Developer Joe Locricchio will seek approval from East Bay Township planning commissioners Tuesday to move forward with the first phase of housing construction on the Elmbrook Golf Course property near Hammond and Townline roads. Locricchio plans to build 201 market-rate rental units, with work on the first 100 to potentially start next year. The developer – whose zoning allows up to 912 total units across the 228-acre site – plans to keep the golf course open for the foreseeable future and is required to help pay for a traffic light at Hammond/Townline as construction expands.

Locricchio received approval in 2021 from East Bay Township to rezone the golf course property from low-density residential to a mix of medium and high-density residential. The rezoning didn’t change the overall number of units allowed but did permit Locricchio to build a mix of housing units instead of just single-family homes. Phase one calls for 201 rental units on nearly 28 acres in a wooded area south of the Elmbrook Golf Course entrance drive. Plans include 39 triplex units and 164 quadplex units, according to a memo from Township Director of Planning & Zoning Claire Karner.

Locricchio tells The Ticker rentals will consist of “two and three-bedroom units, with the vast majority having two-car garages and a few with one-car garages. They’ll have two-and-a-half baths and will be a blend of ranch and two-story units.” He says the rental units will be a “similar product” to his neighboring Bayview TC development. Units in that development start at $1,749 monthly for a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment up to $2,400 for a similarly sized townhome, according to Bayview TC’s website.

Locricchio’s Elmbrook rezoning – which was made effective November 2022 – expires next fall unless substantial construction of phase one is complete. As part of their review Tuesday, planning commissioners will consider extending that deadline until November 2027. Phase one will itself be broken into two parts, with Locricchio hoping to start construction on the first 100 units in 2025. “We don’t know that with ultimate certainty, as there are a lot of challenges in the market right now...but we do want to move forward and get our approvals and be ready,” he says.

Locricchio will need to add more sanitary sewer infrastructure to build out the remaining 101 rentals in the second part of phase one. Karner is also recommending that planning commissioners add a condition stating that when Locricchio begins building out those remaining units, a traffic light will be installed at Hammond and Townline roads. Locricchio will be responsible for working with the Grand Traverse County Road Commission (GTCRC) “on a cost-sharing agreement and implementation of all necessary intersection improvements,” according to the recommended motion. The developer is also responsible for covering 65 percent of the costs of future improvements to Townline Road south of Hammond Road when GTCRC repairs it (GTCRC is separately working on cost-sharing agreements with local governments to fund upcoming repairs on Townline north of Hammond to South Airport).

Because of the rezoning, Elmbrook Golf Course is now considered a legal non-conforming use on the property. Originally, that meant the golf course could continue to operate temporarily and be open to the public, but could not expand or make any significant changes. It also meant that once the housing construction began, the golf course would no longer be an allowed use and would have to close. However, East Bay Township is in the process of updating its zoning ordinance, with the latest draft stating that golf courses are an allowed use by right in all residential districts, Karner says. Assuming that language remains in the final zoning ordinance, Locricchio will be able to keep Elmbrook Golf Course open.

The developer says he intends to do just that “for the foreseeable future.” It will likely take at least two to three years to build out phase one of housing, Locricchio says, and those first 201 units won’t impact the golf course. The development team will then need to assess next steps for future phases. It’s possible some of the golf course could eventually be converted to housing, but all options are still on the table, Locricchio says.

“This is our third year of owning and operating the golf course, and we’ve put significant investment into it,” he says. “It’s an institution in Traverse City and something we’ve enjoyed doing. Does the golf remain 18 holes, or is there some kind of hybrid where it’s integrated into the residential? We’re looking at all the options, but right now, Elmbrook is Elmbrook.”

Other topics that are likely to come up Tuesday are tree removal and non-motorized connections. Karner notes phase one involves the removal of a “significant number of mature trees to achieve (the) desired density.” While East Bay Township doesn’t have a specific standard in its zoning ordinance for tree preservation – making it difficult to impose requirements on developers – she hopes Locricchio will work with the construction team to save as many mature trees as possible.

Locricchio says his team preserves trees when possible, but notes that “so much of that is predicated on grading and infrastructure.” He points to his landscaping plan – under which he’ll plant 209 new trees as part of phase one – and notes that Bayview TC “went above and beyond” the township zoning requirements for landscaping. Locricchio is also open to discussing non-motorized connections from the new neighborhood to surrounding sites and the larger corridor. Karner provided a hand-drawn map to planning commissioners showing where such connections could be made along Hammond, Townline, Edgecomb Road, Vienna Way, Cherry Ridge Drive, and more to eventually provide access up to Three Mile Road.

“Because we're investing a tremendous amount of energy and financial resources into Safe Routes to School (around Three Mile/Hammond), we want to make sure the new neighborhood has safe, accessible access to the trail system and the schools,” says Karner.