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Benzie Bus, Economic Bright Spot

Blog Archive | March 31, 2010 | By Shauna Fite

Anyone looking for a bright economic spot to celebrate in our sorely tried region of the state should have attended last week’s groundbreaking for the new Benzie Bus headquarters....

Buying Time for Benzie Zoning

Blog Archive | February 15, 2010 | By Shauna Fite

It’s been a busy and uncertain six months for local officials in Benzie County. Cuts in revenue continue, forcing officials to make tough decisions on funding priorities....

BATA and the Brussels Sprouts

Blog Archive | February 10, 2010 | By Jim Lively

So he commissioned a survey to “find people that don’t currently ride the bus and ask them what it would take to get them to use our services.”
...

Peddling a Path to TC’s Future

Blog Archive | February 4, 2010 | By Brian Beauchamp

Last week, the Traverse City City Commission hosted a panel of top community leaders for a program called “TC Tomorrow.”...

Gardens Fed by Community

Blog Archive | January 26, 2010 | By Diane Conners

Now, the words “community” and “garden” are transforming lives across the country, and a special event in Traverse City on Sunday, Jan. 31 highlights “The Promise of Gardens: How Gardens Build Community, Feed Us All and Reconnect Us to Nature,” featuring award-winning author Eric Toensmeier....

I’m Out of the Car-Commuter Game

Blog Archive | January 22, 2010 | By Jim Lively

It’s official: I parked my dilapidated Honda Civic for the last time last May....

Looking to Cities for Salvation

Blog Archive | December 16, 2009 | By Brian Beauchamp

The adage, “think globally, act locally” comes to mind, especially as negotiations reach a grinding halt and conference-goers are left looking for ways to start taking the climate challenge into their own hands....


Benzie’s Moment of Truth

Blog Archive | December 10, 2009 | By Jim Lively

Like every other local government in Michigan, Benzie County is really feeling the state budget crunch. That’s why, earlier this year, Benzie officials decided to cut their entire planning and zoning program; it’s a “non-mandated” service, so it is an easy target for cuts....

Budget Shortfalls Threaten County Planning and Zoning

Blog Archive | September 18, 2009 | By Shauna Fite

Seven townships in Benzie County may be stripped of all of their zoning protections due to the county’s serious budget shortfall....

Acme Needs a Grand Vision

Blog Archive | September 14, 2009 | By Jim Lively

If the Grand Vision wanted a ‘poster community’ to illustrate the challenge of implementing the region’s new growth strategy, it would be Acme Township....

Hannah Clark: Beaches and Busses

Blog Archive | June 25, 2009 | By Hannah Clark

Now I’m trying out riding the BATA bus to work, but it seems I may have forgotten the rules. ...

Glenn Puit: Wiring Empire for Success

Blog Archive | May 26, 2009 | By Glenn Puit

Located along a particularly beautiful stretch of northern Lake Michigan shoreline, the small village of Empire looks like a guaranteed economic success story....

Brian Beauchamp: Seeing the Big Picture—the Grand Vision Takes Off

Blog Archive | May 22, 2009 | By Brian Beauchamp

Although it was a regional event, Tuesday night’s rollout of The Grand Vision’s final draft plan at Traverse City’s State Theater was actually a watershed for the entire state....

Tom Karas: A Grand Vision for Wind Power?

Blog Archive | May 19, 2009 | By Tom Karas

I have to believe that The Grand Vision process has played a part in giving citizens, like my team in Benzie, the empowerment and encouragement we need to dream....


Glenn Puit: Grand Visions, New Designs

Blog Archive | May 17, 2009 | By Glenn Puit

Seventeen years ago, some Grand Traverse-area residents launched a grassroots movement to better manage the area’s growth. They wanted to protect the area’s pristine environment, farmland, and uniqueness....

Jim Lively: Roll Out the Grand Vision!

Blog Archive | May 17, 2009 | By Jim Lively

On Tuesday May 19th from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the State Theateryou can participate in an historic event: the rollout and celebration of “the final Grand Vision”-a citizen-certified plan for the next 50 years of growth in our six-county region. And the Michigan Land Use Institute is proud to report that it is truly Grand!...

Jim Lively: Hooray! They Don’t Want a Dam!

Blog Archive | April 28, 2009 | By Jim Lively

Last week the Grand Traverse region took a historic step toward enhancing the region’s already outstanding water resources when local leaders voted to remove three dams from the Boardman River....

Glenn Puit: Larry Merrill, Townships, and The Grand Vision

Blog Archive | April 28, 2009 | By Glenn Puit

The Grand Vision has had more citizen involvement - over 15,000 residents - than any other planning process ever conducted in this region, and has engaged environmental groups, business leaders and civic organizations....

Glenn Puit: A Grand Vision for Kalkaska’s Success

Blog Archive | April 20, 2009 | By Glenn Puit

After almost 18 months of citizen workshops, interviews, surveys, and balloting involving more than 15,000 people, the Grand Vision is ready to roll out a 50-year development plan. And Mr. Shetler thinks implementing it is key to spurring Kalkaska’s turnaround....

Glenn Puit: Grand Vision’s Next Steps

Blog Archive | April 9, 2009 | By Glenn Puit

With the votes tallied and the surveys sifted, the results of the six-county, citizen-based Grand Vision land use and transportation study indicate that residents of Benzie County and the five other counties in the Grand Traverse region largely agree on how they’d like to see the region grow over the next 50 years....

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