County Commissioners Approve Bridge Letter, Cancer Resolution, Brownfield Plan, Road Bonds

Grand Traverse County commissioners Wednesday approved a letter urging continued state action to replace the demolished pedestrian bridge by the Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park, a resolution honoring the late Holly T. Bird and breast cancer awareness, a brownfield plan for a Three Mile Road apartment complex, and bonds for a local street project.

State Park Pedestrian Bridge
Commissioners voted unanimously – with Brian McCallister, Rob Hentschel, and Fern Spence absent – to issue a letter to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) thanking the state for its “commitment to replacing the pedestrian skybridge at the Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park with an ADA-compliant structure.” The resolution said commissioners look forward to “seeing this important project move forward to completion” and stand “ready to assist in any way we can.”

The letter comes after State Rep. Betsy Coffia, who has been pressing the DNR on the bridge replacement, shared an update on Facebook last week. In response to her questions about an estimated cost for a new bridge, DNR Legislative Liaison Chris Semrinec wrote that “the design and construction of a bridge ranges from $6.75 to $8 million using the 2024 MDOT Average Price Report,” adding that “a minimum of 5 percent increase in cost of this bridge per year should be factored in as we continue to discuss and find a location.” Semrinec said an insurance claim filed after the bridge was hit by a truck will likely only cover the state’s costs for repairing the structure prior to its demolition last month.

Semrinec said bridge estimates “do not include costs for land, right of way, or utility relocations, which have the potential to be costly. It also assumes a property clean of environmental issues, no unexpected underground infrastructure, and sized for adequate movement of all large construction equipment.” Coffia said she’s advocated for using land “on both the state park’s beach and campground side that is already DNR-owned for a new ADA-compliant bridge,” but noted that the bridge can’t go where it was previously located “because of the proximity to the park’s new entrance and a new traffic light” (pictured, new intersection rendering). Semrinec said state engineers have ultimate discretion to determine the safest distance for placement of the bridge.

Coffia said she plans to check in regularly with the DNR on progress and meet with other lawmakers to continue discussions. “I am committed to seeing it through and being as transparent as possible by sharing as many details with my constituents as I have access to as this process unfolds,” she wrote. Commission Vice Chair TJ Andrews said it was important that state officials “hear from Grand Traverse County with a unified voice…that it’s still important to us” that the bridge is replaced.

Breast Cancer Awareness Resolution
Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution honoring Holly T. Bird – a local attorney, indigenous activist, and member of the Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) Board of Education who died earlier this year from stage 4 metastatic breast cancer – and establishing the second Saturday in October as “Check Your Cherries” Day.

The resolution was brought forward by Andrews and presented by Bird’s sister, Sarah Kuschell, and friend Michelle Bostic. The resolution notes that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and describes “Check Your Cherries” Day as a “memorable, community-friendly call to action that encourages people to learn what’s normal for their bodies, perform regular self-checks, and speak with their health providers about appropriate screening.”

Kuschell told board members that the goal of the resolution was to “save lives through awareness, prevention, and empowerment,” pointing out the Grand Traverse County has an above-average rate of breast cancer diagnoses for women under 50. “We need to understand what is driving these numbers,” she said. Grand Traverse County Health Officer Mike Lahey said there is a gap in Michigan north of Kent County for access to cancer clinical trials, something he said officials are pushing to change.

Commissioner Ashlea Walter said the resolution was a fitting way to honor Bird, calling her an “advocate for so many in our community.”

Three Mile Road Development
Commissioners voted to support a brownfield plan for a 240-unit apartment complex called Central Park on a 20-acre parcel on Three Mile Road just north of the Meadowlands Industrial Park. The $49 million project from development group Krimson will include 10 three-story buildings with 24 units each, with apartments ranging from 647 square feet (one-bedroom) to 1,389 square feet (three-bedroom). The brownfield plan covers approximately $20 million in reimbursable expenses over the 30-year lifespan of the plan. The bulk of the units – 190, or 79 percent – will be reserved for residents earning 65-87 percent of the area median income (AMI).

East Bay Township trustees and the county’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority board have already approved the brownfield plan, with the county commission representing the last local step before it heads to state review.

Special Assessment District
Finally, commissioners approved bonding up to $340,250.42 on behalf of the Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC) for a special assessment district (SAD) project on Hampshire Drive in Acme Township. A SAD is a resident-initiated project to repair streets – typically those infrequently used by the general public, like subdivision drives – and help fund the costs. Work on Hampshire Drive is already underway now and expected to be completed this fall, said County Finance Director Dean Bott. The county bond process allows GTCRC to amortize construction costs as residents pay off their share over a multi-year period.

Andrews said the lengthy process residents must go through for an SAD and the bonding approach – which can hike up project costs with fees and interest rates – represent a “broken” system. She proposed that commissioners explore alternatives. Commissioners voted to invite the GTCRC to a future meeting to discuss the SAD process and directed county legal counsel to review alternate funding options for SAD projects.