WOMP’s COMMERCIAL EXPANSION:

 

NOT NEXT DOOR

 

Since the founding of Peninsula Township, farming has been the backbone of our local community. As Traverse City continues to become an increasingly popular tourist destination, local farmers have had to embrace the shifting economic landscape. The farmers and the community have a long history of working together with the township to purchase development rights, improve the venues for farmers to market their products, and promote agri-tourism opportunities.  However WOMP demands something else entirely.  It seeks to completely bypass the voters wishes and years of jointly crafted winery and local viticulture allowances. Now WOMP wants multiple (11 +) commercial districts that sidestep zoning restrictions favored by most residents (https://friendsofoldmissionpeninsula.org/faqs/). 

 

We should all read the details of WOMP’s demands:  No requirement for using local grapes, outdoor amplified music, unrestricted operations from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., more rental rooms, catered events, restaurants, distilleries, and retail…The equivalent of a winery Disneyland may be the end result (https://pacer.uscourts.gov/) (https:protectthepeninsula.com/.wineries./). Also, these new business ventures will unfairly compete with existing OMP commercially zoned businesses that were established the right way—in dialogue with neighbors and elected officials.  These are the restaurants, 2 grocery stores, a brew pub, a hotel, an event center, a coffee shop, a distillery, art galleries, and several b & b’s already present in the area—our welcome neighbors.  

 

In addition to trying to force their business expansion on our township residents, WOMP wants more than $200,000,000 in damages for claimed lost profits.  Unfortunately, if WOMP is successful in their lawsuit, virtually all of that expense will be paid by township residents through special assessments and higher taxes [ note—you can look up your potential financial exposure at https://friendsofoldmissionpeninsula.org/owner-financial-exposure/].  Moreover, although the wineries convinced a judge to keep the details of their calculation of this number secret, it tells us much about what they expect to do with their planned unrestricted growth (see above and (https://friendsofoldmissionpeninsula.org/faqs/).

 

Without resident input through zoning, the demanded expansions will irreversibly transform the Old Mission Peninsula from a quiet rural residential and agricultural community into a winery-dominated strip mall and event center. All these activities would increase trespass, noise, traffic, inebriated drivers, and dangerous roadside parking, as well as make roads less safe for pedestrians and farm equipment, degrade preserved view sheds, and tax already stressed local parks and infrastructure. WOMP also wants less required acreage to establish a winery and no requirement for using local grapes. So expect many more wineries and far less use of locally grown grapes. These demands are not pro-farmer, not pro-local agriculture, and certainly do not make for good neighbors to have next door. 

 

I believe local zoning under the elected township guidance and citizen input can continue to provide resident-supported changes to help maintain generations of agriculture and tourism that promote farming AND the wineries without the conversion of the peninsula into a series of new commercial centers and large event venues. Rather than forcing an expensive federal lawsuit and consuming our township resources, WOMP should release to the public their financial information and projections, continue the debate locally, and forge a future through dialogue with their neighbors and elected officials. 

 

 

Todd Wilson

 

Friends of Old Mission Peninsula