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February 12, 2006Township seeks nicer waterfrontStudies under way to give area more characterTRAVERSE CITY - A multi-year effort to rejuvenate the M-22 corridor in Elmwood Township is gaining speed.Township officials embarked on a Greilickville waterfront study about three years ago, spurred by enhancements at the township marina and other development in the west M-22 business and residential district. Bill Swanson, township planner, said those changes highlighted the area's assets but still left Greilickville, just north of Traverse City, without its own identity. "There was a recognition that the Greilickville area really wasn't that vibrant," Swanson said. "There's no focal point." The stretch along M-22 currently includes a small township park south of the marina and a beach area on West Grand Traverse Bay. Planning focused on the park and beach area in hopes that improvements will help create an activity center in the community. During the first phase, the township hired a planning consultant to compile an initial study. The second phase involved conceptual planning paid for with help from a $20,000 Coastal Management Grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. That conceptual plan, recently completed by Traverse City-based Gosling Czubak Engineering, incorporated public input gathered through numerous public forums. "We got a lot of neat ideas," Swanson said. "We heard from a lot of boaters and from people who want to see the bay and have it be more accessible in a park-like setting." Proposed park improvements include a pavilion, boardwalk, play area, restrooms and enhanced parking and pedestrian access from M-22. Township board members unanimously voted last month to amend the contract with Gosling Czubak and allocate an additional $12,600 for the planning firm to update the township's recreation plan. That plan is necessary to apply for grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Commission Trust Fund and other sources to complete waterfront improvements. Officials hope to apply by April 1 in order to be included in the next round of grant funding. The township's planning commission, marina committee and parks and recreation committee voted in support of the conceptual plan. The endorsements signify the next step, but do not lock in any design details. The township also is working with groups including the Maritime Heritage Alliance and the Great Lakes Children's Museum - both of which are working on projects along M-22 - with an eye toward improvements at the township marina.
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