GO-REC Purchase, Brownfield Housing, Wellness Center Top Busy County Agenda

Grand Traverse County commissioners will tackle a packed agenda today (Wednesday) with several major decisions and projects on deck, including the $3 million purchase of the Camp Greilick/GO-REC property, a brownfield plan for a 149-unit workforce housing complex on US-31, an update on the new regional mental wellness center, and plans to conduct a new community survey and a feasibility study of the Grand Traverse County Road Commission.  

Camp Greilick/GO-REC
After the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) – backed by an anonymous donor – stepped in recently to buy the nearly 200-acre Camp Greilick/GO-REC property from Rotary Camps and Services to hold it for Grand Traverse County, county commissioners will vote today to approve the $3 million purchase.

Grand Traverse County will provide an initial $100,000 deposit – which will go toward the purchase amount – and close on the property no later than September 1. In the interim, county staff will work with GTRLC staff and others “to conduct due diligence assessments on the property,” according to County Parks and Recreation Director John Chase. “Parks and Recreation staff will engage the community and community partners to develop a plan for the future of the property.”

According to a memo from Chase, for almost a century the property “provided an amazing setting for young people to enjoy the woods and waters of our beautiful area. Located in the Boardman/Ottaway River Watershed, where the GTRLC has protected numerous properties critical for the health of the watershed, the 196-acre property has 4,310 feet of frontage on Rennie, Spider, and Bass Lakes and provides connections to numerous trail systems.” Chase says the county’s vision is to secure the site “for the benefit of all residents and carry on the tradition of outdoor recreation and education as a public park.”

Brownfield Housing
Following recent approval votes by Garfield Township and the Grand Traverse County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, county commissioners will vote to approve a brownfield plan for a workforce housing development at 2105 N. US-31 South – the Gauthier property directly north of McRae Hill Road.

Developer Keel Capital estimates it could invest $35 million into redeveloping the property, including removing existing buildings, conducting site preparation work, and constructing three buildings with 149 rental apartments. Keep Capital could be reimbursed nearly $10 million in expenses – including $253,000 for environmental clean-up and $9,676,575 for housing – over a 20-year period through brownfield TIF capture (those figures have been adjusted slightly downward since Keel Capital first went to Garfield Township). The TIF capture works by capturing rising property values on the site over time to reimburse developers for expenses incurred by investing in blighted properties – or in this case building workforce housing, which is allowed now in Michigan under recent changes to brownfield rules.

As part of the proposal, rents for all apartments would be capped at 100 percent of the area median income (AMI). In order to qualify for annual reimbursement, Keel Capital will have to send its rent roll to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) every year. If rents go higher than 100 percent AMI, the developers won’t be eligible for reimbursement. Keel Capital said it expects to close on the property purchase in June.

Wellness Center
At the request of county commissioners, Laura Glenn – COO of Munson Healthcare – will give an update on the new Grand Traverse Center for Mental Wellness. Grand Traverse County is investing $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds into the new community center, which will be located at 410 Brook Street – a repurposed Munson building that previously provided outpatient behavioral health services. When open, the center will provide 24/7 mental health services for children and adults, “alleviating the need for more inpatient beds and reducing the strain on jails and the hospital emergency department,” according to presentation materials.

Work to reconstruct the building began in February, according to the presentation. A new director has been hired – Michael Coby – and operational and lease agreements have been finalized. Licensing, staffing, and IT services are next on the timeline. Estimated costs are currently coming in under budget at $4,992,391. The new center is on track to open by the end of 2024, the presentation states.

Community Survey
County commissioners will consider working with Polco – a national firm specializing in conducting community surveys – to undertake another survey of Grand Traverse County residents this year as a follow-up to surveys conducted in 2020 and 2022. Those surveys helped shape the development of the county’s strategic plan. Polco provided quote options ranging from $5,500 for a one-year survey service up to $10,500-$17,000 for a two-year service package.

Road Commission Study
Finally, commissioners will have a discussion about a possible feasibility study of the Grand Traverse County Road Commission. An ad hoc committee of commissioners was tasked with reviewing the governance and operational structure of the Road Commission, which operates independently under an appointed five-member board but could be made a county department instead (a small handful of road commissions have gone that route in Michigan).

According to a memo from County Administrative Assistant Lisa Emery, the ad hoc committee met on April 26 and discussed a human resources assessment and 2022 audit of the Road Commission. Ad hoc members then discussed “the need for a feasibility study to gather data on Grand Traverse County citizens' perspective, human resources, pension, finance, road conditions, cost benefits, and efficiencies,” Emery wrote. “The ad hoc committee passed a motion to recommend a discussion for a feasibility study for the Road Commission to the full board.”