Remember the story The Ticker published last November about new hotels in East Bay Township? Or the high-stakes lawsuit between multiple wineries and Peninsula Township? Well, things have changed regarding a lot of current ticker stories. That’s why we’re here today to provide the very latest on a handful of news items we’ve covered over the past six months.
Winery lawsuit
Last fall, the Old Mission Peninsula (WOMP) wineries filed a lawsuit against Peninsula Township in federal court for wrongly restricting township zoning ordinances. In February, A judge recommended that the parties continue mediation and Protect the Peninsula (PTP), an advocacy group, intervened as a co-defendant.
WOMP attorney Joseph Infante tells The Ticker that the wineries “tried to mediate [with the township] but were unsuccessful. “
“The wineries have requested a partial summary assessment of the state legal requirement issues and the parties are currently providing information,” says Infante, referring to nine parish zoning provisions (including rules that wineries are not allowed to operate restaurants and that they must close ) 9:30 pm), which WOMP argues, are “excluded” by the Michigan Liquor Control Code. “The court has not scheduled a hearing so we are not sure when the matter will go to court,” added Infante.
Peninsula Township attorney Gregory Meihn did not respond to a request for comment.
According to Mike Dettmer, a PTP board member and attorney, PTP’s request for intervention was “submitted and completed”.
“The court has not yet made a decision, but we are still involved in supporting the community and their attorney, including participating in mediation,” continued Dettmer. “Our multiple requests to WOMP to dismiss the litigation and return to the community zoning table have been ignored, so the litigation continues.”
PTP legal advisor TJ Andrews notes that the community filed a motion to dismiss WOMP’s preemption claims on Tuesday. That motion, she says, “echoes some of the allegations PTP made in an April filing” when the group sought permission from the court – essentially permission to depart from established legal process – to pass through their request for intervention refuse to add an additional “application” [WOMP’s] Claims from constitutional law. “
PTP also filed documents on Thursday in response to a “strike motion” by WOMP aimed at rejecting and removing from the files PTP’s April filing.
The filing, which Andrews shared with The Ticker, shows that WOMP has also requested sanctions against PTP for attempting to remain in the case despite not being a party to the lawsuit. When Andrews shared PTP’s intention in April to seek permission from the court to petition for dismissal, Infante responded by saying, “Your client is not entitled to petition in this case. If you submit your application anyway we will apply for sanctions. “
New hotels
COVID-19, the death of a property developer, and other factors have delayed construction on several proposed hotels in the area. At least one of these Projects are currently underway: According to Fritz Heller, President of North Michigan Hospitality Management (NMHM), the company is ready to lay the foundation stone with a Tru by Hilton at US-31 in Garfield Township across from Panera Bread.
“There are machines there, there is a construction site trailer,” says Heller of the construction site. “The water supply and sewer system are being connected. I suspect in the next 10 days we will start getting the geopiers into the ground and then they will start pouring foundations. “Heller adds that the hotel will likely take” a full year “to build and that the hotel” should be open before Memorial Day 2022. “
A Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, which was also planned by NNHM and is to be located next to the Tru, should “begin construction in 2023”, according to Heller.
There are few additional details to be disclosed in the East Bay Charter Township since The Ticker last reported on three stalled hotel developments. One proposed by Lansing-based Eastbay One, LLC between Hampton Inn and Traverse City State Park derailed in 2019 when developer Michael Eyde passed away. The property has been on sale since last year and is listed for $ 3.5 million. Team Elmer recently rated the site, and the property list now reads: “The package is cleared and the contour is flat.”
Two other East Bay hotel projects proposed by Stellar Hospitality, LLC of Farmington Hills for parcels between Holiday Road and Hopscotch Brick Oven and Tap Room remain inactive. Claire Karner, head of planning and zoning for the East Bay Charter Township, told The Ticker that she had “no updates” on the developer’s plans.
A new project is underway on US-31 in East Bay Township: the new luxury car wash Green Mitt, The Ticker first reported on. This business will occupy the previous Hooters home that was demolished earlier this spring. Nick Spallone, the project’s designer, says Green Mitt is slated to have its grand opening in mid-fall.
TCAPS degrees
On Friday, the Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) announced their plans for the following graduation ceremonies Months full of questions whether the events would take place in person or virtually.
While TCAPS Superintendent John VanWagoner originally pointed out that the Kresge Auditorium at the Interlochen Center for the Arts or the district’s own Thirlby Field were the most likely venues for a live ceremony, TCAPS now plans to offer degrees for both Central High School and also held for West Senior High at Turtle Creek Stadium. These ceremonies will take place on Sunday, June 6th at 11am and 4pm respectively.
TCAPS selected Turtle Creek Stadium for the final exams in Central and West because “it provides a venue where the entire senior class can be at a ceremony and each graduate can invite two family members or guests.” The event will also be broadcast live .
Traverse City High School will graduate on Friday June 4th at 6pm in the Lars Hockstad Auditorium.
TCLPfiber
After an initial Rollout slowed down Traverse City Light & Power’s TCLPfiber project is picking up speed amid COVID-19, construction delays and a city moratorium that prevented underground installation work during the winter months.
The utility has 494 registered customers as of May 5, up from 383 at the end of March. Scott Menhart, chief information officer, says TCLP’s installation teams “got underway” when the city lifted its moratorium on underground work on April 15 and has been busy attracting customers ever since. Menhart now expects commercial filings to accelerate as this is the case in Michigan personally relaxed Work restrictions.
Unreal real estate
In March, Dennis Pearsall, President of the Northwest Michigan Division of Real Estate One, told The Ticker His team had a record year in 2020, posting sales of $ 560 million, up from $ 495 million in 2019. With interest rates at record lows and remote work bringing a whole new subset of buyers to the North of With Michigan brought, virtually all local real estate agents have seen similar growth.
According to Pearsall, it’s not slowing down. Sharing data from Aspire North Realtors (formerly the Traverse Area Association of Realtors), he says 471 residential units were sold in Grand Traverse County in the first four months of 2021, compared with 437 in the same period in 2020 and 454 in the year 2019 Average home market days fell from 84 in 2019 to 64 last year and 50 this year, while the average retail price rose from $ 304,000 in the first four months of 2020 to $ 356,000 this year.
“It won’t last, of course,” says Pearsall of the booming market. “But in the short term, I don’t see much that will change that dynamic. I think the inventory will still come out and sell very quickly which will continue to put pressure on prices. “
