Owner requests city review of small adjacent parcel; commission directs staff to explore sale and pocket-park options

Dan Rickard, owner of the Copy Shop at 713 E. Eighth St., asked the Traverse City commission on Aug. 18 to consider goodwill sale of a small sliver of adjacent city-owned property to support redevelopment of his parcel. Rickard said adding the small parcel could make the site more marketable to buyers and that the city could preserve a separate nearby strip of land as a small, publicly accessible green space.

Commissioners asked about utilities, the existing fence and the condition of adjacent rights-of-way. Staff said the procedural request before the commission was to direct the interim city manager and staff to review the parcel-disposal request and the idea of designating the adjacent trail-facing land as a pocket park or otherwise reserving it for public green space; staff will return with recommendations on property disposition, fiscal impacts, any utility relocation costs, and potential restrictions associated with parkland designation.

The commission approved the staff-review direction. Staff noted that a future appraisal, title work and a public-notice process would be required before any final sale or disposition, and that moving utility boxes or poles would be the developer's financial responsibility if a private redevelopment required relocation.