Traverse City Record-Eagle

Archive: Thursday

February 16, 2012

Elmwood Township — a step at a time

Parking spot by parking spot, Elmwood Township is carving out the township's future.

Monday, the township board voted 4-2 to purchase about five acres on the west side of M-22 across from the township marina and Greilickville Harbor Park. Securing that land is going to be critical for plans to upgrade the marina and lure more residents to its newly spiffed-up park.

Having control of the site — a portion of the the former Brewery Creek development — also will allow the township to, as supervisor Jack Kelley put it, "be a player in the future redevelopment of the M-22 corridor."

It better be. The township is moving ahead with plans at an ideal time. It can still influence what the corridor will look like before plans are overtaken by the private development that seems sure to come.

The township still must resolve the biggest single problem there — creating a safe way for traffic and pedestrians to cross M-22 — but it must first get control of enough of the site to make a difference.

Step by step, that seems to be happening.

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