Community Park, Recreation, Open Space, & Greenway Plan
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Community Park, Recreation, Open Space, & Greenway Plan G l e n A r b o r T o w n s h i p , M i c h i g a n February 2020 submitted to: Glen Arbor Township, Michigan submitted by: Gosling Czubak Engineering Sciences, Inc Planning & Landscape Architecture COMMUNITY PARK, RECREATION, OPEN SPACE AND GREENWAY PLAN PREPARED FOR: Glen Arbor Township, Leelanau County, Michigan TOWNSHIP BOARD Supervisor: Peter Van Nort Clerk: Pamela Laureto Treasurer: Lee Houtteman Trustee: Don Lewis Trustee: John Peppler PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION (PARC) Chairman: Jim Fowler Treasurer: Jim Munson Secretary: Celeste Crouch Board Member: Ron Calsbeek Board Member: Kelly Ciolek Board Member: Rick Schanhals Board Member: Paul Walters PREPARED BY: Gosling Czubak Engineering Sciences, Inc. 1280 Business Park Drive Traverse City, Michigan 49686 2 PREPARED IN PARTNERSHIP BY GOSLING CZUBAK ENGINEERING SCIENCES, INC. Table of Contents Introduction Section 1 – Community Description Section 2 – Administrative Structure Section 3 – Recreation Inventory Section 4 – Public Input Process Section 5 – Goals and Objectives Section 6 – Action Program Appendix A Mapping Map Figure 1 - Recreation Inventory Map Map Figure 2 – Recreation Resource Inventory Public Workshop Mailer Email – Mail Public Comments 30-Day Public Comment Period Flyer Public Notice in Newspaper Public Hearing Flyer Legal Ad Appendix B Appendix C Public Meeting / Hearing Notice Adopting Resolution Parks and Recreation Plan Adoption meeting minutes Township Board Plan Adoption meeting minutes Certification Checklist Letters of Transmittal PREPARED IN PARTNERSHIP BY GOSLING CZUBAK ENGINEERING SCIENCES, INC. 3 Introduction Glen Arbor Township is one of eleven townships in Leelanau County in the northwestern most comer of the Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The Township is a prime destination for 1.5 million visitors a year, the permanent home of about 850 persons and the seasonal home of another 2,250 (as of the 2010 Census). A majority of the vacant acreage in the township is comprised of land under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service as part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBDNLS). The small settlement of Glen Arbor, an un- incorporated village within the Township, is nestled between the SBDNLS, Lake Michigan and Big Glen Lake. The local economy is largely driven by summer tourist trade, with the influx of seasonal residents and visitors providing revenue for a wider range of restaurants and businesses than would normally be found in a communi- ty of similar population. The total area of Glen Arbor Township including land and inland lakes, rivers and streams is approximately 39 square miles (22,607 acres). South Manitou Island comprises 5,286 acres of the total and is located about 16 miles by ferry from Leland Harbor. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore accounts for 75 percent of the land area, (and includes South Manitou Island) and Big and Little Glen Lakes another 17 percent. The pri- vately-owned land area of the Township amounts to only about 3,800 acres (almost six square miles). Big and Little Glen Lakes cover nearly a third of the township with over ten miles of shoreline on the southern boundary. Lake Michigan lies to the north and west with over twenty miles of shoreline. The sandy shores of the Glen Lakes on the south and Lake Michigan on the north and west surround hardwood forests in a rolling countryside. The Crystal River winds through the Village of Glen Arbor to Lake Michigan providing a marsh and riverine habitat for abundant flora and fauna. Numerous small wetlands in the township provide diverse communities of trees, shrubs and other native vegetation and animals. The sandy soils and steep slopes within the township are generally not conducive to agricultural uses thus many former farms are returning to forests or are being developed for home sites, or preserved in conservation as parkland. The characteristics that are most representative of the Township include the waterfronts of Glen Lake and Lake Michigan, the SBDNLS, the Crystal River, high hills and steep hillsides and extensive tree vegetation. These natural features have influenced the major land use patterns. In the Township residential development is most predominate around the Glen Lakes, Fisher Lakes, Lake Michigan, and on high hills, while Glen Arbor village, the Homestead and the Leelanau School are the only concentrations of development. As elsewhere in Leela- nau County, residential development is attracted to the waterfront for the visual beauty, recreation and serenity associated with it. The Township is a tourist destination largely due to its spectacular beauty and exceptional recreational opportu- nities. There are a wide variety of recreational opportunities including swimming, boating, sailing, waterskiing, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, and bicycling. The Glen Arbor area is also home to a large pas- sionate tennis and pickleball community. Fall offers hunting, as deer and small game are abundant, and winter brings new opportunities for cross country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, and ice fishing. 