Welcome to a new experiment in improving our community.
The purpose of this website is to make Traverse City better. Traverse City is a great place to live, but it can be better.
We want to build a clearinghouse for ideas to improve the quality of life in our city, and a way to connect people interested in making them happen. An idea factory, and a network.
We want to propose ideas, and get your input on them. We want your ideas, and we will post them here and seek input on them.
Then we will translate ideas into reality. We’ll do this by sharing information and coordinating efforts when it comes time for decisions to be made. We will build an email list, do informal surveys, collect informational resources, and then leverage those assets for positive change.
What happens in local government affects us where we live. The ideas posted here are the start of a conversation. What do you want your city to be?
Chris Bzdok
For a video describing this project in more depth, click on this link:
http://www.upnorthmedia.org/publicprogram.asp?SDBFid=1175#vid
(the description starts 1 minute, 30 seconds into the video)
This website was paid for by Chris Bzdok for Mayor, 520 N. Spruce St., Traverse City, MI 49684
65 comments
Comments feed for this article
December 4, 2009 at 9:30 pm
chrisbzdok
here is a letter on several subjects of this site, from John McDonald and Donna Miller of N. Monroe, with permission
Hello Mr. Mayor and City Council,
My wife and I had read your statement regarding suggestions from the citizens of Traverse City and have a few suggestions:
• Minimize drive through traffic in Slab Town by posting stop signs at every 4 corner crossing in the neighborhood and 3 corner safety areas such as Madison and Wayne Hill drive (child crossing area). This would be a good idea throughout T.C. neighborhoods in which people use the residential avenues as a quick and easy by pass from the main arteries. It doesn’t prohibit drive-through, but it makes it much less attractive.
• Reassess the traffic flow and add speed bumps on long residential blocks to slow traffic. Currently it seems like a race from one block to the next to save a few seconds.
• I consistently see automobiles drive through red lights, make illegal left turns (Fair St. and Munson/Front near the college) and never is there an officer available. Please consider a video at the light that would automatically ticket those driving through red
lights and making illegal left turns. This measure saves police officers time and sends a message that laws are created to save lives. We have many accidents or near misses on that corner (Munson and Fair — entrance to the college). This could be a test case to determine if this might be a model throughout the city.
• Charge out-of-city residents for any services we pay for but they benefit from use such as Hickory Hills and the Senior Center.
• We pay for police and fire service for our city as well as pay for county sheriff patrols while out of city residents only pay for county sheriff patrols. Combine the services insuring that we continue to have the same police presence. Also, we pay for city street repairs and county road repairs…why do we pay double?
• Please do not allow an electric generating facility as proposed in or near the city. Unless there can be absolute evidence that all of the smoke and particles can be scrubbed, and the waste from the scrubbing efficiently and eco friendly disposed. We worry about
heavy large trucks using city roads to deliver the refuse to burn.
• We question the value and cost efficiency of the Downtown Authority. Several full time positions are utilized which could just as easily be handled by current local officials. If we continue with this Authority, they need to look beyond the six blocks down town area and include the ENTIRE city, otherwise, eliminate it.
John McDonald & Donna Miller
December 2, 2009 at 4:55 pm
M'Lynn
Biomass: a Guide for Michigan Energy Consumers
Burning biomass (wood, tire and waste) for energy production needs to become part of the public debate. For one thing, It’s a profound water issue –millions of gallons a day, and potentially serious water pollution from the fly ash and airborne particles. Our forests can’t take any more logging than is already occurring! It’s also a profound public health threat. It is also time that we take a serious look at what really constitutes biomass. You may be surprised.
http://JobsAndEnergy.com
December 1, 2009 at 6:06 pm
M'Lynn
FLIPPING THE SWITCH
As you may know, Traverse City’s municipal utility—Traverse City Light & Power—has a bold new plan to get at least 30 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. That’s twice what current state mandates require. We’re writing to encourage you go get involved in this critical discussion about our region’s energy future. You can start plugging in either this evening or tomorrow: The utility is holding two meetings documenting how they plan to get to their 30 percent renewable goal.
* December 1, 2009—The first meeting is tonight (Tuesday) at the Government Center in Traverse City at 5:15 p.m. TCL&P Director Ed Rice will talk about the utility’s future energy needs, the current state of power sourcing in the state, and the need to secure new renewable generation.
