After having its lease terminated at Sojourn Church – with a looming vacate date of August 31 – Grand Traverse Bay YMCA has a new home for its Child Development Center, preserving a major local childcare program serving approximately 50 children and dozens of families. Long Lake Township planning commissioners Tuesday approved an application for the YMCA to relocate the program to Kensington Church on Secor Road. Commissioners also approved a new 61-unit subdivision on North Long Lake Road from Peter Faber, the developer behind the Treesong neighborhood.

YMCA Childcare Center
Grand Traverse Bay YMCA President and CEO Andrew Page is hoping for a smooth transition – and no gap in services – for the organization’s Child Development Center as it prepares to relocate from Sojourn Church to Kensington Church. As first reported by The Ticker in December, the YMCA’s lease was terminated at Sojourn – where the program operated since 2016 – to accommodate a planned church expansion. While the YMCA was originally supposed to vacate at the end of April, Sojourn granted a four-month extension.

That extra time proved crucial, as Page says the YMCA “visited probably 20 different locations” in an effort to find a new home. For a variety of reasons – ranging from points of egress to space constraints to fire suppression systems – nothing worked out until the YMCA connected with Kensington. “Finding places for licensed childcare is very difficult,” Page says. “We’re very thankful we’ve found a home.” The YMCA and Kensington are still finalizing the lease terms, but Page says the church “has been amazing” to work with and that he’s confident in the program’s long-term security at the site.

Long Lake Township planning commissioners unanimously approved the YMCA’s application Tuesday to operate at Kensington (Chair Bob Verschaeve recused himself due to a conflict of interest, while Planning Commissioner Max Bott was absent). Two neighbors expressed concerns about potential traffic impacts, particularly given what they described as a dangerous nearby intersection of Secor Road and East Long Lake Road. Page explained that morning drop-offs are staggered across the 8am to 9am hour, while pick-ups are staggered across the afternoon from noon to 5pm – reducing traffic impacts by spreading them out.

“The amount of cars we’re going to see at a maximum at any time is 10-15,” Page said. Township Planning Director Cody Stricker also noted that the Grand Traverse County Road Commission is planning to make safety improvements soon to the corridor, including shaving down the grading of Secor to improve sight distances for drivers.

With township approval in hand, next steps for the YMCA include obtaining fire and state licensing approvals. Page tells The Ticker he’s “very optimistic” about being able to open at Kensington by September 1, hopefully ensuring there’s no gap in services. While the YMCA lost a handful of families when it announced its lease at Sojourn was ending, the program – which serves infants, toddlers, and preschoolers – is still at capacity now. However, Page notes the program has the potential to go up to 75 children at Kensington.

“That’s all going to be predicated on staffing,” he says. “We’re unique in this industry because we’ve had such incredible retention, but in order for us to get to 75, we’ll need more staff support behind that.”

Skyvale Development
Township planning commissioners Tuesday also approved an application from developer Peter Faber to construct a 61-unit subdivision – referred to as Skyvale in documents – at 8660 North Long Lake Road near the township’s Fire & Rescue department. The property is zoned low density residential and is being developed without significant open space – an allowable conditional land use if approved by planning commissioners.

Project representatives said the development would be similar to Faber’s Treesong neighborhood off Thiel Road. Plans call for preserving as much natural area as possible, including a pond on the site. Lot sizes would be approximately one acre each, with homes served by two private roads that will connect to adjacent stub roads. Representatives noted the project site is surrounded by other developments of greater density.  

Faber was required over the course of multiple meetings to clarify aspects of the plan, notably protections for a section of prioritized natural features, a defined wildlife corridor, and a buffer area for development. Planning commissioners expressed satisfaction with Faber’s efforts to meet those requirements Tuesday, thanking him for working in “good faith” to resolve township concerns. The board approved Faber’s application unanimously.