Garfield Township planning commissioners are working to create a new vision for a neighborhood they’ve identified as prime for investment and growth: the zone around Cherryland Center that includes both sides of Barlow Street, South Airport Road, Garfield Avenue, and surrounding properties. As part of the effort to write a new plan for the area, planning commissioners will hear a staff report tonight (Wednesday) on current challenges and opportunities in the corridor – including a lack of parks and services like grocery stores, a need for more housing and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and a major redevelopment opportunity with Cherryland Center (pictured).

Township staff spent the summer compiling data to write the “existing conditions” report, which analyzes population and economic trends, infrastructure, environmental conditions, and more. According to the report, the Barlow-Garfield neighborhood has a population of 1,017 residents in 2019, compared to 922 in 2010. The median resident age has risen from 40.8 to 43.6 in that same time period, with the average household size increasing from 2.12 to 2.16. “The increase in population and household size may indicate new families being formed or moving into the area,” the report states, though the household size may also “indicate singles or couples without children.”

Residents in the neighborhood have a markedly lower income than the rest of Garfield Township and Grand Traverse County as a whole. The estimated median household income in the area is $34,909; that’s compared to $44,226 in the rest of Garfield Township and $58,229 in Grand Traverse County. “These points reflect the reality that the neighborhood is home to a lower-income and working-class population as compared to other neighborhoods of the township,” staff wrote.

The neighborhood has a need for more housing, the report identifies, particularly affordable housing and “smaller, attached housing units, especially for young singles or retired people.” Only 26.2 percent of land in the Barlow-Garfield corridor is being used for residential housing right now; 34.1 percent is commercial, 29.7 percent is industrial, 1.6 percent is office, and 8.2 percent is vacant. The report recommends developing housing particularly on the northern end of Barlow near the Boon Street area.

The report also identifies several investment opportunities that would help spur new development and improve quality of life. Chief among those is developing better infrastructure, particularly water, sewer, and sidewalks. On a “walkability” index of 0 to 100, Cherryland Center is only a 32, while the area of Barlow Street near the Secretary of State Office is 55. That compares to areas like downtown Traverse City, which has a score of 83. “South Airport Road and Barlow Street have many different businesses and destinations in proximity,” the report states. “However, these corridors lack a complete sidewalk system, and most nearby housing is further away from these roads. Improving the neighborhood infrastructure would let residents take advantage of their proximity to businesses and destinations.”

The neighborhood also needs a grocery store – a Tom’s Market formerly operated at Cherryland Center, but closed its doors – and more parks and outdoor recreational opportunities. “The neighborhood lacks any significant parks or open space areas,” the report states. “The nearest parks and recreation areas” – such as Medalie Park and the Boardman Valley Nature Preserve –  “are all west of the neighborhood.” The report notes that the amount of paved parking areas on South Airport between Garfield and Park Drive that extend into the right-of-way “reduces green space” that could otherwise beautify the corridor.

Finally, the report identifies the Cherryland Center as a prime redevelopment opportunity. The 37-acre site includes approximately 167,000 square feet of retail space located next to two of the township’s busiest roads. “The Cherryland Center site represents a key opportunity for investment given its location at a major intersection and the overall size of the site,” staff wrote. The property faces significant challenges, however, including deteriorating property conditions, three different owners – making it difficult to develop a cohesive plan for the entire property – and a declining big-box market.

But township officials last year also rewrote zoning rules for mall properties, widely expanding the number of uses that could go onto such sites, including hotels, entertainment centers, bars and night clubs, and multi-family housing developments. Officials could also encourage site development by promoting Cherryland Center’s location within an “opportunity zone,” meaning investors could put dollars into an opportunity fund for development projects and receive capital gains tax relief.

The report concludes that a significant portion of the Barlow-Garfield neighborhood has “an average lower median household income, higher unemployment rate, higher poverty rate, and higher rate of renter-occupied housing units than in Garfield Township overall or Grand Traverse County.” But the neighborhood also “sits in a strategic location within the region, which presents opportunities for investment and redevelopment.”

Following tonight’s presentation, Township Planning Director John Sych says the next step will be to take planning commissioners’ input and incorporate it into a final version of the report for adoption in October. Meanwhile, the township plans to begin engaging the community in the visioning process for the Barlow-Garfield Neighborhood Plan this fall. “We are excited by the opportunity to focus our planning efforts in this area of the township,” Sych says. “This (report) is the first step. In the coming weeks, we will be conducting public engagement activities to gain feedback and to generate interest in this newly identified neighborhood.”