* December 2, 2009—The second meeting—a work session to develop a strategy for public participation in figuring out how to reach TCL&P’s very progressive goals—takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, at 9:30 a.m., at 1131 Hastings in Traverse City. These are good opportunities to get involved at the start of a public process that could make Traverse City the state’s leader in the clean energy revolution our state so badly needs. We hope to see you soon!
December 1, 2009 at 4:23 am
Cheryl Hilton
I would like to suggest; before even considering spending any where from $10,000 up to $100,000 for yet another consulting fee….for the porperty by the Zoo, let’s give our local College a chance at it!
We would far benefit from utilizing counsulting and drawing plans from Traverse City’s own students….not only giving the opportunity for our college and students success, but for the future of Traverse City’s talent!
Say NO! Enough of this spending, and spending on Consulting Fees!
And say YES to..showing support for these projects and utilize the talent we already have, we would be putting our LOCAL Talent and ECONOMY to WORK!
November 26, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Dave Lawrence
Mr. Mayor:
It occurs to me that the citizens of Traverse City need to understand the proposed management agreement proposed for the Opera House. It appears, at first blush, that the operating board seeks to limit the possible loss of taxpayer monies suffered each year the Opera House loses money. If the population who believes that means they will not, as members of the public, be unable to AFFORD to use the Opera House, would they support a specific millage to be used for that purpose, to support a number of “local” events that otherwise cannot be supported. If the premise is the new Wharton Mangagement will be able to provide that support through better contacts, better management and better funding, without a millage, would that be a good thing?
November 26, 2009 at 5:38 pm
Fred Schaafsma
Great idea for this forum to receive input! Full disclosure: I am a resident of Peninsula Twp but see TC as “home” as much as Old Mission Peninsula. As such I am involved in many causes and activities that don’t see boundaries and feel very much a part of TC.
My hope for our region is to be FOR things as opposed to so many AGAINST (regardless of the topic). Our region and city is a true gem. Can we work towards win/win solutions rather than win/lose, lose/win or lose/lose?
Michael Moore’s 8 recommendations are terrific. How can we embrace one or two of those each year and get those done? I am willing to work hard on any of these. Success will result when we rally around one of these ideas. How can we organize around these? Utilize what we already have (Grand Vision, TC City Commission, County and Twp governments, DDA, Complete Streets, TART, Cherry Capital Cycling Club, etc.)? We can do a lot by volunteering our time, talents and energy. Let’s not waste those in a divisive way. Step one is to be more tolerant of each other and each others ideas. Together we can accomplish a lot! It has been done before in TC. Just look at before and after photos of our bayfront 1900 vs 2000.
November 24, 2009 at 1:34 am
upnorthgal
I would like the City to consider an outdoor amphitheatre for the old zoo property. I took a picture of a beautiful one in downtown Kalamazoo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/missyl/4129840046/
November 22, 2009 at 7:49 pm
Carmien Goggin
I think this forum is a great idea. I waited to comment on a biomass plant in the Parson’s Road area so that I could learn a bit more about one. So far all I can find are negatives. A biomass (wood, old tire, garbage burning) plant is as bad as a coal plant if not worse. I was very glad to here that TC Light and Power was taking a step back to look deeper into this idea. From what I have found out many areas which have looked into such plants have decided not to go with them because they are not really a “green” form of power.
Also public input is a great idea, however, we will not be able to participate as we will be gone this winter so I am hoping to find out what is going on through this forum. Thanks again, Carmien Goggin
November 19, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Amanda
Hi Everyone. Thanks for all the comments about the dog park. I have started an online petition so that we don’t clog up this website with all the comments. Please sign the petition as well as add any comments about places to have a dog park and what you would like to see. Thank you all so much!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/TraverseCityDogPark
December 1, 2009 at 7:50 pm
NGE
Bring your ideas to the Parks and Recreation Commission
November 17, 2009 at 7:47 pm
Jenny Soden
I would LOVE to see a dog park in this area. I believe that it would be a great assest to our town. I also believe that it would bring more visitors to our beautiful area. I recently spent some time in Oregon and that has to be the most dog friendly state I have visited. Animals are very much a part of our familes and when we go on vacation we are looking to bring along the dogs………… I would support a DOG park in TC!!!!!
