Monthly Archive

Grand Vision functional classification map

(Click here to download a full-size version of this map: exhibit_H)

The technical reports for the Grand Vision are just about complete.  It’s time to get something done to improve east-west mobility in the region, and – in the process – to take some traffic off Division St. 

The ”project agent” for the $1.6 million traffic and land use study connected with the Grand Vision is TC-TALUS, which is a coalition of local governmental units, road agencies, and other stakeholders.  I’ve been the city’s rep on this group since last November. 

TALUS is almost finished with the principal reports for that study.  Included in these is a set of recommended changes to the “functional classification” of certain roads in the region, based on an assessment of traffic projections and modeling of various scenarios.  The functional classification changes are used to seek money for road improvements.

The map at the top of this post shows the recommended changes.  One of the changes is the upgrade of Beitner to Keystone to Hammond to Three Mile to a “principal arterial” – the same category as US-31.  The report backing up this change says:  

Along this route, the extension of Hammond Road to Keystone Road will create a new link in the street network grid.  The new connection in the grid street network provides more options for circulation in the urban core including east-west travel movement.  The increase in travel path options allows more cars to choose between an east-west route on Hammond Road or on S. Airport Road. 

The combination of this recommendation and the recent completion of that connection provides an immediate opportunity.  The Grand Vision could act to improve E-W mobility around TC by designating this new route as a US-31 alternate for those traveling north to Elk Rapids, Charlevoix, Petoskey and beyond; or south to Beulah, Manistee and Muskegon. 

If people want to come to Traverse City, we want them here.  But if they are only passing through on the way to  somewhere else, they should have a clearly-marked alternative and we should have a little less vehicle pressure through our neighborhoods and along our waterfront parks.  The businesses along already-expanded Hammond Road and Three Mile would benefit from increased vehicle trips as well.  Everybody wins.

There are issues that will need to be sorted out.  At least initially, frost laws and grades on some sections of this route will limit use by trucks.  On the other hand, upgrading the functional classification allows money to be sought to address this issue.  There is also implementation money in the Grand Vision budget that could help. 

The road agencies would need to work out their respective jurisdictions and responsibilities over a re-signed, upgraded alternate route.  Yet that was precisely the object of doing the Grand Vision study in the first place.

There is one potential area of controversy – but it should not be.  The functional classification map also includes removal of a proposed bridge connecting Hartman and Hammond Roads.  The reason given for this recommendation is that if that kind of money is to be spent upgrading the capacity of the region’s road network, it would improve more capacity if it was spent elsewhere in the network. 

Some will view this proposal for a clearly designated alternate route as an action that rules out a future bridge.  Of that group, some will view this as a good thing and some will view it as a bad thing.  I see no reason to connect the two. 

We have a need – for multiple reasons – to improve flow and take some pass-through traffic around town rather than through the heart of town.  An alternate route will address this problem – now.  A bridge may or may not ever come to pass, but realistically it will be years before anyone even thinks about funding it.  An alternate route will still be used, bridge or no bridge. 

Next Monday I will ask the city commission to sign off on making the request for an alternate US-31 route along this corridor to the road agencies.  I believe the Supervisor of Garfield Township, Chuck Korn, will make a similar request (he deserves most of the credit for this idea).  I believe the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce will make a similar request.  I hope Blair and East Bay Townships, through which the route also runs, will make the request as well. 

There has been a lot of study and a lot of public money and a lot of public process looking at these issues.  That – for the most part – has been a good thing.  Now it’s time to do something.

Here is a memo just received from the Human Rights Commission with their research on the economic aspects of non-discrimination ordinances:

TO:  CITY OF TRAVERSE CITY COMMISSION

Professor Peter J. Hammer, J.D., Ph.D., is Professor of Law and Director of the Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights at Wayne State University Law School. Professor Hammer has testified to the Michigan State House of Representatives that:

“Discrimination is bad for business and bad for economic growth. …

… Prohibitions against discrimination, protections of rights and laws that create an environment fostering tolerance, diversity and respect all create an environment that is more conducive to attracting the type of businesses that will be vital to Michigan’s future economic growth – bio tech, life sciences, advanced automotive engineering and green energy.

