City to Explore Boardman Lake Plan w/Garfield Township, Housing Incentives

Traverse City officials are exploring the possibility of partnering with Garfield Township to create a joint plan for the Boardman Lake Loop area. Officials are also considering new tax incentives to encourage more affordable housing in the city.

Boardman Lake Loop Plan
Traverse City planning commissioners this week discussed partnering with Garfield Township – as well as Grand Traverse County – to create a subarea master plan for the Boardman Lake Loop.

Like the city’s Mobility Action Plan, such a plan would come under the city’s master plan (hence the “subarea” designation) and focus specifically on the zone around Boardman Lake. While the city and Garfield Township partnered in the past to complete the Boardman Lake Loop Trail – which crosses both jurisdictions – they typically focus on their own respective ends of the lake when it comes to planning and zoning.

However, trail completion has spurred more activity around the lake and growing development interest, resulting in a “lot of land use pressure occurring,” said City Planning Director Shawn Winter. With the Mill District coming online on Woodmere Avenue and possible changes in uses or owners for large parcels like Logan’s Landing and NMC’s Boardman Lake Campus, Winter said the time was right for governmental entities to explore “jointly working together" to create a cohesive plan for the lake loop.

“This is a pivotal moment for the city, township, and county to come together proactively to shape a shared vision for the area, rather than responding piecemeal to individual projects,” he wrote in a memo to planning commissioners. “A subarea master plan offers the chance to align local governments and the community around a cohesive framework that balances growth, conservation, mobility, and experience to strengthen it as a valued destination and experience in our community.”

The plan could help guide “coordinated, cross-jurisdictional decision-making around land use, mobility, recreation, and environmental design,” Winter wrote. He noted several focus areas that could be covered. Environmental stewardship is the first: Because complex ecosystems like watersheds don’t adhere to zoning boundaries, the plan could coordinate governmental efforts to “protect water quality, wetlands, and sensitive natural areas” around Boardman Lake, Winter wrote.

Neighborhood and housing needs, youth/family/wellness amenities, mobility/connectivity, community engagement, and art/placemaking could also be addressed in the plan. The partners could “leverage the loop as a destination through improved wayfinding, public spaces, creative installations, and encouraging uses at specific junctions,” Winter wrote. He envisioned the possibility of the loop serving as a destination that offers a “family-friendly experience that integrates opportunities for food, recreation, play, and learning.”

The proposal seeks to establish a leadership team with city, township, and county representatives, working with a professional consultant to lead community engagement and develop the plan. Winter said such a planning process is not in the city budget now but could be included next cycle. The partners are also exploring grant opportunities to cover costs. While more discussion is planned among the various boards to ensure all parties are on the same page, the planning project offers the potential to create a “shared vision” that could be adopted into both the city and township master plans to guide development going forward, Winter said.

Housing Incentives
City officials are also exploring the possibility of using new tax incentives to encourage more affordable housing in the city. Planning commissioners discussed the proposal this week, while city commissioners will discuss it Monday at their 7pm study session.

Michigan adopted two new statutes in recent years that offer property owners tax exemptions in exchange for renting units to income-qualified tenants. Among other stipulations, rent can be no more than 30 percent of the tenant’s adjusted household income. The Attainable Housing Facilities Act (AHFA) applies to properties with four or fewer dwelling units, while the Residential Housing Facilities Act (RHFA) applies to properties with five or more units. Both programs “offer a 50 percent reduction in property taxes for up to 12 years for qualifying properties, helping to increase housing options for individuals and families earning up to 120 percent of the area median income,” according to City Attorney Lauren Trible-Laucht.

The city must establish districts in which the incentives are allowed. City officials are looking at applying the AHFA incentive to the R-1a/b and R-2 residential neighborhoods, since that statute applies to a smaller number of units and could encourage “gentle infill,” in the words of Commissioner Jackie Anderson. The rest of the city’s zoning districts that allow multi-family housing could qualify for the RHFA designation, since that applies to more units. Winter emphasized that the incentive programs “do not change the allowable land uses in the districts, but rather, they allow for a reduction in property taxes if rented at prescribed income limited rents.”