Traverse City commissioners will consider approving a contract tonight (Monday) to evaluate Clinch Marina, an assessment that will help plan for the downtown facility's future and create a priority list for marina improvements. Commissioners will also consider approving a resolution of support for childcare microcenters and get their first look at a rezoning request for a workforce apartment project on Eighth Street.

Clinch Marina Assessment
Commissioners will vote tonight to approve a not-to-exceed $60,000 contract with Edgewater Resources to complete a comprehensive assessment of the Duncan L. Clinch Marina – what Parks and Recreation Director Michelle Hunt calls “one of the city’s most significant recreational assets.”

The contract, which will be funded through a $28,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Waterways Program grant and a $32,000 city Marina Fund match, calls for in-depth evaluation of marina operations. That includes “the marina's infrastructure, utilities, circulation, shoreline conditions, and operational systems to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, functionality, long-term sustainability, and the customer experience,” according to Hunt.

Edgewater Resources will provide “conceptual alternatives, cost estimates, public engagement, implementation strategies, and recommendations for future capital improvements,” Hunt says. The final report will give the city a “prioritized roadmap for future investments, assist in identifying grant funding opportunities, and support implementation of future improvements through phased capital planning,” she adds.

Edgewater Resources was selected from three firms that specialize in marina engineering and waterfront planning and bid on the project. The firm has worked on marina projects throughout the Great Lakes and secured more than $50 million in grant funding for waterfront projects, according to Hunt. Edgewater Resources is also a subconsultant on a major shoreline planning project the city is undertaking, offering an opportunity to coordinate that work with marina improvements, she says.

According to Hunt, Clinch Marina serves a wide variety of users including “residents, seasonal slip holders, transient boaters, and visitors.” Preparing for its future is crucial since Clinch “consistently operates at or near capacity, with a waiting list for seasonal slips, while also supporting downtown businesses and waterfront tourism,” she says. In 2025, The Ticker  reported that Clinch Marina had 416 people on a wait list for one of the 71 seasonal slips.

The Clinch study is one of several local marina projects underway. As reported by the Leelanau Ticker, Harbor Springs-based Walstrom Marine has acquired the former Viridian building along West Bay Shore Drive with plans for a marina, while Harbor West Yacht Club is preparing to launch a full-scale renovation of its 158-slip marina in October.

Childcare Resolution
Commissioners will consider approving a resolution tonight supporting childcare microcenters and expanded access to early childhood care.

The resolution, requested by Commissioner Heather Shaw, supports proposed state legislation that would “allow microcenter licensing to become available across Michigan,” according to Deputy City Manager Valarie Handy. Microcenters are a type of hybrid childcare in which in-home regulations apply to off-site locations, giving providers flexibility to operate small childcare centers outside of their homes. Typical sites include school, church, office, or government buildings.

As reported by the Traverse City Business News – sister publication of The Ticker – Leelanau County has successfully pioneered three such microcenters. The city commission resolution cites that success and advocates for the expansion of such facilities as a strategy for addressing the region’s childcare shortage.

The resolution also commits the city to “exploring opportunities, where feasible and appropriate, to support childcare microcenters through the use of public facilities, partnerships with community organizations, assistance with local planning processes, and collaboration with economic development and workforce stakeholders.”

Eighth Street Rezoning
Commissioners tonight will get their first look at a rezoning request for the former Copy Central property on Eighth Street near Lake Avenue. The Grand Traverse County Land Bank Authority – which has worked with the Traverse City House Commission (TCHC), the former Copy Central owners, and the city to assemble multiple parcels for a new workforce apartment complex – has applied to rezone the property from C-2 (Neighborhood Central) to R-3 (Multiple Family Dwelling).

Planning commissioners recently reviewed and supported the request. Project documents submitted to the county’s Brownfield Redevelopment Authority in May show a planned four-story building with 45 units and 47 parking spaces. The project has received $1.4 million in brownfield funding, and TCHC plans to apply for Michigan State Housing Development Authority funding and a city payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement for the housing component.

In a memo, Acting Planning Director Leslie Sickterman flagged one update on the application since planning commissioners considered it. Staff originally said the rezoning would allow the maximum building height to increase from 30 feet to 45 feet. However, Sickterman has since corrected that, noting that a 45-foot building is allowed under either C-2 or R-3. Staff have said the rezoning request is consistent with the city’s master plan, pointing out that surrounding parcels – some of which are part of the development – are already R-3. Commissioners will receive an introduction to the request tonight, with a possible approval vote to follow September 8.