Meeting Story

A land development company in Grand Traverse County is looking for the OK to build a new
neighborhood in Eastbay Township.
Mansfield Land Use Consultants want to build Bridge Valley Condominium neighborhood
behind Holiday Hills off of Five Mile Road. The neighborhood will extend off from Yorkshire
Drive and connect to Five Mile Road.
Representatives of the company met at the Eastbay Township Planning Commission meeting on
Nov. 10 to discuss the proposal.
The road commission has suggested we construct a left turn lane on Five Mile Road for
southbound traffic, said Kevin OGrady, a representative of Mansfield. We need to justify the
geometry of Five Mile Road before putting the entrance to Bridge Valley on the road.
OGrady also said that the road commission requires a cul-de-sac at the end of the neighborhood
to accommodate fire trucks and snow plows.
The property would have 91 lots at 1.15 acres per lot.
Residents of Holiday Hills neighborhood were against the new land development.
A significant portion of the property shows natural slopes that are 15-20 percent below natural
level making it severe building grounds, said Paul Sabrosky, a land owner in Holiday Hills for
15 years. Disturbing these slopes will result in land erosion and require expensive walls and
bracing features to hold the buildings up.
Many residents were also opposed to cutting down woodland to make more room in the
neighborhood.
The likelihood of me now going to my kitchen window and staring at my neighbors roof is
probable, said Larry Grow, also a resident. This isnt just me either. Many of us have property
backed up to the proposed lot plan.
The construction of the neighborhood will likely bring more traffic from Bridge Valley into a
surrounding neighborhood, according to a road study.
Barb Amermino, who lives in a neighboring subdivision, thinks they need to redo the traffic
survey because traffic is horrendous before Bridge Valley.
Its 0.5 miles quicker coming through my subdivision and going to Holiday Hills road than
going down their street and then to Five Mile, Amermino said.
Jay Kilpatrick, a member of the Planning Commission board, said the proposal is not final and is
still only an idea.
The company still needs to get a final approval from the road commission, Kilpatrick said.
After that they need to meet with MDNR to get the land approved and file for a land permit.

Mansfield Land Use Consultants are planning to meet with the road commission to reach a final
decision for Five Mile road. They will then return to Eastbay Township Planning Commission to
vote on the proposal.