November 18, 2009 at 1:53 am
TJ Andrews
A dog park is a tremendous asset in a dense urban environment, where open greenspace comes at a premium. But TC already has more than ample super-dog-friendly spaces. With so many real needs – practical mass transit within town and connecting TC to GR, AA, Det; affordable in-town housing; maintaining walk/bike paths in winter; fair-wage professional jobs; basic services for TC’s poor, hungry & abused – I would put a dog park further down the list of priorities.
November 18, 2009 at 2:09 am
Brett Gourdie
Well said TJ
November 18, 2009 at 5:35 am
Teresa Monroe
I agree a dog park would be AWESOME !!!!
November 19, 2009 at 1:57 am
Elizabeth M.
I’m in total agreement with Jenny, here. Obviously there are more “important” issues to the city. There always are. It doesn’t mean a good idea shouldn’t be done.
I grew up in Traverse City, but now live in downtown Chicago. One would think that when I bring my dog Up North on trips to visit my mother (who lives in Slabtown) that it would be the greatest opportunity to get him out in more wide-open spaces for some proper exercise – but I really can’t do so without breaking the law. There are leash laws in town and in the Parks, and I think anywhere inbetween would require me to trespass. Someone tell me if there are some actual dog-friendly places I’m missing, because I would sincerely love to know!
(A second thing I have to add to my case – at the risk of coming off as holier-than-thou – is further evidence that there aren’t D.F.A.s in TC: so many of the dogs I “meet” when out walking mine there are poorly-socialized & aggressive, relative to the “big-city” dogs in Chicago, who have ample Bark Parks and even a Dog Beach where they can learn to interact normally with other dogs. Instead of yapping & snapping.)
In Grant Park here in Chicago they put three runs of fence up along an existing fence, threw down some gravel & concrete, installed a water fountain, and called it Grant Bark Park. It’s wonderful and popular. I can think of a few well-treed corners of the Civic Center that don’t get much use by anyone other than squirrels – could some room there be appropriated? I bet some dog lover in town would even donate the materials… you could name the park after them.
December 1, 2009 at 7:53 pm
NGE
Hickory Meadows – Its just out your backdoor (behind slabtown) “Wide open space” for both you and your dog.
November 19, 2009 at 8:41 pm
Adam
I am a dog lover but I don’t think this city needs a dog park. If we were to do anything to Traverse City Parks lets upgrade the existing parks we have for our children. I would love to see F&M Park upgraded with new playground equipment and upgrade the basketball court. There are better ways to spend money than on a dog park.
November 16, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Homer Nye/Rebecca Mang
As advocates of affordable housing within the city, we are concerned about the recent overbuilding of homes on city lots. In our neighborhood of Kid’s Creek and Spruce Street, such instances have recently occurred that have negatively influenced the character and affordability of housing. These homes would be appropriate in subdivisions of similar styles and costs however, in neighborhoods built at the turn of the century and a variety of other era’s, they cause the otherwise well-maintained neighorhood to appear shabby and not keeping-up-with-the-Jones. We fear as in other communities in our area and around the country, those with means will purchase small homes on city lots, tear them down and overbuild relative to the neighborhood character. This would be a tragedy beyond proportion as we struggle to maintain affordable housing in the city. Please contact your planning commission members and let them know that diversity in our town can only continue if we provide housing choices for all people.
November 17, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Margaret Monsour
I purchased a home here 5 years ago. When I was investigating a move to Traverse City, I was stunned by the high cost and limited choices of housing. I was looking for affordable housing in a modest neighborhood and it took a long time to find it.
For 15 years, I lived in Elmhurst, Illinois, a prosperous suburb on the western edges of Chicago, and I witnessed the “suburbanization” of my old neighborhood. The cute brick bungalow where I raised my two children was overshadowed by a “Mc Mansion” built when the property next door was sold and the house was labeled a “tear down”. To see this new enormous house, complete with turret on the third floor, squeezed onto the tiny city lot was just ludicrous. It did change the neighborhood because once it was built, developers were happy to accommodate more requests to overbuild. The Planning Commission chose the path of least resistance- I hope residents of Travers City will choose a different path and keep our city vibrant with housing stock that supports all income levels.
