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Next Bates Neighborhood Planning Meeting Monday, November 16, 2009 7:00 p.m. Acme Township Hall
Click here
to see the invitation letter sent to key stakeholders includi
Our Facilitator: We are grateful to John Sych, Grand Traverse County Planning Director, who has consented to facilitate the process.
This Webpage: As we move through the process, helpful information, meeting minutes, expected timelines and any other helpful information will be found here in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
Page Navigation: Use these links to be taken directly and quickly to various sections of this project page:
Acme Township's Master Plan was developed between 1996 and 1999, adopted in 1999 and has been amended several times over the past decade.
The "Transportation, Public Facilities and Services" section was amended in January 2001. It generally discusses development pressures along key transportation corridors, the desired development of a town center area, and the impacts of surrounding development on the area focusing on the intersection of M-72 and Bates Road. The portion of this section that lists goals and policies for the township to pursue in order to achieve its land use vision includes this statement:
The "High Density" section of the Master Plan provides some important information about how the community believes such a neighborhood center should be designed.
The Master Plan indicated that the pace of development in the Bates area was seen as accelerating in 2001. Here in 2009 we have seen significant buildout in Railway Industrial Park, welcomed Flintfields horse sports park, had a new high-powered Consumers Energy substation installed and have entertained rezoning and shopping center development requests on the southwest side of M-72 East and US 31. Turtle Creek has expanded and is expected to continue expansion, and there may be additional development on the "Hoxsie Property" owned by the Resort. A portion of the TART extends from Lautner Road to Bates Road, with plans in the works to complete the sections between Bunker Hill and Lautner Roads and to extend the trail north from Bates to Elk Rapids. A winery is in development north of Bates, where the township has also started purchasing development rights from willing farm families who have offered over 1,000 acres of land to the program to date. Highpoint Golf Course has approached both Acme and Whitewater Townships in the past about adding to its business model to improve viability, but efforts stalled and the course is currently closed.
Recently the proposed Bates Crossings shopping center landowner, Consumers Energy, the Tribe, MDOT, the Road Commission, TART and the township have come together to discuss potential road improvements to better serve the Bates area properties and enhance traffic flow and safety as part of a larger plan for access management along the M-72 Corridor. After successful discussions facilitated by County Planning Director John Sych and TC-TALUS Director Matt Skeels between these stakeholders, several new road alignment ideas were presented to Bates landowners. Their feedback has helped to refine the proposed new road alignment to a final version that we hope to implement soon.
So why plan the Bates Neighborhood now? Because we can build on the successful dialogue already started relative to the road realignment, and because so many potential development plans are coming together in this area right now!
November 16, 2009 Meeting Minutes October 19, 2009 Meeting Minutes
October 19, 2009 Meeting Packet, including John Sych's Powerpoint Presentation
Any questions? Call (938-1350) or e-mail Township Manager Sharon Vreeland and Zoning Administrator John Hull
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all landowners in Sections 32 and 6 and the west halves of Section 31 and 5
in Acme Township, MDOT, the Road Commission, The Grand Traverse Band of
Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and our neighbors in Whitewater Township.