East Bay Township in Grand Traverse County invited the public to two open house events last week to learn about a proposed Corridor Improvement Authority (CIA) for the U.S. 31 North corridor, known as the East Bay Beach District.
The township secured federal grants from USDA Rural Development and Michigan’s Coastal Management program to support various changes to the corridor, such as safer pedestrian crossings, year-round sidewalks, a new pedestrian pier, and streetscape upgrades such as lighting and landscaping.
The CIA is designed to “assist communities with funding improvements in commercial corridors.”
The CIA would apply Tax Increment Financing (TIF), which uses future increases in property tax revenue, to fund infrastructure projects identified in a recently adopted public improvement plan. The project’s overview states that implementing TIF does not increase property tax rates within the CIA district or the township.
The proposal follows a 9-month community visioning process involving more than 700 residents.
Claire Karner, director of planning and zoning for East Bay Township, said the community provided feedback on different priority projects and design aspects of the corridor.
“We have a really good starting point for a plan, with priorities of what those projects would be,” she said. “But of course they will be refined over time.”
At the open house in the East Bay Township Hall, residents viewed renderings of the proposed changes to the corridor and spoke with East Bay Township officials.
Each attendee was given three paper $100,000 bills to place in buckets labeled with each proposed project.
Karner said that $300,000 is the projected revenue for a proposed TIF plan at Year 10.
The total number of bills counted in each bucket were:
1. U.S. 31 Pedestrian Crossings: 58
2. Sidewalks to fill the gaps: 25
3. Pedestrian Pier at the 4 Mile Road End: 23
4. Plant additional trees (enhance canopy): 18
5. More street lighting: 16
6. Medians along U.S. 31: 13
7. Public Parking: 11
8. Bus Stops: 10
Sara Kopriva, a planner with consulting firm Beckett & Raeder, said where attendees chose to put their money helps the township better understand community priorities.
If the CIA is approved, Karner said residents can expect to see smaller changes, such as snow removal from sidewalks and lighting improvements, within the next year.
The timeline for larger projects, such as crosswalks and the pier, will depend on financing.
A public hearing on whether to officially establish the CIA is scheduled for Aug. 11.
The township board could then officially create the CIA and appoint its board, made up of business and property owners, at its September meeting.
Once formed, Karner said the authority would begin developing the TIF plan, including a detailed development plan, project cost estimates, and revenue projections.
The flow of traffic and pedestrian access along the corridor is a controversial topic.
In June, Daniel Kendrick of Lewiston was struck and killed by a car while attempting to cross U.S. 31 on foot. Following his death, some Grand Traverse County residents took to social media to call for a reduced speed limit and more crosswalks along that stretch of road.
“The vast majority of the input that we’ve received is a desire to reduce the speed limit,” Karner said. “Not necessarily reduce the amount of traffic moving through the corridor, but slow it down, make it more of a place where people want to come and provide better access for the amenities along the corridor.”
She said the township is working with the Michigan Department of Transportation to implement the project’s goals.
The adopted East Bay Township Beach District Plan identifies community priorities for public infrastructure investments, including:
1. Install safe pedestrian crossings every quarter-mile along the U.S. 31 N corridor.
2. Maintain sidewalks year-round, including winter plowing.
3. Complete the sidewalk network along both sides of U.S. 31 N and up Three Mile and Four Mile.
4. Develop a pedestrian pier to enhance public access to the water.
5. Add planters, seating, landscaping, and lighting along the corridor.