November 18, 2009 at 1:56 am
Calumet Marais
I would echo the concerns from others about the lack of affordable housing options within the City. Given that there is a finite amount of Traverse City to be had and the land values only keep escalating the only way to achieve affordibility is to increase density. I would call for doubling the allowable density on all lots in the City. Otherwise how can we keep TC affordable? Attempting to limit the size of new homes or re-builds won’t do it. That would just lead to supercute 1,1100 sq ft homes that cost $220k. Only by increasing the absolute number of units available could the per unit cost be reduced.
November 19, 2009 at 2:17 am
Elizabeth M.
There is a solution so simple it’s right under your noses. Change the outdated zoning laws in town that outlaw accessory dwelling units. Most of the houses in Traverse City’s downtown neighborhoods have detached garages. Let the homeowners rent out apartments above their garages, and boom! You get almost TWICE the population density in-town (a good thing) with hardly a change to the scale and character of the neighborhoods.
Those ridiculous laws were put in place back when class warfare was okay. To keep out the riff-raff that couldn’t afford to rent or buy an entire house. Now we understand that most of that “riff-raff” is actually composed of the elderly, students, and young adults without children – who I believe are precisely the folks Traverse City is attempting to attract. No?
Plenty of other vibrant cities (and the best neighborhoods in them) have figured this out. It’s time for Traverse City to rethink its zoning & codes.
November 15, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Brett Gourdie
While dog parks are a great idea, how about we work towards bringing high end intellectual businesses to Traverse City. Our young population (25 to 35) is growing at an amazing 15% each year according to the Council of Governments due to northern Michigan being a great place to live. Now lets figure out how to attract movie post production studios, sound studios, think tanks, or software companies to grow this region. Let’s be the new “Silicon Valley” by going after companies who want to locate headquarters or branches here because of the quality of life. This will be the new economy and they might as well be here in northern Michigan.
November 15, 2009 at 7:16 pm
chrisbzdok
Brett raises a vital question. To take it a step further though, how can we do this? What can a city do to build on its appeal to new economy businesses that can locate anywhere?
Mike Coco has a comment on the Local Economy page about our need for better internet connectivity as part of the solution:
http://planfortc.com/2009/10/08/economic-development/#comments
Michael Moore raises this and other topics in his piece in today’s Record Eagle, The Next Miracle for TC:
http://www.record-eagle.com/opinion/local_story_318222024.html
What should be doing to get businesses we want here?
p.s. This week’s Question of the Week is on the use of Brown Bridge money for the waterfront. PLEASE post or email your comments. We’ll be collecting input on this issue for one more week on the site, then it’s on to other topics.
Thanks to all for contributing. Those reading but not yet contributing, please share your thoughts!
November 16, 2009 at 5:41 pm
Oran Kelley
A few suggestions: 1. Unambiguously embrace gay-friendliness. I think Richard Florida has made a good case that the expectation of open-mindedness is an important ingredient in attracting talent, and ; 2. Actively recruit new business owners from the entrepreneurial immigrant communities to our South–this is a big untapped resource for this community. White, middle-american business owners semi-retire here fairly often, why shouldn’t established business owners from the many immigrant communities downstate do the same? This may be a major untapped resource; 3. This town has a reputation for being tough to do business in: Let city and county regulators know that the goal is to have compliant businesses in the city, not rule enforcement for its own sake. The frustration felt by some business owners in TC represents a failure on the part of enforcement.
November 17, 2009 at 10:21 pm
Tom Carney
the brown bridge money for water front improvements must” pay for itself design”. this requires establishing the value of services to the ability to pay for the service. Service charges must equal the bennifit received or the burden is uneceptable to the funding. we must always replace our expences with the ability to replenish the source or exhaust the sourse plan.
November 26, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Dendra Best
Brett raises an interesting concept. What about a high tech ‘incubator’ building to give entrepreneurs a couple years breathing space? Perhaps grant funding to subsidize utilities, broadband access, admin support, office space, tech support? And while we’re at it consider rent control to lure folks back to Downtown living?
November 14, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Jenn
A dog park would be fabulous!
I work in Traverse and I watch alot of people walk their dogs along the parkway sidewalks. It would be great to have a place for the dogs to go have fun, run and interact with their family!
