WWW.PLANNINGMI.ORG Issue Number 21

M I C H I G A N A S S O C I A T I O N O F P L A N N I N G — M A K I N G G R E A T P L A C E S H A P P E N

Coastal Communities

Many Great Lakes communities feel a deep connection to the waterfront, but sometimes access to the water is restricted by current development patterns. Two cities, among other coastal communities around Michigan, are capitalizing and enhancing their waterside locations by reconnecting the downtown with the shore from which they grew during the industrial age: Marquette is reconfiguring its South Harbor industrial frontage to accommodate a new mix of uses, while maintaining its industrial water-dependent facilities on the north shore of the city; and Port Huron is removing underutilized railyard barriers between Main Street and the waterfront through multi-million dollar public and private partnerships. Both communities are using Smart Growth principles as a foundation for rebuilding a sense of place on the waterfront.

The 2003 Michigan Land Use Leadership Council (MLULC) final report, Michigan’s Land, Michigan’s Future, recommends that government and the private sector work together to create and maintain “livable” urban areas - places where people want to live, work, shop, invest and grow a business, learn, and recreate. To accomplish this goal, the council prescribes developing “green infrastructure” in core urban areas by creating inner-city trails/pathways/open space/parks; promoting public access to and enjoyment of urban waterfront assets; using tax reverted lands to create open space that encourages development; and developing

Smart Growth in coastal communities: Rebuilding a sense of place on the waterfront

Marquette and Port Huron are capitalizing on their waterfront locations and using Smart Growth principles as a foundation for recreating a sense of place.

the lives of all Michigan residents and visitors, but Michigan’s historic properties are invaluable cultural, aesthetic, and educational resources which provide opportunities each day to appreciate the legacy of Michigan’s rich past.

IRON ORE MARQUETTEMarquette was founded in 1849 by Amos Harlow and the Marquette Iron Company. Today it is the largest city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Although mining is still a very important part of the regional employment picture, recreation and tourism are becoming

new public and private partnerships to accomplish these objectives.

The following article illustrates several actions that communities can make in creating livable, vibrant, sustainable communities. Marquette and Port Huron are highlighted.

Capitalize on location, historyHistoric preservation begins when people value their heritage. Not only does historic preservation add value to

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more important to sustaining a diverse economy. The city enjoys a beautiful natural setting along the north woods shore of Lake Superior. The Marquette area’s recent development patterns are somewhat reminiscent of the patterns along the shore of Lake Michigan in the Lower Peninsula. As roadway intersections are widened and stoplights are installed; as gas stations, restaurants, and convenience stores spread across the countryside; the older part of town is transforming and shipping and commercial fishing enterprises no longer dominate the downtown waterfront.

Despite new development, the city still has a sense of its history. Marquette’s two huge iron ore docks are unique visual reference points and symbols of the industrial heritage of the region: the active Cleveland Cliffs Iron Ore Dock at the north end of town in the area known as the Upper Harbor, and inactive Soo Line Ore Dock on state-regulated bottomlands in the Lower Harbor adjacent to the central business district (owned by the city).

PORT HURON - RICH ON MARITIME HERITAGEIn 1835, the Village of Port Huron was platted at the confluence of the Black River and the St. Clair River - a few thousand yards downstream from the outlet of Lake Huron. This town was built, literally and figuratively, on the water. Locating on the connecting channel to the Lower Great Lakes gave the village founders unique access to the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean. This settlement, first known as Desmond, competed with settlements near Detroit to become the crossroads to the hinterlands of the Upper Great Lakes.

In 1891, as the industrial age took root, the first electrified underwater railway tunnel, now known as the CN International Rail Tunnel, was constructed. Large staging yards and rail sidings were soon developed between the river and the town center to position Port Huron as an important commercial hub. This Great Lakes city

Proposed adaptive reuse of the city ore dock

The Marquette Master Plan calls for a public/private partnership that will assure the adaptive reuse of the City Ore Dock (formerly the Soo Line Ore Dock), adjacent to the central business district in the Lower Harbor. The iron ore dock was first constructed of timbers in 1857 and reconstructed several times before reaching its present configuration about 150 feet offshore in 1932. In 2002 the railroad trestle connecting it to land was demolished at a cost of about $25,000. In 2004 the city acquired rights to the offshore structure through a state bottomlands agreement.

