City Council Meeting - 2022-12-05

Detailed briefing

City Council Meeting — December 5, 2022 • Council selected the area behind the police station, near the Deer Park, as the site to advance for detailed planning of a new electric substation. The motion carried after discussion of the police-station site versus a wooded Lake Road parcel. Staff cited rough project estimates of about $3 million for the police-station site and about $2.5 million for the wooded parcel. • The council’s choice does not finalize the substation design. Staff said the next work will examine exact layout, vegetation impacts, screening, walls or enclosure, security cameras, lighting, and other details before the proposal goes to the Planning Commission. A brick screening wall was discussed as an added cost estimated at roughly $200,000. • Residents spoke against both proposed substation locations, with several urging preservation of the Lake Road trees and questioning safety, visual impacts, security, park impacts, and whether other sites should be reconsidered. The city’s engineer said the existing system has reliability risk if one of two current transformers is lost and said future electrification will require another substation. • Council reached consensus not to pursue an Atlas Tower proposal to lease city land for a possible cell tower. Staff said the proposal offered a minimum of $850 per month but raised aesthetic, height, location, and land-use concerns, and did not guarantee that a cellular provider would build a tower. • Council asked staff to continue gathering details on Little Traverse Conservancy’s proposed regional dog park at the former golf course near Hideaway Valley Drive. The concept includes separate large- and small-dog areas, parking, and restrooms. No city funding commitment was made. • Council adopted changes to its short-term-rental administrative ordinance. Existing license holders will have renewal priority from January 1 through February 1, 2023; afterward, applications would be first come, first served. The ordinance expires June 30, 2023, may be extended, and includes the AR district. The Planning Commission will continue work on longer-term rules and selection criteria. Worth watching: • Whether detailed substation planning addresses screening, security, lighting, park relocation, and public concerns before Planning Commission review. • Whether the Planning Commission completes revised short-term-rental criteria before the June 30 ordinance expiration. • Whether the city later chooses to contribute to dog-park maintenance. Upcoming: Public hearing on the proposed 2023 budget next Monday at 7 PM; council plans to vote on the budget December 19. Why it matters: The meeting advanced a major reliability project while setting temporary rules for short-term rentals and considering future regional recreation options.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.