Traverse City planning commissioners will consider approving special land use permits (SLUPs) at a public hearing tonight for two high-profile community projects: Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse's proposed emergency homeless shelter at 517 Wellington Street, and Federated Properties' planned five-story, mixed-used development at 124 West Front Street. 

Safe Harbor
Following a terse September 16 planning commission review, Safe Harbor officials are working with city staff to address concerns raised by commissioners and residents ahead of tonight's public hearing.

Multiple residents raised objections at the September meeting that transitional housing facilities exist within 1500 feet of 517 Wellington, grounds for a permit rejection under the city's emergency homeless shelter ordinance. However, the directors of those facilities have since come forward to deny those assertions.

“We do not provide meals, cleaning services, housing assistance...or other services typically provided at transitional housing facilities,” wrote Addiction Treatment Services Executive Director Christopher Hindbaugh in a recent memo to city staff. “It does not appear to me that we meet the criteria of transitional housing.” Northwest Michigan Supportive Housing (NMSH) Executive Director Emilee Syrewicze tells The Ticker, “NMSH does not have transitional housing. There is not one NMSH property within 1500 feet of that location.”

Responding to another cited concern – that Safe Harbor's shelter would stress city emergency services – Traverse City Fire Department Chief Jim Tuller issued a memo last week stating that “historically, calls for service to Safe Harbor...have not created a noticeable demand on city fire services." He adds that "it's not anticipated this will change if Safe Harbor is moved to 517 Wellington.”

Traverse City Chief of Police Michael Warren reported 47 total calls for service by Safe Harbor in 2013-14, 12 of which were ambulance assists for medical issues ("not unusual," he wrote) and several of which were due to 8-12 “chronic alcoholics” who have since been banned from Safe Harbor.

“The city police will be served by the centralization of Safe Harbor,” Warren concluded, “as opposed to seven area churches within the city providing services.”

As for operational questions raised by commissioners, Safe Harbor board member Christie Minervini says her organization has gone “above and beyond” to provide detailed management plans to the city in recent weeks. While city planning staff have recommended the approval of Safe Harbor's permit tonight, Minervini says some of the conditions tied to that approval – such as sidewalk repairs staff say could necessitate “the entire reconstruction of Wellington Street” – exceed normal SLUP requirements and merit closer scrutiny.

“We plan to address that with the planning commission (tonight),” says Minervini. “It seems like some of these issues are more appropriate for the city commission than the planning commission.”

Federated Properties
A proposed 174,173 square-foot development could fill the empty hole at 124 West Front Street (north side near the intersection with Pine, adjacent to J&S Hamburg) if planning commissioners grant Federated Properties a SLUP tonight, which will allow the developers to build the building to 65.5 feet instead of the allowed 60 feet.

The project calls for construction of a five-story, mixed-use development with first floor commercial and residential space, residential units on floors two through five (for a total of 47 units) and 70 basement parking spaces. While private parking is typically prohibited in the property's C-4 district, City Planning Director Russ Soyring notes such spaces are allowed if “there is not sufficient public parking within 500 feet of the proposed project” and recommends planning commissioners grant Federated a zoning exception.

“There is clearly not enough permit parking nearby to serve 47 condominiums and the proposed commercial space,” Soyring says. Soyring recommends green-lighting Federated's SLUP if the company meets all utility, stormwater and infrastructure requirements. The planning director also notes the city may eventually construct a public riverwalk on the parcel's north side, for which Federated would need to agree to a pedestrian easement.

The Traverse City planning commission meets tonight at 7:30pm at the Governmental Center. Special land use permits approved by the planning commission proceed to the city commission for final review.