Decisions are coming soon on several Garfield Township projects, including the planned expansion of the YMCA (with neighbors lobbying for a safer crossing on Silver Lake Road), a proposed nightclub at the Cherryland Center, and a planned buildout of 171 acres owned by the Oleson Foundation on US-31.

YMCA
More than a dozen residents sent emails or spoke during public comment at Garfield Township’s planning commission meeting this month asking for a safer pedestrian crossing at the Wyatt Road intersection on Silver Lake Road in conjunction with a planned expansion of the Grand Traverse Bay YMCA West campus.

The planning commission held a public hearing on the $12.5 million expansion – a project that will build a 20,384-square-foot addition featuring two gymnasiums with full-size basketball courts and bleachers, an elevated walking track, expanded Child Watch space, wellness studios, multi-purpose classrooms, and adjacent parking (pictured, renderings). The YMCA, which is in the final fundraising phase of the project, hopes to break ground this April or May with a targeted spring 2027 completion date. A separate future phase of work could add a $7-$8 million fieldhouse with indoor turf to the site.

Residents were supportive of the YMCA and its expansion plans, with several saying their families are members of the facility. However, neighbors also felt Silver Lake Road – with its 55 mile-per-hour speed limit – poses a dangerous barrier for those trying to reach the YMCA, particularly at the Wyatt Road intersection directly in front of the facility. Residents described near-misses with cars or long waits to try and find a break in traffic to dart across Silver Lake Road.

TART Trails CEO Julie Clark said in a letter to the board that Wyatt Road represents a “missing Buffalo Ridge connection” in the network that connects The Village at Grand Traverse Commons with TC West Middle School and the YMCA. “With this impressive YMCA investment, TART Trails finds that now is the perfect time to create a safe crossing at Wyatt Road,” she wrote. “This action will ensure that the more than 800 nearby households can safely walk, bike, and roll to this important community hub.”

YMCA President and CEO Andrew Page said his organization was in “full support of this crosswalk,” but worried about approval delays or contingencies that could drive project costs up and jeopardize the expansion. Silver Lake Road is also under the control of the Grand Traverse County Road Commission, township staff noted. Staff agreed to help convene a meeting with the YMCA and Road Commission to explore options for the site, which will be discussed when planning commissioners potentially vote to approve the project at their December 10 meeting. Planning commissioners indicated they likely wouldn’t hold up approval of the expansion but could add a condition requiring the YMCA to continue collaborating on potential crossing improvements.

High Tops
The owner of a proposed nightclub, sports bar, and restaurant center at the Cherryland Center could be nearing township approval to open.
 
Philip Beehler’s application for High Tops has been delayed for several months as he works to address planning commission concerns about potential impacts on neighbors – particularly as it relates to sound. Occupying roughly three-fourths of the former Younkers space, High Tops has planned late-night hours that could run until 2am most nights and 12am on Sundays. Concerts and other live entertainment could happen at the venue in the 8pm-12am timeframe.

Beehler has tried to address sound concerns, including having sound-dampening walls and ceilings and locating the customer entrance at the front of the building so that only employees will be using the rear entrance closest to neighbors. At the township’s request, he paid for a professional sound study as well as escrow for a peer review of that study by another acoustic consultant. That peer review flagged the need to take a closer look at low frequencies, as well as noise transmission loss from the roof and doors.

Beehler is working to address those final concerns with staff. Township Planning Director John Sych said the application is “moving forward” and that outstanding concerns “should be able to be addressed through the remainder of this process.” While the High Tops application remained table at this month’s meeting, it’s expected to return soon for planning commission consideration.

Oleson Property
Finally, planning commissioners have recommended approval of a rezoning request from the Oleson Foundation that would allow the redevelopment of roughly 171 acres at the corner of US-31 and Rennie School Road to move forward. The proposal next heads to township trustees tonight (Tuesday), who could schedule a public hearing on the proposal for December 23.

Two of the four parcels that make up the site – 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. The Oleson Foundation’s application lists four phases of planned development, starting with a new road that would connect Rennie School Road to Meadow Lane Drive, the construction of multi-family housing in the northwest corner, and the buildout of some industrial areas. Future phases of work will connect the new road to US-31, build out mixed uses along Rennie School Road and US-31, and establish a variety of additional industrial units.

The Oleson Foundation previously pointed to high demand for more industrial parks in the area. The organization also has an agreement with Cherryland Electric to build a new facility on 40 acres of the site. In addition to the new connective roads, the site is also planned to be built out with water, sewer, stormwater, gas, electric, and Internet infrastructure.