Great Lakes Bulletin, Spring 1999

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MEMBERSHIP PAGES

Joe E. Hoffman, Jr.

©Michigan Land Use Institute

M E M B E R S N A P S H O T

An Interview with Joe E. Hoffman, Jr.

Taking on the Petoskey Bypass and Saving Farmland

Joe E. Hoffman, Jr. began helping on the 300-acre family farm that he now owns with his father and brother not long after learning to walk. Growing up he saw his family take special care to recycle and to nourish the soil. As a young teen he became intensely interested in the history of his ancestors, who moved to the Petoskey area from a small German village and formed a close-knit farming community.
In the late 1980s local civic leaders and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) proposed to build a bypass around Petoskey that would slice through precious farmland. The announcement propelled Joe into a leadership role to fight any highway construction that would damage farmland, wetlands, or historic farmsteads and homes. He has been at it, as part of a widespread citizens movement in the area, for more than a decade.
MDOT still is pushing to build a bypass, and some residents are wearying of the battle. Joe Hoffman isn't one of them. Together with scores of concerned citizens, the leadership of Bear Creek and Resort townships, and the Institute, he is working hard for a better approach to solving the problem of traffic congestion that does not waste taxpayer money or farmland.

Q:What initially captured your interest in the Petoskey Bypass?
A: The original plans showed the bypass going through my cousin's farm across the street. It would have dissected his really good vegetable farmland. We wouldn't have been able to get our machinery across the road, making it impossible to farm that property.
Overall, the farmland that lies around Petoskey is some of the best in Emmet County. It really disturbs me to see a lot of this farmland developed into housing.

Q:With much effort, you succeeded in designating 1,200 acres of farmsteads in Emmet County as a historic district. Are they protected from the bypass?
A: Yes. MDOT would have to prove there's no other feasible alternative before it could put a beltway through them.

Q:You also serve on the Bear Creek Township Planning Commission.
A: Yes, I wanted to bring in the viewpoint we should save prime farmland from development. We are working to make sure that commercial projects preserve as much open space — wetlands and farmlands — as possible.
On the bypass issue, the Michigan Historical Library and the two townships have had a huge influence. We actually made MDOT look at stuff they've never had to look at before — viewsheds, wetlands, historic homes and farms. This is a whole new concept.

Q: As a member of the Michigan Farm Bureau Study Committee for Farmland Preservation, what was your solution for finding funding for a state program that pays farmers for the "development rights" to their land?
A: We recommended setting up a Michigan Farmland Trust Fund, funded by a tax that developers would have to pay when buying farmland for industrial parks or subdivisions. Realistically, we can't save all the farms in the state, but we can save a lot of them.

Q: What has it meant for you to persist in the bypass debate for all these years? Will you, the farmers, and the citizens hold out for a solution that makes the best sense for your community and economy?
A: I have a great love for the Petoskey area and the farm that my ancestors fell in love with in 1877. I will always be committed to preserving farmland and open space. This is our heritage to leave to the next generation. The biggest challenge is to convince the general public how vital it is to plan for the future. Strong public opinion will make all the difference.
We have made some inroads. Unfortunately, it has been with ever alarming statistics on the huge loss of farmland that is disappearing every year. I know I’m in it for the long haul. ~A.S.




MEMBERSHIP PAGES
MEMBERSHIP PAGES			Joe E. Hoffman, Jr. ©Michigan Land Use Institute

		M E M B E R S N A P S H O T
	An Interview with Joe E. Hoffman, Jr.
Taking on the Petoskey Bypass and Saving Farmland
		Joe E. Hoffman, Jr. began helping on the 300-acre family farm that he now owns with his father and brother not long after learning to walk. Growing up he saw his family take special care to recycle and to nourish the soil. As a young teen he became intensely interested in the history of his ancestors, who moved to the Petoskey area from a small German village and formed a close-knit farming community. In the late 1980s local civic leaders and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) proposed to build a bypass around Petoskey that would slice through precious farmland. The announcement propelled Joe into a leadership role to fight any highway construction that would damage farmland, wetlands, or historic farmsteads and homes. He has been at it, as part of a widespread citizens movement in the area, for more than a decade. MDOT still is pushing to build a bypass, and some residents are wearying of the battle. Joe Hoffman isn't one of them. Together with scores of concerned citizens, the leadership of Bear Creek and Resort townships, and the Institute, he is working hard for a better approach to solving the problem of traffic congestion that does not waste taxpayer money or farmland. Q:What initially captured your interest in the Petoskey Bypass? A: The original plans showed the bypass going through my cousin's farm across the street. It would have dissected his really good vegetable farmland. We wouldn't have been able to get our machinery across the road, making it impossible to farm that property. Overall, the farmland that lies around Petoskey is some of the best in Emmet County. It really disturbs me to see a lot of this farmland developed into housing. Q:With much effort, you succeeded in designating 1,200 acres of farmsteads in Emmet County as a historic district. Are they protected from the bypass? A: Yes. MDOT would have to prove there's no other feasible alternative before it could put a beltway through them. Q:You also serve on the Bear Creek Township Planning Commission. A: Yes, I wanted to bring in the viewpoint we should save prime farmland from development. We are working to make sure that commercial projects preserve as much open space — wetlands and farmlands — as possible. On the bypass issue, the Michigan Historical Library and the two townships have had a huge influence. We actually made MDOT look at stuff they've never had to look at before — viewsheds, wetlands, historic homes and farms. This is a whole new concept. Q: As a member of the Michigan Farm Bureau Study Committee for Farmland Preservation, what was your solution for finding funding for a state program that pays farmers for the "development rights" to their land? A: We recommended setting up a Michigan Farmland Trust Fund, funded by a tax that developers would have to pay when buying farmland for industrial parks or subdivisions. Realistically, we can't save all the farms in the state, but we can save a lot of them. Q: What has it meant for you to persist in the bypass debate for all these years? Will you, the farmers, and the citizens hold out for a solution that makes the best sense for your community and economy? A: I have a great love for the Petoskey area and the farm that my ancestors fell in love with in 1877. I will always be committed to preserving farmland and open space. This is our heritage to leave to the next generation. The biggest challenge is to convince the general public how vital it is to plan for the future. Strong public opinion will make all the difference. We have made some inroads. Unfortunately, it has been with ever alarming statistics on the huge loss of farmland that is disappearing every year. I know I’m in it for the long haul. ~A.S.