A new dog park, café, and taphouse are proposed to go into the Cherryland Center in the back of the former Younkers building. Garfield Township trustees will hold a conceptual review of the project Wednesday – an early informal conversation that allows the board to share feedback with project representatives before they submit a formal application. Planning commissioners will also consider requests for a new bed-and-breakfast on Potter Road, a new communications tower off Zimmerman Road, and signage for T.J. Maxx’s new location in Buffalo Ridge Center.

Dog Park
Two Brothers Dog Park Cafe and Taphouse – a new business that originally tried to open last year in Buffalo Ridge Center, home to AMC, Oryana West, and more – now hopes to make the Cherryland Center its home.

Two Brothers proposes to open in the rear of the former Younkers department store west of the new Traverse City Philharmonic Center. According to the project application, the business will be a “member-driven establishment for people who share a close bond with their canine friends. This establishment will offer a safe and engaging space for dogs and their parents, requiring all dogs to be up-to-date on their vaccinations and validated by the owner or a trainer that the dog is socialized.”

The application continues that Two Brothers “will offer all local beers, wines, ciders, and meads on tap. We will also provide a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu. Food will be consumed in a space with hard separations from any areas containing dogs.” The application asks for township consideration to potentially allow a food truck on-site during weekends. The business will also have indoor kennel and grooming services and an approximately 5,000-square-foot outdoor yard (pictured, rendering), which will extend into what is currently a parking area.

“Holes and a trench will be drilled into the existing (asphalt) to provide drainage and flow drainage to the stormwater,” the application states. “Limestone will then be laid on top of the (asphalt), and turf engineered for dog parks will be installed on top of the limestone. The yard will be washed down 1-2 times daily by staff. A cement walkway will bifurcate the space, and we will also have a cement stage for live music.”

A handful of issues might need to be addressed, according to a memo from township staff. The Cherryland Center is experiencing a promising renaissance, including the new Center for Lifetime Engagement, Activity, and Renewal (CLEAR) – formerly the Kmart building – home to Traverse City Curling Club, TC Phil, a 24/7 Golf, planned on-site solar energy, and a range of potential new uses from multifamily housing to a possible trampoline park, roller rink, and/or national retail store. A one-acre parcel fronting Garfield north of Wendy’s will soon host a new multi-tenant outlot building, including a planned Starbucks. The former Sears building, meanwhile, is proposed to host a K1 Speed indoor go-kart racing center and a new restaurant/bar/entertainment center called High Tops.

While that growth is bringing new life back to the dying mall, it also requires a new comprehensive approach to the property, which has multiple different owners for different parcels. Township staff wrote to planning commissioners that they met with the three primary Cherryland Center owners last year and informed them that a new comprehensive development plan would be required prior to any new buildings, additions, or creation of new parcels. That plan – which would essentially serve as a site plan for the entire Cherryland Center – “will ensure issues like cross-access, stormwater management, parking lot maintenance, lighting, and signage are addressed in a coordinated manner,” staff wrote.

Staff are recommending that the updated development plan be created “prior to this project (Two Brothers), as it as an addition to the original mall building.” On the zoning front, while a dog park is not clearly defined in Garfield Township’s ordinance, staff said that part of the project could be treated as a recreational facility – an allowed use on the property, as are bars and restaurants. Food trucks, however, are not allowed in Garfield Township; Planning Director John Sych says staff discussed the idea of food trucks with the planning commission at a May 22 study session, but that he “received more concerns than support by the planning commissioners.”

Also on Wednesday’s agenda...
> Planning commissioners will hold a public hearing on a special use permit (SUP) application for a new bed-and-breakfast at 492 West Potter Road. Applicant Brandy Waslawski wrote that Potter’s Home Retreat Bed and Breakfast will serve one to six guests at a time in the main level, with the owner’s family residing in the lower level. Following the hearing, planning commissioners could vote to approve the application at their July 10 meeting.

> Planning commissioners will consider a SUP application from TowerNorth Development LLC – in partnership with Verizon Wireless – to install a 155-foot monopole communications tower within a 60’x60’ compound at 2767 Zimmerman Road (located on the west side of Zimmerman Road north of Silver Lake Road). Such towers are permitted with an SUP in the A-Agricultural zoning district, where the property is located. The application states the tower “will provide high-speed wireless broadband access and enhanced E-911 services to the communities in the area between Long Lake and US-31.” The tower will also allow “additional cell carriers to improve and expand their coverage while eliminating the need for additional towers within the surrounding area,” according to the application. Staff indicated there are some outstanding issues with the application that could be resolved by the board’s next meeting; if planning commissioners agree, they could vote Wednesday to set a public hearing for July 10.

> Finally, planning commissioners will consider a request from T.J. Maxx to have a larger sign than is allowed under the township’s zoning ordinance at its new location in Buffalo Ridge Center. The retailer is leaving the Grand Traverse Mall and moving into the former Bed Bath & Beyond building. T.J. Maxx wants one of its signs to be 128.6 square feet, but the ordinance limits signs to 100 square feet. While the retailer is seeking an exemption, citing neighboring businesses like Michaels and Kohl’s that have larger signs – those businesses are legally nonconforming – staff said there are no unique circumstances to warrant granting an exemption. Other businesses like Hobby Lobby, Burlington, and Value City Furniture have been denied larger signs in recent years, staff said, recommending rejecting T.J. Maxx’s request.