… Massachusetts, Vermont, New York and Iowa benefit from this competitive process and their progressive policies. Other states with less progressive policies and less tolerant environments lose out in the struggle to lure new businesses and high tech employees.

… Progress on the social and political front will be essential to making  sustained progress on the economic front. The economy is a complex ecosystem. Extending the prohibition against discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity is part of the economic solution. Michigan is consciously targeting high tech industries as the primary engine for its future growth. But these are exactly the type of business that are sensitive to a state position on these social issues is taken as a deeper signal of its commitment to openness and diversity overall. Diversity and tolerance, in turn, are critical to cultivating an environment conducive to the growth of what Richard Florida calls the “creative class.”  Protecting rights is just good business.”

Professor Richard Florida is a professor of regional economic development at Carnegie Mellon University. Professor Florida indicated in “The Rise of the Creative Class: Why Cities Without Gays and Rock Bands Are Losing the Economic Development Race,” Washington Monthly (May 2002):

“Talented people seek an environment open to differences. Many highly creative people, regardless of ethnic background or sexual orientation, grew up feeling like outsiders, different in some way from most of their schoolmates. When they are sizing up a new company and community, acceptance of diversity and of gays in particular is a sign that reads ‘non-standard people welcome here.’ ”  http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0205.florida.html

M.V. Lee Badgett is an economist and the research director at the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA. He also directs the Center for Public Policy and Administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has studied employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, and gender for more than fifteen years and has published two books and numerous studiers on the topic.

He provided testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, that:

“decades of social science research have demonstrated that employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans occurs in workplaces across the country. This evidence comes from many different methods of studying discrimination, including self-reported experiences on surveys, official complaints of discrimination in states that already ban it, experiments to measure the treatment of LGBT job applicants, and comparisons of wages earned by LGBT people and heterosexual people. Together these sources provide ample evidence that employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is a serious problem in the United States.

… America’s businesses are also likely hurt by the direct and indirect effects of discrimination in the workplace. Economists and businesses have long argued that businesses will be most successful when they recruit, hire, and retain employees on the basis of talent, not personal characteristics that have no impact on an employee’s ability to perform a job well.

… [T]he evidence suggests that employers would also gain in other ways if [nondiscrimination laws] were passed. Numerous studies from various academic disciplines suggest that LGBT workers will be healthier and more productive workers if they have legal protection from discrimination.

Mr Badgett further testified that:

“Perhaps the best evidence that nondiscrimination policies are good for business comes from the fact that many companies have voluntarily adopted such a policy.  The most recent tally shows that 88% of the Fortune 500 companies have added sexual orientation to their nondiscrimination policies, and 25% have added gender identity. Despite that progress, only 17% of American workers are employed by companies with those policies, leaving a big hole in the legal protections provided for millions of other workers.”

http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/HR2015%20testimony.pdf

In light of the fact that nondiscrimination is good for businesses and organizations, many local businesses and organizations already have sexual orientation nondiscrimination policies.  These voluntary policies exist because they are good for business. For example, the League of Women Voters prototype policy provides “that there shall be no barriers to participation in any activity of the League on the basis of … sexual orientation… ..”  http://www.lwv.org/AM/PrinterTemplate.cfm? Section=Home&CONTENTID=13842&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm

In addition, the American Medical Association has a long-standing policy that there is no basis for the denial to any human being of equal rights, privileges, and responsibilities commensurate with his or her individual capabilities and ethical character because of an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or transgender status.

