Traverse City commissioners have multiple options on the table when it comes to a $1 million purchase offer from Rotary Charities for the former Traverse City Light & Power coal dock, as well as experimental lane configurations on Eighth Street.

Commissioners met in study session Monday night to review both issues, beginning with a presentation from Rotary Charities. The organization is offering $1 million to purchase the coal dock on West Grand Traverse Bay along M22 with the intention of expanding Discovery Center Great Lake activities and opening the property for public use.

While a majority of commissioners expressed support for the proposal, confusion arose over whether TCL&P or the city officially owned the site and would benefit from sale proceeds. TCL&P Vice-Chair Jan Geht advised that the utility board declared the property surplus a year ago – a necessary step in selling it to an outside party – and subsequently offered to transfer the property to the city, but the city never accepted the transfer. The parcel therefore still belongs to TCL&P, said Geht. While that means the utility would receive the $1 million from its sale, it also means TCL&P would be liable for potential environmental issues that could arise at the site.

Geht outlined two options for city commissioners, who are required either way to confirm TCL&P’s surplus declaration for the sale to continue: Commissioners can declare the property surplus and accept a deed transfer from TCL&P, inheriting both the sale proceeds and the liability for the site, or they can declare the property surplus and allow TCL&P to keep the proceeds and liability. “I would put myself down for being willing to declaring it surplus, but only if we took control of the property,” said Commissioner Ross Richardson, adding that it was up to city commissioners to find “a public good for the money.”

“I have ideas already about it, and it’s even related to Light and Power, but that’s a discussion that needs to I think come later,” said Richardson. “But I really do think we should complete what we started 14 months ago: take control of the property, and go from there.” Commissioners will review both scenarios in more detail at an upcoming commission meeting.

Commissioners Monday also reviewed preliminary results from a community survey taken this month regarding the experimental restriping of Eighth Street from four to three lanes. The survey netted nearly 2,400 responses, with each of the twelve survey questions generating 300-800 open-ended comments, according to Megan Olds of Parallel Solutions.

Olds noted that because the survey period ended Friday, analysis had only just begun on the results; Olds will return at an upcoming meeting to provide an executive summary of all the collected data. But she highlighted a few “critical data points,” including a majority of drivers – 60 percent – reporting that they were unsatisfied with their usage of Eighth Street following the restriping, compared to a majority – 54 percent – who were satisfied prior to the project start. “(That’s) something for you to think about,” Olds said.

A majority of survey respondents also identified as using Eighth Street as a “pass-through,” compared to smaller respondent groups who said they lived in downtown TC neighborhoods or lived, worked or owned a business along Eighth Street. “People are responding in different ways based on their experience (of the corridor),” Olds explained.

Traverse City Planning Director Russ Soyring said city staff were also still analyzing traffic counts in and around Eighth Street, adding that additional study time could yield more insightful data. “I really think another year (of restriping) would not be a bad idea,” Soyring said. However, he noted that commissioners could also consider testing out a different lane configuration – such as having two westbound lanes, one eastbound lane and one center turn lane, eliminating bike lanes – or else returning to the road’s original four-lane configuration.

Commissioners will consider all three options at a future meeting, along with the more detailed survey summary from Olds. Commissioner Tim Werner said he hoped other planning factors besides traffic flow would be considered as part of the discussion.

“What’s the end point we’re after?” asked Werner. “To me, it’s not just about trying to move people more efficiently, but eventually…trying to a get more vital economic region in our city along the Eighth Street corridor.”