East Bay Planning Commissioners to Consider State Park Project, Water/Sewer Ordinance, Grant Applications

East Bay Township planning commissioners tonight (Tuesday) will consider approving the first of two site plan reviews that will allow the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to proceed with $8.5 million in planned improvements at the Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park. The DNR has stressed the time sensitivity of approval, as the park is already closed to accommodate planned tree clearing in the coming weeks. Planning commissioners will also discuss possible changes to the township’s water/sewer ordinance and resolutions of support for grant funding for two major local projects.

State Park Improvements
The Michigan DNR hopes to get the green light from East Bay Township tonight to begin clearing trees at the Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park ahead of $8.5 million in improvements planned for this and next year. As previously reported, the project – funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars – will include removing the pedestrian bridge over US-31 and creating a new park entrance with a traffic signal and pedestrian crosswalks, tearing down the lodge and building new park headquarters, and improving the park’s sanitation pump-out capacity, internal traffic circulation, and customer service areas.

The park is already closed now through April 1 to accommodate the tree clearing, with a second closure planned from July 7 through the end of 2026 for construction. However, the DNR is appearing belatedly before township officials as it was not initially clear whether the state needed to obtain local permission to undertake improvements. Township Director of Planning & Zoning Claire Karner says the township’s legal counsel confirmed the DNR must obtain site plan approval to move ahead. Because of the late timing, the DNR is seeking permission first to begin tree clearing as soon as possible and will submit a second site plan in the future for the remaining project, including grading, utilities, and landscaping.

In a memo, DNR Park Management Plan Administrator Debbie Jensen said it was “critical” to complete the tree removals this winter to reduce the risk of oak wilt, “take advantage of frozen ground which will reduce ground disturbance,” and complete the work while the campground is still closed. The DNR is also on a tight schedule for the construction project overall, as it must expend all ARPA funds before the end-of-2026 federal deadline, Jensen said. The DNR – which is removing more than 300 trees, according to a memo from Karner – previously stated it will “prioritize saving mature trees during construction and implement a comprehensive landscape and tree replanting program to mitigate losses.”

Karner noted for future review of the second phase that township staff have been in discussions with the DNR “about opportunities to enhance pedestrian and bicycle connectivity within the East Bay Beach District.” That could include improved connectivity within the State Park itself, as well as connections to the Reffitt Nature Preserve and from the TART Trail to US-31.

Water/Sewer Ordinance
Planning commissioners tonight will discuss the township’s utility ordinance 109, which regulates the extension of public water and sewer. Karner says township staff are planning to update the ordinance to “address some clerical errors and make the ordinance more user friendly,” providing an opportunity to look at the ordinance as a whole and see if any other updates are needed.

For example, the township has an “urban growth boundary” – which runs south of Hammond Road and east of Five Mile Road – that is designed to concentrate development in the township’s interior, including corridors like Three Mile, Four Mile, and Hammond. Land within the growth boundary is intended to hook up to public utilities, while land outside it is intended to remain on private well and septic. The goal is to “avoid future residential growth that is low density and that takes up valuable agricultural and wooded land,” according to Karner.

However, township rules requiring developers within the urban growth boundary to pay to extend water and sewer lines if they’re within a half mile of the project are creating “financial challenges” for development, Karner says. The utility ordinance update provides an opportunity to have “preliminary discussions” about whether the township should invest in expanding its water and sewer infrastructure to help “support future development in high priority areas,” Karner says.

Grant Applications
Finally, planning commissioners tonight will consider approving resolutions of support for two grant applications to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) in 2025. The first is a collaborative application with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy for funding to go toward the Conservancy’s acquisition of the property known as “The Ridge” between Four and Five Mile roads. The property – a steep, wooded ridge with expansive views stretching as far as Sugar Loaf in Leelanau County – houses key wetlands and spans two sub-watersheds of the Grand Traverse Bay watershed, including Mitchell Creek and the East Bay Shoreline. A small portion that is not ecologically sensitive is being explored for community housing.

Another application would seek funding in collaboration with TART Trails and other partners for the continued extension of the Three Mile Trail in East Bay Township. The state awarded $400,000 in MNRTF funding in December for the first phase of the extension project, which will “commence at the current endpoint of the Three Mile Trail at South Airport Road and proceed south to a proposed trailhead/parking area across from the Woodcreek subdivision,” according to a staff memo. Work on that segment is anticipated to break ground this year, with the majority of construction slated for 2026. “The project team anticipates construction for the next segment of the Three Mile Trail – for which we are currently seeking funding (in the 2025 grant cycle) – in 2027,” the memo states.