|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
April 1, 2001Quiet life entices familes to 'burbsRural yet convenient bedroom communities are springing up near region's urban settingsALMIRA TOWNSHIP (AP) - Eric and Jennifer Nittolo wanted an affordable house for their growing family. A woodsy, quiet setting, not too far from schools and shopping - but not too close, either.They settled on Beechridge Estates, a subdivision in northeastern Benzie County. A decade ago, it didn't exist. Now there are three roads and nearly two dozen houses, with more under construction. "It's secluded, but it's not that far into town, either," Jennifer Nittolo says, scrubbing the kitchen table inside their 1,500-square-foot, tri-level house. "It only takes 20 minutes to get anywhere that's important." Long a sparsely occupied, rural county known for cherry orchards, woods and lakes, Benzie County is becoming a bedroom community. Its population grew 31.1 percent in the 1990s, attracting retirees from southern Michigan and young families with jobs in Traverse City, 15 miles east of Almira Township, where the Nittolos live. "They come for the water, the terrain, the country living. They want some space," says County Administrator Chuck Clarke, himself a Kalamazoo native who moved to Benzie in 1994 after retiring from the Marines. Benzie isn't alone. Counties in the northwestern Lower Peninsula had some of the highest growth rates in Michigan over the last decade, according to newly released 2000 census numbers. Among them: Otsego (up 29.8 percent); Leelanau (27.8); Antrim (27.1); Emmet (25.5); Kalkaska (22.8), and Grand Traverse (20.8). The trend has long been obvious to government officials struggling to provide services in fast-growing areas where tax revenues have sometimes lagged behind demand. It's also no secret to residents whose dream of life in a rural paradise has collided with the reality of crowded roads, restaurant waiting lists and cherry orchards plowed under to make room for more subdivisions. "Managing growth is now the top issue in northwestern Michigan," says Hans Voss, executive director of the Michigan Land Use Institute, a research and advocacy group in Benzonia. "What's needed is a strong effort to manage growth and plan for the future. Otherwise, the north will lose the rural character that makes it so special. It'll feel more and more like one big suburb, and I don't know many people who want that for their community." Still, there is no consensus on how to deal with growth. Bitter debates have arisen over proposals to build bypasses around Traverse City and Petoskey. Malls and chain retailers are springing up on the outskirts of northern towns, raising concerns about sprawl, loss of farmland and undercutting downtown shopping districts. Revealingly, the census report shows that despite all the growth in northern Michigan, most of its larger towns had little or none. Traverse City's population went from 15,155 in 1990 to 14,532, a 4.1 percent decline. Cadillac, Charlevoix, Frankfort and Manistee also decreased slightly, while Petoskey and Grayling grew by less than 1 percent. There were exceptions. Gaylord, benefiting from its location just off Interstate 75, grew 13.1 percent, from 3,256 to 3,681. East Jordan grew 11.9 percent and Cheboygan 5.9 percent. Yet townships outside the stagnant cities grew at sometimes explosive rates. Paradise Township in southern Grand Traverse County recorded 4,191 residents, a 67 percent increase. Kingley, a village in the township, grew to 1,469 residents - a 99 percent leap. What the numbers underscore is the widespread desire to live in the country without sacrificing urban amenities such as convenient shopping and cable television, says Kurt Metzger, a Wayne State University demographer. But that will be harder to come by as more people flock northward, he says. The pattern is well established in Detroit suburbs, where people are pushing ever farther outward to escape the crush. "You can't have it both ways," Metzger said. "You've really got to go pretty far to have true peace and quiet, and that means sacrificing a lot of the assets of city living." For now, however, Benzie County seems to offer the best of both worlds for families such as the Nittolos. Jennifer, 24, gazes outside the sliding glass back door at their snow-covered deck and spacious back yard, with swing set and plastic sliding board. With three young children and a fourth on the way, they're already outgrowing their house and may rebuild, she says. "But if we do, it'll probably be in this subdivision because I'd just hate to move the kids away. There's a lot of young children here and they're all growing up together." A couple of miles to the south, the village of Lake Ann retains the feel of yesteryear: There's but one blinking stoplight, a tiny post office, a United Methodist church, two small restaurants and a general store that dates to the 1890s. John and Sandy Nuske have owned the store for two decades, supplying villagers with everything from soda pop to fishing tackle to goat feed. For the most part, they consider the growth around them a blessing. "We make money now. We used to have to eat our stale stuff," says John Nuske, 56. Yet, as a member of the school board and the road commission, he sees challenges ahead. An elementary school for the Lake Ann area opened in November, and about 200 children already are enrolled. "I don't know if our meager infrastructure is ready for the additional people," Nuske says. "We're going to have to do some pretty major resurfacing. The increase in traffic is pounding the heck out of the streets." Read more about the census: • 13-county region has grown 22 percent since 1990 count • Michigan’s top 10 population gainers, losers (map) • Michigan suburban migration accelerates • Region’s racial characteristics (chart) • Region’s population change (chart) • Cities' losses are townships' gains • Family enjoys life in small town • What's at stake with changing population • Large cities that lost or gained population (chart) • City and village populations (chart) • Quiet life entices familes to 'burbs • Native American numbers on rise • Aging citizens outpace younger generation • Population changes in region by county, city and township (chart) |
