City Launches Interactive Project Map

Traverse City planning commissioners will meet tonight (Tuesday) to discuss the city’s capital improvements plan – a key document that outlines major projects planned in the city over the next six years, along with their cost estimates and construction schedules.

The CIP, as it’s called, is updated annually and will go to a public hearing for input on March 7. To help residents better see what projects are coming up – the CIP is normally a dense document nearly 200 pages long that can be challenging to read through, staff acknowledge – the city has launched a new interactive map that allows residents to click on projects by area and get a visual overview of upcoming work.

Every year, planning commissioners review the CIP to determine if projects are aligned with the city’s master plan and to update the document to include another year of work. This year’s draft CIP will cover fiscal years 2023/24 through 2028/29 (the city’s fiscal year runs July 1-June 30). After being discussed tonight, going to a public hearing in March, and then being approved by the planning commission, the CIP will head to city commissioners for final approval.

While the plan doesn’t include every single capital project in the city, it does cover the major ones – including most construction projects, purchases, and studies in the $25,000-$50,000 and up range. The CIP is considered a “living document,” meaning that projects are planned to be completed but their costs or timelines might shift (for example, if an opportunity arises to combine work on projects from two different years to save money, the city can do so).

Approving a CIP is a key part of the planning commission’s job; having one ensures the city can take advantage of state and federal grant opportunities. State law says that construction on streets, parks, playgrounds, public buildings, and other city spaces can’t take place unless the “location, character, and extent” of those projects have been submitted to the planning commission – part of the CIP process.

A new CIP map just launched by the city provides a visual, color-coded, interactive display of all upcoming projects. Residents can click on projects by neighborhood, year, or department (such as parks and recreation or Traverse City Light & Power or parking services). Residents can also search for projects by name. Clicking on a project will bring up a pop-up screen that shows a description of the planned work, its timeline, and budget (pictured). In the upcoming fiscal year – 2023-24 – more than a dozen city projects are shown on the new map. Some of those include:

> A $30,000 marina master plan – a study that will plan for the future of the Duncan L. Clinch Marina, including its possible expansion, the reconfiguration of the launch and docks, and facility updates
> Snowmelt in Old Town – More than $2 million to install snowmelt systems along Eighth, Union, Cass, and Lake Avenue. Another $1.364 million is estimated for Front Street streetscape improvements between Boardman Avenue and Pine Street, including sidewalk snowmelt.
> Midtown riverwalk – $687,000 to replace and repair damaged boardwalk along the Boardman River
> Ramsdell storm sewer upgrade – A $50,000 project to replace 180 feet of existing 12-inch clay storm sewer with PVC downstream of the Ramsdell Pond area and install one manhole. Currently, roots often clog this storm sewer and have “caused flooding to the upstream pond area that impacts private property in that vicinity,” according to the CIP.
> $300,000 in improvements (including to accommodate all genders of employees) at city fire stations 1 and 2
> Multiple water and sewer projects, including $3.8 million in UV system and structure upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant, a $1 million project to rehabilitate approximately 6,900 feet of 8-inch to 15-inch diameter old clay sanitary sewer mains throughout the west side of town, and a $100,000 project to rehabilitate parts of an older 16-inch water main along Washington, Franklin, and Front streets

Other major projects coming up soon previously covered by The Ticker include the reconstruction of Grandview Parkway (preliminary work is expected to start this fall, with the bulk of construction occurring next year) and TC Downtown Development Authority (DDA) efforts to build a third west-end parking deck and make significant riverfront improvements along the Boardman. Future years in the CIP show projects including creating a master site plan for the Open Space, installing new bathrooms along West End Beach, reconstructing East Front Street between Grandview Parkway and Boardman Avenue, upgrading Hannah and Bryant parks, reconstructing Fourteenth Street, and undertaking major transmission line and electrical grid work. The city has nearly $50 million in water and sewer projects planned over five years, with a majority of those projects to be funded with state loans and grants.

In addition to discussing the CIP tonight, planning commissioners and residents will get an overview of the new project map and how it works. The 7pm meeting is livestreamed at TACM.tv and airs on channel 191 on television. “We are excited to have completed the work and launch the interactive CIP map to the public,” says City Planning Director Shawn Winter. “The map includes all six years of the CIP and will serve as an easy tool for the public to source the prioritization matrix for the city’s long-term goals and objectives.”