12/25/2006

Newsmakers 2006

City ponders future of zoo site

By
Record-Eagle staff writer

TRAVERSE CITY — A crow, a beaver, a deer and a few other critters are the only signs of life at the Clinch Park Zoo.

The zoo closed its doors in September, ending years of family fun at its bayfront location near downtown Traverse City. Now city officials are soliciting ideas for what to do with the site. A family focus likely will continue, even though the zoo is closed.

"It was a key component of the waterfront, and the atmosphere that we had,” said City Planner Russ Soyring.

The city's bayfront planning group is planning a 7 p.m. Jan. 25 meeting at the Hagerty Center. Residents will have a chance to discuss transforming the zoo site, or they can join a conversation about designs for the city's two-mile bayfront stretch.

Soyring wants an "interim plan” for the zoo spot, so it can be spruced up for the summer season by Memorial Day. More extensive renovations, such as splash fountains or ice-skating rinks, could be spurred by the bayfront planning effort and built later.

The city asked its historic districts commission for permission to demolish all of the zoo buildings except the Con Foster building. But commissioners were "skeptical about issuing a blanket demolition without analyzing” the structures, said city zoning administrator David Weston. The commission wants a redevelopment plan for the site, he said.

"The city is not going to demolish buildings that are worth an adaptive reuse,” Weston said.

The commission did approve the removal of some fences and animal pens, he said.

Zoo operations wound down this year after the city commission decided in 2005 to shutter the attraction.

Among the reasons was the yearly $380,000 toll to taxpayers. Some residents also complained the zoo was too small and worried about the animals. Zoo supporters argued it was a good location.

The city has found new homes for most of the animals, said Bob Cole, the city's public services director. Plans to house the remaining animals such as the crow, deer and beaver, are in the works, he said.