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February 26, 2001'Disappointing, but not surprising'City commission rejects GT Commons proposalBy BILL O'BRIENRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Where - and if - the city, county and state police can find a new home remains up in the air, but it won't be at the Grand Traverse Commons campus. In a vote that county officials termed "disappointing but not surprising," the city commission Monday night rejected a request from Grand Traverse County to amend the district plan for the Grand Traverse Commons to allow for construction of a $3.5 million law enforcement center at the nearly century-old barns at the south end of the Commons property. Although the proposal won unanimous support from the township board, the city's opposition all but kills the plan at the Commons. "What are we going to do - at this point I don't know," county board Chairman Richard Thomas said after the meeting. Thomas said he expects the board will discuss facility issues when it meets Wednesday night for its monthly meeting. "We're going to have to talk it over as a commission," Thomas said. "But our best option, I think, is going up on LaFranier" - referring to a 27-acre site in Garfield Township south of Traverse City that the county purchased late last year. County officials spent almost $242,000 on architectural and other design work on the barns, fees which also included design modifications requested by the State Historic Preservation Office. Both of the large brick structures were constructed about four years apart shortly after 1900. The older barn is a two-story building that has concrete cattle stalls in the lower level and a hay loft on the second floor. The other is an expansive cathedral-shaped building that's been used for equipment storage. Four other old wooden barns that served the former state hospital grounds were torn down in the mid-1960s. The county felt it was money well spent because the barns plan created "the best opportunity" for combining all three police agencies while also preserving the structures from further deterioration, deputy administrator Michael McClelland said. But the plans didn't come close to getting enough votes from the city commission to become reality. Only Mayor Larry Hardy and Commissioner Phill Orth supported the proposal. Commissioners Ann Rogers, Linda Smyka, Margaret Dodd and James Tompkins were opposed. "When you go down the list of pros and cons, for me it doesn't mesh," Smyka said of the proposal. "It's not an ideal type of activity for the barns." Garfield Township officials voted 5-0 in support of the barns although Trustee Brad Barnes - the new chairman of the Commons board - abstained from the vote. "I think the community would benefit greatly by preserving the historic value of the barns," said Trustee Jim Harvey, also feeling that a police station wouldn't hamper the recreational use that goes on in the southern end of the Commons campus. Attorneys for the city and the township have agreed that because the barns property is in the township that Garfield could approve the project over the city's objections. County officials said, however, that the barns are too large for just two police agencies and that the county wouldn't further pursue the barns without the city's involvement. The plans were endorsed last fall by the Garfield Township planning commission, but opposed by city planners who felt they were not consistent with the existing development plan for the Commons campus. The Grand Traverse Commons Redevelopment Corp. board had also endorsed the county's proposal. Commons board member John C. Bay said the board will continue to field proposals for the barns property - which has been suggested for everything from a community park to private gardens to a new city zoo - but said any such project will need its own financial support. "We'll entertain anything you come up with, but it's got to live on its own," Bay said. "We cannot finance it at the Commons." Bill O'Brien is the reporter for government in Grand Traverse County. He can be reached at (231) 933-1477 or bobrien@record-eagle.com |