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/glbt-advisorycommittee/ama-policy-regarding-sexual-orientation.shtml  

It is the policy of The University of Michigan that educational and employment decisions should be based on an individual’s’ abilities and qualifications and should not be based on irrelevant factors or personal characteristics which have no connection with academic abilities or job performance. It is the policy of The University of Michigan that no one should be subjected to discrimination or harassment based on their sexual orientation.

http://www.rackham.umich.edu/policies/discrimination_harassment/policies/

Approximately 22 states and the District of Columbia have laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation. These states include California (1992, 2003), Colorado (2007), Connecticut (1991), Delaware (2009), District of Columbia (1977, 2006), Hawaii (1991), Illinois (2006), Iowa (2007), Maine (2005), Maryland (2001), Massachusetts (1989), Minnesota (1993), Nevada (1999), New Hampshire (1998), New Jersey (1992, 2007), New Mexico (2003), New York (2003), Oregon (Jan. 2008), Rhode Island (1995, 2001), Vermont (1991, 2007), Washington (2006), and Wisconsin (1982).

http://www.hrc.org/documents/Employment_Laws_and_Policies.pdf

Federal Executive Order 13087, issued on May 28, 1998, prohibits discrimination based upon sexual orientation within the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government civilian employment. The Executive Order states, as a matter of Federal policy, that a person’s sexual orientation should not be the basis for the denial of a job or a promotion. As the Nation’s largest employer, the Federal Government sets an example for other employers that employment discrimination based upon sexual orientation is not acceptable.

http://www.opm.gov/er/address2/guide01.asp

In conclusion, nondiscrimination is good for businesses, the business environment, and the community. There is no evidence that the nondiscrimination laws of Kalamazoo and other jurisdictions have had any negative impact on businesses. The above information shows that businesses do better in an open non-discriminatory environment.

Also – look for Mike Dettmer’s column on this topic in the October issue of the Traverse City Business News http://www.tcbusinessnews.com/

Following last week’s parks workshop, the Parks and Recreation Commission is surveying city residents to see what their priorities are.  You can take the survey at http://polldaddy.com/s/518BF12570EDB53A.

The DDA is hosting a public workshop to design streetscape and public amenities for Garland Street, in the heart of TC’s warehouse district.  Here are the details -

Garland Street Plan and Engineering Charrette You are invited to a design Charrette that will be conducted for the Garland Street Plan development. The objective of the Charrette will be to develop the schematic design of the street alignment and cross-section, amenities, aesthetics. Interested shareholders are encouraged to attend and provide comments, ideas, opinions, and concerns during the designated times. Based on the results of the Charrette, a plan for Garland Street will be developed and available for public comment over the next month.

Date: September 29       Location: 221 Garland Street, Suite D (formerly Cuppa Joe’s Warehouse Lounge)

Schedule:  3:00 pm – 6:00 pm – All interested shareholders

The emphasis of the Charrette will be on the following parameters:

• Share the Street Design - Pedestrians, Bicycles, Vehicular Traffic
• Wide spacious sidewalks
• Minimal Curbs – provide maximum usable space for street events
• Community Art incorporated in the project
• Emphasize the character unique to Warehouse District
• Provide on street parking
• Provide community and activity space in the Garland Street ROW

The Charrette will be conducted by Garth Greenan, PE, of Greenan and Associates and Chet Hill ASLA of Johnson – Hill Land Ethics Studio

Questions can be directed to:  garthg@greenanandassociates.com, ph: 231-941-1979

 A lot going on right now – a possible two-way State Street, downtown restrooms, the dams, tax abatements, the hotel, parks, planning, and more – here are some quick updates:

Last Friday the DDA discussed trying to improve downtown restroom facilities.  While not the most exciting topic, these are a long-standing complaint with residents, visitors, and merchants alike, and send tourists the wrong message about our being a city that welcomes their presence and their business.  The DDA is moving forward on a couple possibilities. 

One option – the best one in my view – would be to convert the vacant storefront owned by the city on the ground floor of the city opera house to public restrooms and rentable lockers.  Opera house management has expressed interest in partnering with us on an expansion of their lobby to include this use.  This is a good option because of its central location, and the ability to include lockers – which send a signal that we care about the convenience of tourists (think of the lockers as you get off the boat on Mackinac Island), and which facilitate people getting out of their cars and enjoying our city on foot. 