I believe people can take their dogs to the beach but can not let them loose from their leash. So what is the point of that! I support a dog park in TC.
Jenn
November 17, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Jeannie
A dog park would be great I would also like to see an area where dogs can swim. My Lab-Chow mix loves the water and there are only a couple of places where he can legally go for a swim.
November 14, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Kathleen Partin
I think it would be a wonderful addition to our city if we were to have a dog park. Not only for the residents of Traverse City and surrounding communities but for the thousands of visitors who come to our great city who bring their dogs with them! Our pets are part of the community also.
November 14, 2009 at 1:11 pm
stephanie
A dog park would be great.
November 14, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Jen MacArthur
I think it would also be GREAT for TC to get a dog park. I have three dogs myself, and have friends who also have dogs and it would be great for us to have a neutral place for them to get together and play and meet new “friends”. I know that it would be popular in TC. What a great idea!
November 14, 2009 at 9:05 pm
Corinne
I am sure that my kids (dogs) would love to have a place to run and play with others of their kind…
November 12, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Kim Yager
When we moved to TC three years ago, I was quite surprised and also disappointed that there wasn’t a dog park. TC promotes doggies downtown and the next natural step would be a dog park!
November 13, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Krissie Twomey
I strongly agree with Ms. Yager. As a downtown business owner, we love to promote a family environment which includes dogs. I have a “shop dog” and we openly invite our customers to bring their dogs along into our store. I feel that it would be a great idea to have a natural place for dogs to play and people to meet.
November 14, 2009 at 6:58 am
Tiffani
I am in agreement with the rest…a dog park would be a perfect addition to Traverse City. We have a great family of dogs in the Traverse City area and it would be so awesome to have a fun place where they could all get together and play!
November 11, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Mary O'Neill
Yes, yes, yes to a dog park!! I live outside of Traverse City but come into town once or twice a week. I cannot stay too long — just long enough to run my errands. But I would surely stay longer and SHOP MORE if I could bring my dogs for a romp at the Dog Park. So, yes! Please dedicate a park for dogs in Traverse!
November 11, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Elizabeth
I whole heartedly agree with a dog park!!!
November 19, 2009 at 3:26 am
upnorthgal
We already have an unofficial dog park- Hickory Meadows!
http://appreciatinglifeupnorth.wordpress.com/2009/09/11/wyatts-walk-to-hickory-meadows/
November 10, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Jim Carruthers
Would like to hear what TC folks think about Biomass plants in the city limits, any thoughts? Jim
November 25, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Dendra J. Best
So glad to find this site! We advocate energy conservation by conserving water. For several years we have been educating the public that the true cost of water here is the $$$’s it takes just to move clean water from A to B. We are an EPA WaterSense Partner and support the premise that the greatest untapped energy resource we have is the energy we waste every day. I would encourage the City to look north to Toronto where significant energy savings have been realized by utilizing a realistic water conservation program. As we are planning for March Fix-A-Leak Week – what an effective way to cut residential and municipal energy costs.
November 5, 2009 at 2:56 am
Heather Shumaker
Hello Mr. Mayor,
Congrats! You beat the blank write-in candidate handily.
Two ideas for you -
For the myriad of canoers, kayakers and small sailboaters, what about a “Small Boat Stable” on the Bay? The idea is to have a storage buildling close to the water for people to 1) store their own boats or 2) rent paddle/ sail boats. Several cities have something similar which attracts lots of active people to the waterfront. In Chicago they have a “Kayak Livery” on Lake Michigan, it’s a club, and members can walk/ bike to the clubhouse and launch their boats from there. In Madison the city rents out metal posts for the boating season. People pay about $25 for a post and lock their rowboats or kayaks or canoes to the posts. These posts are scattered along the shore and don’t have roofs. Given the Bay’s visible and sandy shoreline, one small area that has already been disturbed (the former zoo, former Smith Barney, etc.) might be good sites. The city could operate the program and hire an outdoor store to run the rentals. I’m sure this idea will take some doing, but my husband has believed in this idea for years, and it would add so much to give non-marina people, the “little boaters” good access to the Bay with very little impact.
