Food Trucks, Preschool, US-31 Development on Garfield Agenda

Garfield Township planning commissioners tonight (Wednesday) will discuss a proposal to allow food trucks for the first time in the township, a proposed preschool near Boardman Lake, and a rezoning request that could allow a significant development of mixed commercial, industrial, and residential uses to move forward on 171 acres on US-31 South/Rennie School Road.

Food Trucks
Garfield Township, one of the few local jurisdictions that has a blanket ban on food trucks in all locations, could consider allowing them under a proposal from Bryan Roth of Atomic Marketplace – the new development on Cass Road next to Sara Lee that houses Nocturnal Bloom Brewing and Seismoto Coffee Bar (pictured).

Roth is hoping for an ordinance change that would allow up to two food trucks to operate on his site, in addition to an interior kitchen. The proposed language would allow trucks to operate “with an established business with floor space larger than 3,000 square feet,” according to a staff memo. “This would be considered a police power ordinance that would allow the township to issue annual permits for food trucks.” The memo indicates that the police power ordinance – along with an amendment to the zoning ordinance – “could manage both the operation and placement of food trucks, particularly if they are only permitted as accessory uses to established business uses.”

Township Planning Director John Sych tells The Ticker that planning commissioners have revisited the food truck ban in recent years, though some still had concerns about “the impact on brick-and-mortar operations.” However, both Roth and the township staff memo note that food trucks can actually bolster brick-and-mortar restaurants. Chubby Unicorn and Glendale Burger Shop are just two examples of Traverse City food trucks that transitioned into successful restaurants. In Garfield Township, food truck Taquiera Las Lagunas is now running a popular brick-and-mortar restaurant at the Cherryland Center.

“It’s very common for young chefs to start out with a food truck and jump to a brick-and-mortar establishment,” Roth wrote. He added that he “had a Michelin chef visit to go through my space, and he was interested in a food truck space. This type of talent coming into the TC area (and in this case Garfield Township) is potentially a great treat for the community.” Roth said food trucks provide quick and convenient meal options, showcase diverse cuisines, and can help draw crowds that patronize neighboring businesses.

Owner Justin Rivard of Nocturnal Bloom Brewing would love to see that boost for the brewery. “Food definitely drives business, and the addition of food trucks would greatly improve this spot’s viability,” he says. “There aren’t many areas that don’t have some sort of zoning or ordinance for food trucks anymore. Provided it’s thoughtful and takes food and health safety into consideration, it’s a great way to feed the people of the township and offer more diversity in the food-and-beverage space.”

Ivybrook Academy Preschool
Ivybrook Academy – a half-day preschool program that combines elements of Montessori and Reggio Emilia education and is rapidly expanding across the U.S. – is targeting a franchise location in Traverse City near Boardman Lake in the Lake Pointe development. Planning commissioners will discuss a request tonight to amend Lake Pointe’s planned unit development (PUD) – a zoning plan tailored to a specific property – to allow an office building to be used as a childcare center. The change would allow Ivybrook Academy to operate at 1764 Forest Ridge Drive.

According to the application, Ivybrook Academy has 43 locations across 20 states – including one in Michigan, in Ann Arbor. In addition to the proposed Traverse City location, two Grand Rapids locations are also planned in the next five years. The program hosts two sessions per day from 8:15am-12pm and 12:45pm-4:30pm for children ages two through six. “Session one will have between 50-80 students, while session two will have between 40-60 students,” wrote Kim and Jeff Denton, owners of the Traverse City location. “We do not offer session two until session one is full in the second or third year of operation.”

The building will be retrofitted to meet licensing requirements and will include five classrooms, a multi-purpose room, and an outdoor classroom with natural play elements. Twenty-five parking spaces will serve the preschool, with a designated drop-off/pick-up area. “Traverse City aligns well with the Ivybrook Academy demographic profile,” the Dentons wrote. “With both stay-at-home and work-from-home parents, Ivybrook’s half-day format aligns well in a market that doesn’t have a part-day option. Traverse City is thirsting for more preschool options, and Ivybrook Academy is excited to provide a school where children thrive and develop a love for lifetime learning.”

While planning commissioners will discuss the Lake Pointe amendment tonight, staff are recommending tabling the application so that several outstanding issues can be addressed by the applicants, including submitting a complete site plan and providing additional details on drop-off/pick-up circulation, snow storage, loading space, dumpsters, and bicycle parking.

US-31/Rennie School Road Development
The Oleson Foundation is seeking township approval to rezone approximately 171 acres at the corner of US-31 South and Rennie School Road for a planned phased buildout of the site.

Two of the four parcels – which were recently created as part of a land division from a larger parent property – are requested to be rezoned to general industrial. One parcel would become multi-family residential, while the fourth would remain general commercial. The acreage has a current mix of commercial and multi-family residential zoning and is envisioned as a mixed-use center in the township’s future land use map. Staff said the proposed zoning changes are compatible with that designation. The site is currently vacant and has been used as farmland for many years by the Olesons.

According to the application, the Oleson Foundation intends to concentrate commercial uses in the southeast section of the property, build an industrial park in the interior, and construct multi-family housing on approximately 40 wooded acres in the northwest quadrant. “There are a lot of unique contours with this 40 acres which will bring very unique lot formations and views,” Brad Oleson wrote. Utilities are also planned to be built out throughout the development site.

The Oleson Foundation noted that several other local industrial parks – such as Meadowland, Hammond, and Chums Village – are 100 percent occupied, pointing to high demand for such lots. The Oleson Foundation has an agreement with Cherryland Electric to build a new facility on 40 acres of the site contingent to rezoning approval, the application states. A new north-south public road is proposed to be built between Rennie School Road and Meadow Lane Drive, which will also connect to an east/west road with an exit onto US-31 South.

If planning commissioners are supportive of moving the rezoning forward, they will vote tonight to set a public hearing on the request for October 8.