TRAVERSE CITY — Two Grand Traverse County commissioners will serve on the South Airport Road steering committee to help craft a plan that improves the corridor at Logan’s Landing and prevents further flooding concerns in the future.
County Commissioners Scott Sieffert and T.J. Andrews, the board’s chair and vice chair, agreed Wednesday to join the committee that aims to address concerns regarding the designated evacuation route, which sees roughly 45,000 motorists daily.
The county commissioners will join Garfield Township Supervisor Joe McManus and Trustee Denise Schmuckal, as well as road commissioners Haider Kazim and Alan Leman.
Leman, the road commission chair, is leading the committee’s formation and said he’s committed to the project’s completion and the proposed one-year timeline.
“It’s a steering committee that’s going to take all the community groups we can find and take the input from people about possible solutions and needs first, and then move on to specific transportation solutions for the corridor,” he told commissioners Wednesday.
Leman explained that, while the road commission’s main concern is safe transportation along South Airport Road, other community entities are “interested in making the corridor a better place.”
The committee’s mission is strictly limited to South Airport Road at Logan’s Landing. The steering committee will also include advisors from planning and zoning departments, water and sewer experts, affected residential and business owners and tribal leaders of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
“I don’t want to create another unending government board that’s going to work with this forever,” Leman said. “We have a specific mission in mind: South Airport corridor at Logan’s Landing.”
Governmental cooperation so far has been encouraging, he added.
Michigan State Police took preliminary requests for a proposal that allotted planning funds under the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he said. County administration alerted road commissioners and helped navigate the process.
“Garfield Township reviewed it and sent it on to the state police that very same day, ahead of the deadline,” Leman said. “It’s already shown me that we have the ability to work quickly and together.”
During Wednesday’s discussion, Andrews highlighted that South Airport is one of the most traveled roads in the community and has been on area leadership’s radar for more than 11 years.
In 2022, the road commission’s Asset Management Plan flagged South Airport Road as a concern. In that same year, the county’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan — approved by FEMA and valid for five years — also flagged the road as a No. 1 concern, referencing the previous 2015 plan that originally flagged the South Airport crossing at Logan’s Landing.
“Eleven years that this has been a priority,” Andrews said. “What comfort do we have that this is not just going to become another study on a shelf in a basement of some office somewhere?”
Leman explained he couldn’t speak to the reasons other agencies didn’t move forward with the road work, but he’s determined to have a realistic solution with design and funding avenues within a year. Sieffert agreed the specific timeline provided some hope that the committee’s plan would come to fruition.
Leman intends to call the committee’s first meeting within the next week.
“The timeline — I know it’s aggressive, but I don’t think our community can wait,” Leman said.
The road commission’s millage is endorsed by the board, Leman said, and past leadership has prioritized that funding toward immediate needs of the county’s roads versus larger projects and goals.
“Long-term planning has not been the road commission’s strength, for sure,” he added. “If we don’t get South Airport fixed, it endangers the county’s economic well-being because it’s so important for people to get across town.”
BEITNER ROAD BRIDGE
Andrews asked Leman if he could provide a separate update on the progress of Beitner Road’s bridge, the plans of which are still being processed by the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Leman said the road commission’s existing plans and design were finalized and he was told by MDOT the project would go out to bid by the first week in July. However, after he inquired again, he was told there isn’t a bid letting date scheduled until later next month with another bid letting date set for Aug. 28.
“We’re waiting for MDOT staff to say we’re ready to move ahead,” Leman said. “If we don’t get an earlier bid letting, the summer will go by with no construction. We’ve asked the MDOT staff to identify whatever hurdles are left and maybe even have a special letting for us to get this done.”
Leman clarified he and road commission Manager Dan Watkins have expressed frustration in the procedural hangups since Traverse City traffic can only be diverted so many ways.
Andrews said the impacts to county residents’ quality of life are severe, proposing the board direct county administration to craft a letter of support for legislative representatives to send to MDOT staff urging the “expedient approval of the Beitner bridge replacement.”
“It’s a real problem for this community and this is why we elect people to go to Lansing and represent us,” Andrews said. “We’re in an emergency, we are there.”
Leman agreed, noting, “There’s strength in numbers.” The board unanimously approved the motion.
County commissioners will convene for a special meeting at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Governmental Center, 400 Boardman Ave., in Traverse City.
The public is welcome to attend.