A seasonal idea for downtown — TC currently does a much-too crowded trick-or-treat event for kids around Halloween. The sidewalks are overflowing, businesses give out lots of candy, and the streets are too clogged for stores to get many sales. What about canceling that event and doing a downtown Halloween Parade instead? That would give kids an opportunity to show off their costumes, close the street temporarily and be more fun for all. The businesses might actually get some extra sales, and the kids could have fun at the parade, saving candy for neighborhood trick-or-treating.
Oh, and an ice skating rink down by the Bay. I guess that’s three ideas.
Thanks.
November 4, 2009 at 11:36 pm
Mike
Water, water everywhere and not a dock to see. TC needs a docking area for large vessels. The Cruise Ships would come here if docking areas existed. Those ships are filled with thousands or at least hundreds of visitors (customers). The Academy here would benefit by allowing students to board visiting ships while in port as part of their education. The community would profit when the cruise spends an overnight here. Even a simple day visit would bring in a ton of money from purchases, etc.
We could expect visitors who have never been here to return by auto or air at a later date. Let’s face it, you can’t simply visit Traverse City for a short time and never return! When will we take advantage of this opportunity? Will we spend all of our time planning for the city and have no plan for the water???
November 5, 2009 at 2:18 am
Anne-Marie Harper
Here! here! on a dog park! I don’t know of one anywhere in the area- a great opportunity to build community.
November 11, 2009 at 4:15 pm
Janell
I would love to see TC put in a dog park. I wanted to get the ball rolling a few years ago but never acted on my desire. I think it would be a great thing for Tc and all the people that come to visit our beautiful town. It would be another added atraction. Some where on the State Hospital grounds would be great because there are already so many people walk thier dogs at the trails. Lets Get-R- Done!!
November 15, 2009 at 2:15 pm
mindy
Please NO dock for cruise ships!
November 1, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Amanda
Hello. I know there are a lot of more important things to do to develop traverse city but something I would love to see is a dog park. I’m sure I’m not the only one as I know there are a lot of dogs in this area. I have a rowdy little puppy who gets a walk every day but would benefit greatly from the exercise and socialization of a dog park. I think many people would be willing to help get this going including me if there was a way.
November 2, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Jessica
Absolutely! I agree with Amanda, a dog park would be great in TC.
November 11, 2009 at 12:44 am
Anne
Absolutely agree with the dog park!
November 12, 2009 at 2:05 am
Krissy
I also agree with having a dog park!!! Great idea!
November 1, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Phil
Put an end to the “boom cars”!. First time caught booming your stereo down the street, a fine.Second time caught your vehicle is impounded then a larger fine to get it back. Problem solved. It works in other communities, Google it. Second thing is the graffiti issue. Everyone thinks the hearts are cute, wake up!. It’s vandalism straight up. I see the Ann Arbor train by the Tart trail recently got tagged after it’s been refurbished and everything, this is sad. Same issues at the open space.What are the police doing? How about some surveillance cameras in certain places to catch these guys? Just my two cents.
November 1, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Ralph Cerny
Chris, I applaud your interest in the improvement of the beach west of West End beach. Karen Strom states the case very clearly in her entry. I would hope that we would have the courage to creatively stretch the DEQ and the Corps of Engineers’ rules to get the maximum area improved and to make in an ongoing responsibility of the City to keep the improved areas clear. Let me know what I can do to keep this in front of the right people.
Ralph Cerny
October 31, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Maxwell Wolf
Interesting concept to have this site, I like it! One thing that is frustrating in my part of the city is having 4 different large trash trucks running down the same streets once a week. I think the city as a whole needs to negotiate trash pick up for all residents. I know some neighborhoods have managed to do this for themselves, but the rest of us are left paying double that amount, or more, and still have to deal with too many trucks making runs up and down our streets. This is not efficient or sustainable. My family that lives downstate gets their trash and recycling picked up once a week and it’s paid for on their property tax for a fraction of the price it is costing me under the system we have here. The city down there has trash companies submit bids once a year for the service. Maybe TC could do something like that and not only save us some money but also stop the excessive amount of trucks rumbling up and down our streets every week.