A number of adaptive reuse concepts have been introduced since a 1986 study estimated the cost of demolishing the massive ore dock would exceed $4 million. Community leaders now envision a mixed-use development within the historic 85-foot tall, 1100-foot long reinforced concrete structure, however, the bottomlands agreement requires the dock be converted to water-dependent uses. Many issues need to be resolved before the dock is adapted for reuse.

In its September 2004 developer solicitation, the city called for the structural adaptation to:

• provide public access and promenade along perimeter;

• provide public destination at terminus;

• provide protective breakwater at the end of dock;

• maintain architectural integrity of ore dock;

• limit activity on top of dock to historic interpretation;

• provide sensitively designed night lighting; and

• accommodate parallel boat docking.

A recent proposal by Marquette’s Gary J. Kropp and Associates converts the ore dock to public space, as well as private condominiums. Kropp says that, because of its location and historical significance, the Ore Dock should be maintained and made accessible to the public. As a gift from the developer, the city could decide how to use the new interior and exterior public spaces. Kropp expects the cost of constructing a wrap-around walkway and promenade to be absorbed by revenue from condominium sales.

Initial plans are for 40 to 50 residential condominium units, constructed entirely within the structure’s 152 concrete columns and set back slightly to preserve the columnar appeal of the dock. Materials, colors, and tones are to be compatible with the original structure. The massive ore chutes will be conserved.

“This dock provides a historical link to the iron ore industry that drove Marquette’s economy for more than a century,” says Kropp. “The overall shape and form will not be masked or altered. When the conversion is complete it will still look like our historic ore dock.

The City Ore Dock is proposed to be converted into 40 to 50 residential condominiums units along with interior and exterior public spaces.

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has a rich industrial heritage, but its tired waterfront languished as commercial tonnage through the port dropped to a trickle after the heady days of the 1970s. Like many Midwest communities that were once very dependent on heavy industry, Port Huron needed to change to survive.

Today, Port Huron has positioned itself as a tourist destination by promoting its location and history. Proclaimed as the “Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes,” Port Huron is host to community events including Coast Guard Days and the annual Port Huron to Mackinac yacht race. Maritime museums showcase historical lighthouses and turn of the century ships.

Engage citizens in comprehensive planningA key component of Smart Growth is to ensure early and frequent community and stakeholder involvement to identify specific needs and concerns. The varied perspectives gained are critical for the construction of mixed-use, walkable communities that balance the needs of all citizens. The means of engaging citizens and stakeholders can range from early stakeholder input in community plans to ongoing feedback and evaluation of the plan’s implementation as projects are constructed. Although community involvement can be time-consuming, frustrating, and expensive, it can be rewarding by offering creative solutions to recurring problems. Projects and plans with strong community involvement can help make development decisions more timely, cost-effective and predictable.

PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT SHAPES MARQUETTE In Marquette, comprehensive planning is viewed as essential to achieving a sustainable balance of commercial, industrial, residential, and recreational

land uses along the city’s shoreline. Reflecting the importance of its coastal advantage, Marquette’s 2004 Master Plan contains an exhaustive “Waterfront Opportunities” section based on professional studies and a carefully executed series of public involvement strategies.

As early as 1985, Marquette conducted a Lower Harbor Redevelopment Study to flesh out alternatives for the future of this fading industrial waterfront. The city established a Lake Shore Task Force in 1999 to plan for the entire 17-mile length of its waterfront, which is anchored on the north and south by two power plants. Between the two deepwater harbors serving these power plants is a wide range of commercial, residential, recreational,

and industrial land development, some of which has significant local and regional historic value.

Recognizing the importance of gaining public input and support, in late 2000, the Marquette Planning Commission and City Commission conducted a visioning workshop to determine the future of the harbor area nearest to the central business district, the south rail yard property, now known as Founders Landing. The result was a 2001 study of the Lower Harbor including a “Preferred Option” plan and a “Framework” plan. Both plans were adopted by the planning commission as an amendment to the master plan in December 2001.

Port Huron Seaway Terminal A newly renovated Seaway Terminal is a favorite spot for public events and is home to Acheson’s historic vessel Highlander Seas, an 80-year-old, 154-foot gaff-rigged topsail schooner. The Highlander Seas is being used for educational programs, tours, and special events. A 20,000 square-foot terminal building at the south end of Desmond Landing will soon be linked to the Bridge-To-Bay Trail as a bicycle and pedestrian way is developed through the site.

The Highlander Seas, an 80-year-old historical vessel, takes to the waters after recent purchase by a civic-minded private developer and investor.