At the meeting, Downtown Traverse City Association vice president and Red Ginger owner Deb Marsh noted tongue-in-cheek the potential return on investment on rentable lockers from moms with kids in tow and shopping bags, who “would probably pay just about anything” for a service like that.

Another option being discussed is partnering with the TC Chamber to open their facilities - especially on Farmers Market Saturdays.  Comments and ideas can be directed to DDA board member Steve Constantin, who is heading up this effort.  steve.constantin@gmail.com.  Thanks for all your work Steve!

Also, the DDA is evaluating the return of State Street to two way.   This was prompted in part by the work of Peter Spaulding on Gary Howe’s blog, MyWheelsAreTurning.  See http://mywheelsareturning.com/2010/09/01/a-one-way-desert-of-parking-state-street/ for his post on State Street. 

It was also called for in the 2007 Downtown Market Analysis by Economic Research Associates which was commissioned by the DDA. http://www.downtowntc.com/userfiles/file/Executive%20Summary.pdf  The ERA study noted that the national experience has been converting one way streets to two-way streets benefits retail sales.  If the State Street conversion was successful, Front Street could get a look later. 

DDA board members Chuck Judson, Nate Elkins, and Harry Burkholder are heading up this effort.  Their contact info is at http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/boards/ddaboard.pdf.  Also, the DDA liked Peter’s ideas so well we put him on the committee.

Monday night the city commission addresses several topics.  They include a decision on the Brown Bridge Dam, as discussed here last week.  http://planfortc.com/2010/09/12/removing-brown-bridge-dam-adding-a-hotel-in-the-warehouse-district-update-for-sept-13/ and in the Record Eagle on Saturday http://record-eagle.com/local/x1967875703/Board-to-consider-Brown-Bridge-dam-resolution. 

(Note to dam supporters commenting here – the city and county voted last year to remove the dams because they could not be economically re-commissioned to produce power – TCLP and the outside engineering firm who studied it both agreed on this. The independent proposal made by a Northport resident was not economically viable, either, when evaluated using standard accounting practices.) 

The city is also looking at tightening up our policy on industrial tax abatements. The city generally grants abatements of two years, followed by another eight years, on new property and equipment investments by industrial businesses when those investments are connected with the retention or addition of jobs.  The proposed improvements to the policy would basically require compliance with the job creation conditions at the end of two years in order to continue for the following eight, and would ensure additional checks every two years after that for the life of the abatement. 

More info can be found at http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/agendas/Packet20100920.pdf.  This issue is timely, because Village Press is considering a 10,000 square foot expansion and the addition of between four and eight new jobs. 

Finally, the city is considering a brownfield amendment that would allow the Hotel Indigo to proceed with construction in the Warehouse District.  As mentioned last week, this hotel involves $12-14 million in new investment, and 40-50 new jobs.  Hotel developers say they want to start construction this November, and to open spring of 2012. 

 Thursday night the Parks and Recreation Commission is hosting a public workshop to get feedback on parks planning in the city.  More info at http://www.ci.traverse-city.mi.us/cityboardsandcommissions/parksrecreationcommission/publicworkshop

And the Planning Commission has a seat opening up on account of Ross Richardson deciding not to re-up for another term.  As readers of this site will know, Ross has been a great advocate for transportation choices in the city, as well as for adding sidewalks to underserved neighborhoods, and we thank him deeply for his service. 

Interested applicants can contact Benjamin Marentette at  bmarente@ci.traverse-city.mi.us for more info.

Today’s Record Eagle editorial starts to recognize that TCLP still needs to find long term souces of baseload energy and there is still no easy solution for that. http://record-eagle.com/opinion/x1967874472/Light-Powers-future-will-start-with-voters.

Meanwhile, yesterday the TC Chamber came out against the proposal to eliminate an independent TCLP board and return the utility to the status of a city department. http://www.tcchamber.org/proposal1. The Chamber has not taken a position on the much better proposal to allow a public referendum on the construction or acquisition of new generation.

The city commission and TCLP will be discussing these issues later this fall.  This will be an important vote on Novewmber 2.