October 31, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Karen Strom
Some of us in the Slabtown neighborhood West of Division have been distressed by the looks and state of the beach from N division and the West End Beach to M 72. As we walked the beach, we saw it’s become a forest of Willows, Locust Trees, weeds, grasses, flowers, and standing water making it more and more difficult to get to the water and see the water. My memory as a Westsider and the aerial photos that City Planning has found, show this to be a beautiful sand beach. I would hope we could clear the vegetation (some of it invasive species) and bring it back to the way it’s been in the 60 plus years I’ve been using the beach.
If this could be part of a bigger plan for this end of the Traverse City waterfront, all the better. A possible relocation of the TART Trail to the North side of the Parkway and some pedestrian crossings would make it a safer, more usable area.
October 31, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Bill Plough
Good idea, Chris. I hope it generates some feelings and ideas that get missed in a lot of these consultant-led endeavors.
Development of our waterfront area isvery important. i would hope that whatever gets done that it be well-done and not piecemeal. Petoskeys’ waterfront are and open spaces is a reall good example of a project that was well-planned and executed. Too many things in TC have been done on a bootstrap and show the effects for poor planning and inadequate financial resources to do them better.
Trails and cycle/pedestrian amenities are sorely needed. Somesay we have a decent trail system—I disagree. It is very underdeveloped for the amount of folks that use or would like to use it. To commit to a truly community-wide is great; but what is built must be better than what I have seen so far. In many cases, setbacks and property condemnation should be considered to achieve a first class project.
October 26, 2009 at 4:10 pm
WILLIAM HUBBELL
Chris,
Thanks for the opportunity to add some input to the over all plan for our city.As you may remember,our Shawnee St.neighborhood spent time with the City Commission last summer and fall trying to figure out a way to get our street paved, [blacktop mat] we had several meetings with the then City
Manager Richard Lewis and Deborah Chavez and the property owners.We have never received a resolution to our objective.
Myself and the property owners on Shawnee St. that have wanted to get this done for sometime are very anxious to make this happen.I don’t know if you are aware of the many pitfalls of living on a dirt/gravel street within
the city limits but I would like to give you a couple. During the Summer months the dust gets so bad that we can’t open our doors or windows,we
are constantly cleaning dust from our porches and driveways and windows.
We must also plead with the street dept. to come and brine our street
more times that what their regular schedule is because of the dust.
We would like to think that the City of Traverse would move forward on
this action and get this project completed.It has always been a tax based
issue with the property owners and getting everyone to agree.The time has
come for the property owners to focus on developing friendships instead of
bickering with each other about who has to pay for what.This issue has created some bad feelings between neighbors.We would expect Traverse City to step up and do the right thing,include paving our portion of Shawnee St. as part of the over all infrastructure plan!!
November 10, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Shannon Field
As for the Shawnee St. paving project, I agree with Mr. Hubbell. We have 4 out of the 5 year round tax paying residents voting yes on this project. There is 1 year round resident voting no, and 2 votes no from people that own vacation homes on our street. There is one resident that sub leases their house, they have not voted either way.
In summary, 5 out 8 houses on this block are full time residents on Shawnee St, and 4 out of those 5 Traverse City residents voted yes to have the street paved, so that’s 4 out of 8 overall yes votes, or the 50% we were told was needed to push this project through. Yet nothing has been done to accomplish this, will you please include our section of Shawnee St. as a part of the Infrastructure plan.
Thank you for this forum…
October 26, 2009 at 11:17 am
John Di Giacomo
It would be nice if there was a safe and effective way for bicyclists and pedestrians to walk or ride from the downtown area to the Commons. A pedestrian footbridge or an intersection light would mitigate auto traffic and connect two widely visited tourist areas.
October 23, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Ann Rogers
I have lived in this area since 1957, and my ancestors’ roots go back to the 1800′s. Many changes have occured in that time, many attributable to events outside our control. However, there are some things we do have some control over and need to pay attention to.
1. The impact of autos and trucks on our lives.
The increase in noise and emissions is a health issue, as well as the
safety of citizens not in cars.
2. Re-zoning to allow more flexibility in the use of private and public lands.
Urban gardening, co-housing, sharing, bartering, and planning for emergencies is also vital in the event of shortages of food,fuel,etc.
This includes deciding what we want the future to be when gas gets to $20/ gal. as has been predicted .
Check out Transition Michigan to see what other communities are doing.
