. "We tailored this one to fit the community. It will be a more intimate way for people to engage the (Beach District) vision, not a lecture or seminar. You may see your neighbors and friends there.

"Members of the public can show up anytime during the open house hours," she added. "We'll provide the boards, maps, sticky notes and pens. There will be dots for voting on (specific) ideas. We'll also have a kids table so they can have fun while their parents are interacting on the plan."

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

TART Trails and the Bay Area Transportation Authority are two key participants in the effort. Local business owners and environmental advocates are also involved. BATA operates the popular "Bayline" bus service, which offers free transportation from East Bay through downtown Traverse City to Grand Traverse Commons and Meijer.

Funding for the Beach District project — so far — comes from several sources. The Michigan Coastal Management Program approved a grant for $74,000. Another $94,000 grant came the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Program. BATA is contributing $4,000.

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

KEY CHALLENGES

Because the highly trafficked U.S. 31 separates the Beach District into two sides, bringing the area together in a cohesive way is particularly challenging. Planners said key hurdles include:

* High-speed traffic, including trucks, autos and buses

* Traffic congestion, particularly during warm weather months

* Dangerous pedestrian crossings

* Water quality impacts

* Limited parking during the high season

* Concerned homeowners in some neighborhoods

* Beach crowding during peak summer weekends

Over the years, numerous accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists have occurred along that stretch of U.S. 31, including at least one death.

Currently, the only elevated pedestrian crosswalk in the Beach District is an aging structure by Traverse City State Park that is not ADA-compliant (handicap accessible).

Karner said officials have discussed a replacement for that crosswalk, perhaps with financial help from a developer, but nothing firm is set so far. Other crossing enhancements are also under consideration.

Ultimately, it will be up to township officials and stakeholders to decide how pedestrian safety and other challenges will be resolved, building on the recommendations from Beckett & Raeder.

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