4 PREPARED IN PARTNERSHIP BY GOSLING CZUBAK ENGINEERING SCIENCES, INC. COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION01 SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS POPULATION Glen Arbor had 1,102 seasonally occupied housing units in 2010. This is about three times more seasonal homes than year-round homes. With an average persons per household at 2.04, this equates to nearly 2,250 additional seasonal residents for the township that need to be considered when evaluating recreational needs. However, seasonal homes had a very small increase between 1990 and 2010 compared to year-round homes. The U.S. Census reports only 44 new seasonal homes in Glen Arbor Township between 1990 and 2010, a 4% increase. This statistic is most likely attributed to seasonal homes having been converted to year- round use or torn down and replaced with a home for year-round occupants. The population of Glen Arbor Township grew by 71 persons to 859 between 2000 and 2010, or 9%, not a large increase in numbers. This change is roughly half the 144 person increase in the prior decade. The township has shown more growth in population than the county over the same period. See Table 1-1. Table 1-1 Glen Arbor Township Population, 1990-2010 1990 2000 2010 Change from 2000-2010 Glen Arbor Township 644 788 859* 9% Leelanau County 16,527 21,119 21,708 3% * Year round residents Source: U.S. Bureau of Census 2010 MEDIAN AGE Twenty-nine percent of the population of Glen Arbor Township was above the age of 65 in 2000, while forty percent were over 65 in 2010. Only 16.8% were under the age of 18 in 2000 and only 14.8% in 2010. The median age is substantially older (60.9 years) than that of Leelanau County (50.3 years) in general and even more so than the state of Michigan (39 years). See Table 1-2. The median age has grown 11.2 years Table 1-2 Median Age in Glen Arbor Township, 1990-2010 1990 2000 2010 Glen Arbor Township 49.7 53.1 60.9 Leelanau County 36.5 42.6 50.3 Michigan 32.6 35.5 39 Source: U.S. Bureau of Census 2010 PREPARED IN PARTNERSHIP BY GOSLING CZUBAK ENGINEERING SCIENCES, INC. 5 Community Description since 1990. This reflects Glen Arbor Township’s popularity as a retirement area. With the possible exception of the Homestead, the tourist economy in Glen Arbor Township is likely similar to that of Leelanau County in general, in that there are likely more people staying in second homes during popular seasons than in overnight lodging. With the retirement of a “baby boomer” generation, it is reasonable to assume that more seasonal homes in the Township will be occupied on a year round basins. The size of families in Glen Arbor Township follows the Leelanau County and Michigan decreasing trend. The average size of a household in Glen Arbor Township declined 7% from 1990 to 2010, from 2.13 to 1.98 persons. In Leelanau County population per household declined by 12%, but from a larger average size of 2.62 to 2.31 persons, while the Michigan average household size declined 7% to 2.45 persons. See Table 1-3. The general trend toward smaller family size is due to many factors, including divorce, widowed older persons and young people waiting longer to get married. Glen Arbor Township’s smaller family size reflects an older population, many of whom are empty nesters, and/or single person households. Table 1-3 Average Household Size in Glen Arbor Township, 1990-2010 1990 2000 2010 Change from 2000-2010 Glen Arbor Township 2.13 2.09 1.98 -7% Leelanau County 2.62 2.48 2.31 -12% Michigan 2.66 2.56 2.45 -7% Source: U.S. Bureau of Census 2010 INCOME POVERTY AND EMPLOYMENT Year-round Glen Arbor households had a median income of $64,583 in 2010. This compares with $47,062 for Leelanau County and $44,667 for the State of Michigan. Only 5 families were receiving food stamps in 2010. Reflecting the age of the population, 226 persons received Social Security income in Glen Arbor Township in 2010, but no one received supplemental Social Security income. The estimated labor force of Glen Arbor Township (residents only) was 270 persons in 2003. The estimated yearly average employment was 242 persons, with only 28 estimated to be unemployed, on average, or 10.4%. See Table 2-4. Table 1-4 Glen Arbor Employment and Unemployment, 2003 Labor Force 270 Employment 242 Unemployment 28 Unemployment Rate 10.4% *Source: Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth, Employment Service Agency, 2003 Note: Residents Only 6 PREPARED IN PARTNERSHIP BY GOSLING CZUBAK ENGINEERING SCIENCES, INC. Community Description PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED The disability status of a population may be especially significant when considering recreational needs for a community.