The Open Space & Natural Area Proposals

Oct. 13, 2004

I grew up in one of the older suburbs about 15 miles north of Detroit. We had a backyard to play in and a field near the school that was so important that all the kids in the neighborhood called it “The Field,” with a capital “F.” Off the field, behind a trucking warehouse, was a dank and scraggly patch of trees we called “The Woods.” Our block was close to the freeway, and I used to fall asleep pretending the rushing of cars was the sound of waves on the shore.
I have a theory that your heart lies in the land that enchanted you as a child. For me, that means the woods and waters of Lake Michigan, where our family camped every happy summer, and where I’ve lived for the past 20 years.
So perhaps it’s no surprise that I’ve joined the Friends for Recreational Lands in Garfield Township and Traverse City to spread the word about the “Open Space & Natural Area” proposals on the ballot this November.
These linked proposals represent a visionary, cooperative effort by Garfield Township and Traverse City to protect our beautiful bayshore, our wide open spaces and our untouched
natural areas.

RECREATIONAL AUTHORITY
In June of 2003, the Township and the City formed a Recreational Authority as a way of funding the public purchase of three prime properties in the area.
The Recreational Authority determined that prudent planning must include both an acquisition bond (to buy the properties) and an operating millage (to cover maintenance, insurance, legal fees, community planning). It placed the bond and millage proposals on the ballot, while the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy secured purchase agreements to reserve the properties pending the outcome of the Nov. 2 election.
The three properties include West Bay frontage and over 160 acres of meadows, woods, wildlife habitat and trails:

• The former Smith-Barney office sits on one of the properties, offering over 100 feet of West Bay frontage next to the volleyball courts near downtown Traverse City. This parcel is the last privately owned piece of the bay from the Holiday Inn to the Leelanau County line. As a condition of its acquisition, the former Smith-Barney building on the site will be demolished and converted to open space.

• The Historic Barns at the Grand Traverse Commons occupy a 56-acre parcel. This property lies along Silver Lake Road and includes forest land and a lovely rolling meadow, linking parkland owned by both Traverse City and Garfield Township. Contrary to popular belief, this property is not in permanent public ownership. It’s owned by the Grand Traverse Commons Redevelopment Corporation, charged with finding a buyer.

• The third property, Hickory Meadows, is adjacent to Traverse City’s Hickory Hills Ski Area, between Randolph Street and M-72.
It features 108 acres of forests, fields and wetlands – a pastoral gem tucked into the edge
of the city.

EXPIRATION LOOMS
All of these properties face development should the proposals fail. And because the two proposals are “tie-barred,” both “Open Space & Natural Area” bond and millage proposals must pass separately in both Garfield Township and Traverse City in order to succeed. After the election, the purchase agreements will expire and if the proposals fail the properties will be available for private purchase.
The cost to the Garfield Township and Traverse City residents? A property tax increase totaling .37 mills annually for 20 years. That translates to 37 cents per $1,000 of taxable home value. For the average homeowner in Traverse City and Garfield Township, that’s $2 a month, adding up to $24 a year.
For most of us, it’s less than what we’d spend on one dinner out, or what we pay for cable or renting movies or washing the car. Being close to the great outdoors is not only a bargain, it’s why many of us moved here to begin with.
Many of our bedrock local organizations were a part of this effort early on. Rotary Charities of Traverse City, the Traverse Area Chamber of Commerce, the Les & Ann Biederman Foundation, the Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau and the National Cherry Festival together committed funds to secure the purchase agreement for the West Bay waterfront property. The “Open Space & Natural Area” proposals have recently been endorsed by the Downtown Development Authority, businesses, community groups, charitable organizations, and scores of our fellow residents.

COMMUNITY ISSUE
Former Governor William Milliken has been promoting the proposals on radio, as has Kaye Krapohl, known to many for her leadership in VASA, the Women’s Ski Tour and other outdoor events. The headquarters of both political parties are offering our brochures and yard signs – proof that truly, this is a community issue.
And it makes financial sense, too. Business owners tell me that there is far more “return” on investments in the character and beauty of an area than we might guess. Far beyond the obvious tourist appeal, places that offer a meaningful quality of life attract more talented and involved employees. They, in turn, make our cities and townships all the better for their skills and their commitment.
It’s hard to put a value on our quality of life here in Northern Michigan, but it’s easy to appreciate what we have inherited from those who came before us, who dreamed about and labored for the land we cherish. It’s easy to see what a legacy we can leave for those who come after us.
The “Open Space & Natural Area” proposals offer us the chance to create a model for the future, to give our children and grandchildren the room to grow and explore the natural world. Of all the gifts we could give them, what better than places to be safe and happy and free? To run without stopping. To simply be.
I visited my old neighborhood some time back. The Field is fenced off into baseball diamonds and the Woods is now a parking lot. I don’t know where the kids go these days, but I do know what they’re missing.

Eileen Ganter is a Garfield Township resident and a member of Friends for Recreational Lands in Garfield Township and Traverse City. For more information
on the “Open Space & Natural Area” proposals, contact the Friends for
Recreational Lands in Garfield Township & Traverse City at (231) 346-5940 or recfriends@charter.net. Visit their web site at www.yesopenspace.org.