09/08/2006

Goodwill land may go commercial

By Vanessa McCray

vmccray@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — Land under a soon-to-be-vacated homeless shelter in the city could be rezoned for greater commercial activity.

The Traverse City planning commission Wednesday voted 6-1 to support rezoning the Goodwill Inn homeless shelter site at 1329 S. Division St. Goodwill Industries of Northern Michigan plans to sell the property and use some of the proceeds to partially fund construction of its new $4.7 million shelter on Keystone Road.

A new "community center" zoning designation would "most definitely" increase the value of the property because it allows for a greater array of uses, city planner Russ Soyring said.

Goodwill Executive Director and Planning Commissioner Cecil McNally said he doesn't know how much more the property is worth if zoning changes from the current R-15 multiple family district to the requested C-3 community center. A conservative estimate put the property's price at $550,000, but it has not been appraised recently, he said.

"I would anticipate it would come in significantly higher than that," McNally said.

He abstained from voting on the rezoning request. Planning Commissioner Jeanine Easterday cast the lone vote against the change.

Soyring recommended against the change. He said in a memorandum to the commission that the city plan "clearly states" community centers are "not intended to be strung out along the highway" and there is sufficient land in the city zoned C-3.

Current zoning would allow 25 dwellings on the 1.65 acre site and allow for uses such as offices, restaurants and art galleries.

Community center zoning would allow up to 48 dwellings and more-intense uses such as fast food establishments, car dealerships, muffler shops and nightclubs. The C-3 zoning would also allow twice as much building and parking area coverage, Soyring said.

But, McNally said, the property is in "a bubble" surrounded on the north and east by C-3 zoning and includes wetlands to the south. He said the building isn't suited for renovations and likely will be torn down.

Goodwill expects to move to the new shelter in mid-November. The South Division location is not yet listed for sale, but McNally said several parties expressed interest for retail or restaurant uses.

The city commission must approve the rezoning. It is scheduled for introduction on Sept. 18.