Garfield Township officials are considering zoning changes to allow for mixed-use neighborhoods and food trucks, have approved a weight restriction to ban commercial traffic on Barney Road, and have adopted a policy that will guide township support for housing projects using brownfield funding.

Zoning Changes
Garfield Township planning commissioners are reviewing potential zoning changes that could allow for a more creative mix of uses in some districts.

The township’s recently updated master plan calls for designating “mixed-use” neighborhoods and centers – areas with a high concentration of commercial, residential, and public/semi-public uses that have the “potential to convey a strong sense of place.” To start implementing the master plan, planning commissioners are looking to update the township zoning code to create mixed-use neighborhoods in a handful of areas.

Those include the Cedar Run campus near North Long Lake Road, the Green Hill area near the Silver Lake/Zimmerman intersection, and M-72 near the city limits by Tom’s West Bay. A fourth area is one planning commissioners intend to tackle first: Veterans Drive/Rennie Hill near the township hall south toward South Airport Road. In addition to uses already allowed – like local and office commercial – a mixed-use designation could layer on other new uses. Those could include a diverse range of housing types, public spaces like small parks, and low-intensity retail. Mixed-use neighborhoods are also envisioned to promote natural features and open spaces, neighborhood-scale site design and building placement, and sidewalk/trail connectivity.

Some property owners along Veterans Drive have already advocated for the change, which Township Planning Director John Sych said would provide development “flexibility” along the corridor. Several steps would take place to rezone the Veterans Drive segment, including a public hearing, a planning commission vote to recommend the change to township trustees, and a township board approval vote. Once enacted, the planning commission could follow a similar process to update other targeted mixed-use neighborhood areas. Planning commissioners are also looking at establishing an “airport gateway” mixed-use neighborhood at the southwest area of South Airport and Townline roads, which could host a new hotel, restaurant, and other airport-related uses. The board is expected to hold a public input session in October to get feedback from property owners along that stretch.

Planning commissioners are also exploring allowing food trucks in Garfield Township. The board discussed the concept twice this month after Bryan Roth of Atomic Marketplace – the new development on Cass Road next to Sara Lee that houses Nocturnal Bloom Brewing and Seismoto Coffee Bar – proposed a zoning change that would allow up to two food trucks to operate on his site. The ordinance would also allow trucks to operate elsewhere in the township as accessories to established businesses.

Planning commissioners said they were more interested in that approach than, say, allowing trucks to operate on an empty lot. Planning commissioners will need to update the zoning code to allow food trucks and potentially enact a police power ordinance, which would allow for licensing and fees. Food trucks must also be licensed by the state and inspected by GT Metro Fire annually.

Barney Road
Garfield Township trustees unanimously approved a resolution of support to put a weight restriction on Barney Road, restricting use by all commercial vehicles except agricultural, essential, and emergency service vehicles. The Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC) approved the same resolution Thursday. Long Lake Township trustees are expected to approve the resolution next ahead of an October 20 effective date.

The resolution is similar to one that recently went into effect on Townline Road – and for the same reason. Both roads need major repairs but received recent short-term fixes to hold them over until a future reconstruction can be funded. Keeping larger vehicles off a road helps prolong its lifespan. Barney Road’s condition “is extremely difficult for the GTCRC to maintain due to poor underlying soil conditions, and adequate funds to properly repair the road are not available at this time,” the resolution states. Signs will be placed on Barney Road alerting drivers to the weight restriction once it begins, with commercial traffic advised to use Cedar Run Road instead.

Housing TIF Policy
Township trustees have adopted a new policy that outlines what type of housing projects the board will support using brownfield tax increment financing (TIF) funds. Developers in Michigan are now able to seek brownfield TIF reimbursement for housing projects targeted toward tenants earning under 120 percent of the area median income (AMI). Such brownfield plans must be approved locally by the township/village/city in which they’re located, Grand Traverse County commissioners, and the Grand Traverse County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority before heading to state review.

Garfield Township’s policy prioritizes starter home opportunities, community-oriented infrastructure, and projects that remediate blight, are located on an infill site, increase the number/diversity of high-quality township jobs, or “balance the natural environment with the built environment through natural preservation efforts and best practice stormwater management tools.” Projects must be in areas served by municipal water and sewer and be in mixed-use neighborhoods or centers, commercial districts, or moderate or high-density residential zones. The policy also aims to limit the number of units funded by brownfield TIF to 15 percent of the total number of housing units in Garfield Township.

Township Manager Chris Barsheff said the guidelines will ensure the township is “consistent in how we approach these (funding requests) in the future,” adding that the policy reflects “our master plan and what our visions are as a township and a board.”