Traverse City commissioners Monday identified the completion of the Boardman Lake Trail as their top priority of three major public projects planned for the Boardman Lake district, with a proposed new street falling to the bottom of the list.

Commissioners expressed strong support for completing the nearly five-mile trail loop around Boardman Lake, a project that is expected to cost $5.2 million. Approximately $3.6 million is earmarked for constructing the last missing 1.5 mile segment in the Boardman Lake Brownfield Plan, with the remainder of the funding expected to come from grants, donations and city and/or partner funds. Commissioner Richard Lewis called completing the trail “a no-brainer,” while Commissioner Amy Shamroe said the trail was the only issue she could recall having received unanimously supportive public feedback on.

“(The response) has been overwhelming positive,” Shamroe said. “It’s an asset to this community, and it’s something that’s widely supported.”

Commissioners identified as their second priority for the brownfield plan moving a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) railroad wye on Fourteenth Street off-site to free up the 4.5 acre parcel for new commercial and residential development. MDOT requires a wye to remain accessible, so the city must identify another location at which to locate the wye in order to free up the Fourteenth Street site. The city owns one potential site already for the wye on Cass Street, but because of wetlands on the parcel, officials are continuing to search for alternate sites.

“I think we need to move the wye as soon as possible,” said Commissioner Gary Howe. “I think we need to…get developers, somebody signed up to start designing (a development) while (the Fourteenth Street property) is being held by a public entity, so they’re not paying taxes on it. That’s one way that we can encourage development there.” Agreed Lewis: “I think getting the wye out of our city is just a good idea.”

Commissioners expressed the least enthusiasm for the third project in the brownfield plan, a proposed new street called Boardman Lake Drive that would connect Fourteenth Street over to the Eighth Street area. Board members all agreed the road was their lowest priority, saying the project had morphed dramatically since its inception years ago and expressing doubts it would help alleviate neighborhood traffic as intended.

“I’m not shy at this point to say I’m fully against Boardman Lake (Drive),” said Commissioner Tim Werner. Other commissioners, including Shamroe and Brian Haas, identified their interest as a “4” or “5” on a scale of 10 and said they were more interested in seeing Eighth Street and Lake Avenue redeveloped than a new road built. “I put new infrastructure pretty low on the (priority) list,” said Haas. “I’m looking to be convinced (on the need for a new road).” Mayor Jim Carruthers said he believed the area would experience more beneficial growth without a new road. “I’m seeing more opportunity without a road for development in that area,” he said. “I don’t see (Boardman Lake Drive) as being a priority.”

In terms of moving forward on any of the three projects, the Boardman Lake Trail – buoyed by commission support Monday – is slated to proceed first. Commissioners will vote next Monday on moving ahead with the next phase of the trail project, allocating $360,000 from the brownfield plan for trail construction drawings and engineering plans. Officials could then kick-start the process of seeking grants and donations for the project. Construction on the final trail segment could begin as soon as spring 2019 and be completed that same year, according to city staff.