October 27, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Lindsay
Ann,
1. Do you want Traverse City to go back to 1957? Those autos and trucks do have an impact on our lives and it’s not as bad as you think it is. How and where do you shop? Where do you think your fruit and vegetables come from? Without these vehicles your life in Traverse City would not be as great as it is. We need to be safer pedestrians and drivers and be aware of our surroundings. The automobiles in the United States produce emmissons but have you ever been out of the country and experienced the black smoke that is constantly coming out of exhaust pipes? Many countries that are a part of the Kyoto Agreement would shock you and you would come to your senses that some of the best air to breath in right in your back yard. The federal government is all over this issue. Why do you think half of Detroit is unemployed.
2. You must be paranoid that the next tsunami is going to hit Northern Michigan. Since 1957 when has there been a major disaster?
Something I do think the city/police need to keep an eye on??? Drugs coming into the city and/or those that are in your neighbors back yard. Several occassions I have been approached while reading a book or enjoying a coffee downtown this summer and people from Brooklyn telling me their story as to why they are in TC and their sole purpose was to sell drugs. With drugs come crime. That’s where your fear should lie. I call for a stong police force and that we fight Jennifer Granholm to our last breath that she realizes releasing prisons and cutting the police force does not lead to safe communities.
November 1, 2009 at 1:38 am
J. David Lather
Thanks for putting this site up and soliciting thoughts on the planning process and state of affairs of Traverse City.
I have lived in TC for 74 years and was raised on the West Side where five generations of my family have also lived. All is not bad, or necessarily in need of “fixing”. As a young lad attending Elmwood Grade School, many of us spent much of our spare time down on the waterfront, which then consisted of a marina at the end of Elmwood Ave., railroad tracks where Grandview Parkway would later be constructed, hulks of old boats pulled up on the beach, in various stage of repair or decay, a mountain of steel shavings at the corner of Division and Bay Streets, a locomotive turntable, manufacturing plants (Parsons), and a coke plant producing manufactured gas. This of course was before Grand View Parkway, which today, would be hopelessly lost in the planning process, as was the Hartman-Hammond bypass. Did I fail mention we also had city busses, one car per family, and local neighborhood grocery stores?
I continue to hear and read how much work my city needs to reach some standard, a standard that is not entirely clear to me. I still bike, walk and rollerblade and feel we have an excellent infrastructure to accomodate my aging bones. I support bike paths and hiking trails as well as a transportation system, as in good roads, to accomodate our tourists and labor force driving automobiles. Until we agree on a bypass, we will never “calm” traffic on our major trunklines, which have dissected Traverse City since the advent of the automobile. When development precedes it’s supporting infrastructure the result is chaotic, as we have wittnessed with our current traffic issues.
Again, thanks for the opportunity to “weigh in” on the planning (or lack of) process. When I attended MSU, I had to explain where Traverse City was located, but now, our secret is out, and therein lies our issues – growth and how to best handle and plan for future growth. I am confident that we have the interest and talent to continue to make Traverse City the community we are proud to call home.
November 15, 2009 at 3:34 pm
mindy hawley
Lyndsay,
1. You have a very disrespectful tone to your response to Ann Rogers and clearly you do not know who she is, her experiences or where she has traveled. Otherwise you wouldn’t have written your rude and inaccurate response. I believe Ann would like to see a more sustainable Traverse City which gives more options for getting places than just autos and trucks. It is actually very difficult to get places walking without almost getting run-over, or having to run across the road to avoid the oncoming vehicle that clearly isn’t going to even put their brakes on. It is unsafe for many members of our community.
2. Ann, I believe has traveled all over the world, so I don’t think she needs to be lectured about what other countries are like. I believe we should look at what we can do as a developed country to better ours environment and be a proper example for developing countries. In addition, the pollution is just not as visible in our country, but it is there.
3. Where exactly do you hang out reading books again? Wow, drug dealers from Brooklyn? Oh I am sure there are dealers out there, but I am sure they are not coming up to a woman reading a book downtown. Slight exaggeration. Maybe you should stop reading “All I Want to Do is Get High.” And those dangerous drug dealers wouldn’t bother you.
I think the point is, we can do better, our local government can do better, and our Federal Government can do better. Thank you for giving us this website to discuss the issues.
Mindy Hawley