02/13/2007

Editorial

Public is getting its say on future of the barns

In any discussion of the barns at the Grand Traverse Commons the only sure thing is that there is no sure thing.

Everyone, it seems, has their own idea of what would be the best use for the two barns, the 54 acres that make up the barns area and the seven other buildings that are still on the site.

The group Rolling Centuries has used the barns to hold harvest festivals and other activities over the past few years. Some have called for a new Traverse City zoo to be built there. Some want them to be the center of a working, educational farm or artist or music studios or for weddings, dances and theater. An aquarium has been mentioned.

Now, the brainstorming has gotten official. The joint Traverse City-Garfield Township Recreational Authority, which owns the barns area, has appointed a committee to get public input on how the barns should be used and come up with a menu of acceptable uses.

To its credit the committee has created a pro-active, inclusive process to give anyone with an opinion a chance to express it. The group has created an excellent Web site (brainstormingthebarns.org) that offers maps and photos of the area, descriptions of the buildings, a link for e-mailed comments and a telephone number to leave a voice mail idea.

The panel is also holding a series of public brainstorming sessions to hear new ideas and give people an opportunity to comment on ideas that have already been tossed into the ring.

There are three more of those meetings, including one Thursday, one March 15 and one April 19. All the meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and are being held in the cafeteria at West Junior High School on Silver Lake Road just west of the barns area.

At the April meeting the committee expects to present its proposed master plan and get more input before taking it to the full recreation authority board in May.

Committee members say there are a few givens: extending Franke Road to the Commons; running water and sewer service to the site; and, initially at least, to raze the seven smaller outbuildings. That decision has now been put on hold while possible uses for those buildings are considered.

Some work has already been done on the barns, including new roofs and foundation work.

This an opportunity few communities get, and it needs to be done right the first time. If you have an idea or an opinion, participate. Visit the Web site, attend a meeting or leave a voice mail at (231) 922-4526.