Other Meeting
9/24/2014 Planning Commission Meeting
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF GARFIELD
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
Wednesday, September 24, 2014 7:00 pm
Garfield Township Hall
3848 Veterans Drive
Traverse City, MI 49684
Ph: (231) 941-1620
A G E N D A
Call Meeting to Order
Roll Call of Commission Members
1. Review and Approval of the Agenda - Conflict of Interest
2. Minutes
a. September 10, 2014
3. Correspondence
4. Reports
a. Township Board
b. Planning Commissioners
5. Business to Come Before the Commission
a. PD 2014-58 - Master Plan Continued Discussion
b. PD 2014-59 - Buffalo Ridge Trail Update
6. Public Comment
7. Items for Next Agenda – October 8, 2014
a. Crown PUD sign request
b. Premiere Place
c. Just Golf
d. Grand Traverse Timbers – Public Hearing
e. To be determined
8. Adjournment
Joe Robertson, Secretary
Garfield Township Planning Commission
3848 Veterans Drive
Traverse City, MI 49684
CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF GARFIELD
PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING
September 24, 2014
Call Meeting to Order: Vice Chair Nelson called the meeting to order at 7:00pm at the Garfield Township Hall, 3848 Veterans Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684.
Commission Members Present: Pat Cline, Terry Clark, Gil Uithol, John Nelson, and Kit Wilson
Absent and Excused: Robertson and Racine
Staff Present: Rob Larrea
1. Review and Approval of the Agenda – Conflict of Interest: (7:01)
Clark moved and Wilson seconded to approve the agenda as presented.
Ayes: Clark, Wilson,Nelson, Uithol, Cline
Nays: None
2. Minutes
a. September 10, 2014 Minutes (7:01)
Uithol moved and Wilson seconded to adopt the September 10, 2014 Regular Meeting minutes as amended noting that Chair Racine called the meeting to order and not Vice Chair Nelson and also noting that in the Grand Traverse Timbers Introduction that Norris is leasing from Waste Management, not American Waste.
Ayes: Uithol, Wilson, Nelson, Cline, Clark
Nays: None
3. Correspondence (7:01)
a. Gourdie-Fraser construction report
4. Reports:
a. Township Board (7:02)
Wilson said the Board is working on the 2015 budget and have budgeted for snow removal from the safe routes to school trail along Silver Lake Road, road improvements, and water projects. She added that a west side subdivision has poor water pressure so a temporary booster station will be installed to help alleviate the problem until a permanent solution is in place.
b. Planning Commissioners (7:02)
No reports
5. Business to Come Before The Commission
a. PD 2014-58 Master Plan Continued Discussion (7:03)
Larrea presented three options for public involvement in the Master Plan process. He said that one option was written surveys mailed to residents.
Another option was an online survey. A third option was focus groups concentrating on one particular item of interest. Board members agreed that this master plan was more of an update and although focus groups were a good idea, they did not need to be comprehensive for all subjects. A Master Plan timeline was discussed and the inclusion of major members of the public such as BATA and Cherry Capital Airport were also discussed. Commissioners liked the idea of the written survey being mailed to residents and an online survey on the website which could be referenced in tax bills. Commissioners directed staff to collect survey results and then decide on focus groups.
b. PD 2014-59 Buffalo Ridge Trail Update (7:19)
Larrea said that the township has been unable to secure an easement from Great Wolf Lodge to construct the most direct route between the school and the YMCA. The Great Wolf Lodge is seeking compensation but there is very little
value to the easement and there would be no cost to the Great Wolf Lodge for the trail. A letter writing campaign has been started by TART in an effort to educate the corporate level people at the Great Wolf Lodge and to secure the
easement donation. Commissioners directed Larrea to draft a letter from the Planning Commission to the GWL regarding the trail system, the master plan and the important role the trail would play in the township.
6. Public Comment (7:29)
None
7. Items for Next Agenda – October 9, 2014 (8:57)
a. Crown PUD Sign Request
b. Premiere Place
c. Just Golf
d. Grand Traverse Timbers – Public Hearing
e. To Be Determined
8. Adjournment:
Nelson moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:31pm.
________________________________
Joe Robertson, Secretary
Garfield Township Planning Commission
3848 Veterans Drive
Traverse City, MI 49684