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COMMUNITY ENVISIONS PORT HURONPort Huron’s long-range waterfront redevelopment planning gathered steam with the “Southside Summit” in 1998. Co-hosted by the city and a private developer, Acheson Ventures, the Southside Summit provided a forum for community exchange of information, concerns, and visions for the most important piece of waterfront real estate in Port Huron.

In May 2001, Port Huron identified, prioritized, and organized 72 community development goals into eight categories, namely: Water, Tourism, Quality of Life, Redevelopment/Development, Economic Development and Jobs, Community Planning, Infrastructure, and Education. Many community stakeholders used a goal prioritization survey to “vote” for their individual preferences for the area.

Professionals used these written expressions

of community vision, along with studies of market, financial, and physical considerations to develop an integrated “Development Framework” which was published in March 2002. The widely-used framework illustrates the planning process and the resulting alternative development concepts. The detailed concept plans are now part of community waterfront redevelopment conversations.

Make special plans for special placesPlace making means establishing a sense of place, or an identity for a locality—a neighborhood, a community, a city, or a region. A sense of place is an important element of livability. The civic realm (open spaces, streetscapes, public art, and harbors) has much to do with place making. A growing interest in place making has spurred communities and developers to

concentrate on investment in adaptive use, infill, and redevelopment to revive once-distinctive places.

MARQUETTE’S DESIGN DETAILSTo ensure that any new development in downtown Marquette respects and enhances the existing aesthetic characteristics and history of the area, urban designers illustrated an integration of land uses and the natural features of the Lake Superior shoreline, and incorporated specific design details into Marquette’s 2001 Lower Harbor Master Plan.

These details include:

• use of historically appropriate architecture in residential and commercial development;

• use of natural materials, such as wood and stone, to reflect the rustic qualities of Marquette’s natural environment;

• use of native vegetation, where appropriate, to blend with the existing natural features of the Lake Superior shoreline;

Develop public-private partnerships

The community of Port Huron is the fortunate beneficiary of a public-spirited private company: Acheson Ventures. Acheson’s land development project at Desmond Landing promises to deliver what dozens of public forums and meetings with community groups have called for: a new presence for Port Huron on the water.

Redevelopment of the 75-acre waterfront site is not the entire mission of its project leaders. The larger mission is to rejuvenate the whole Southside district of Port Huron, with Desmond Landing as the catalyst. Acheson’s vision and multi-million dollar investment at the Landing will revitalize an area of urban decay between the St. Clair River and Main Street. This prime property will once again be a special place for the whole community.

Construction of the 100,000-square-foot Harborside Office Center was completed in November 2004 by Acheson as part of the Desmond Landing project. Public-private partnerships like this appear to be improving the viability of the surrounding property.

Investment in facades and streetscapes along Main Street by businesses, the city, and the Downtown Development Authority has already helped drive down commercial vacancies in the core area from 40 percent in 2002 to under 10 percent in 2005.

The construction of a 100,000-square-foot office building (Harborside Office Center) in the Southside district of Port Huron helps to rejuvenate the area. A noted increase in investments by businesses, the city, and the Downtown Development Authority are a positive result of large-scale private investment.

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• reuse of existing structures, such as the ore dock and vacant piers, as a way of showcasing Marquette’s history; and

• careful siting and design of new residential development to allow for continued public access and protection of important viewsheds along the lakefront.

Marquette’s Lower Harbor Study and Master Plan led to the development of a draft 2004 Waterfront District Ordinance, which focuses on specific desired waterfront land uses, and identified five principal types of land use in the waterfront.

Draft Zoning District Development Regulations address unique waterfront-related issues such as: critical slopes, preservation areas, conservation corridors, building heights, views, lighting, and signs. Draft Site Development Guidelines were included for lots and buildings, streets and alleys, parking, landscaping, architecture, scale, and access. While the new Waterfront District designation and ordinance enjoys broad support in the community, leaders are finding that they need to be very selective in the approval of development proposals along the shore. The city is learning how difficult it is to prevent the community from losing its historic character as new building occurs. Rejecting “development just for the sake of development” in favor of proposals that the community supports, complements the historic environment of the working waterfront.

These designs help Marquette transition from an industrial area to a unique civic destination.

PORT HURON PROMENADESTaking special precautions to prevent a “second downtown” in Port Huron, the Port Huron Main Street program is working closely with private developer, Acheson Ventures, to remove visual and physical barriers between the historic Main Street and new waterfront development, Desmond Landing.

According to a 1998 analysis by ERE Yarmouth and Real Estate Research Corporation, real estate values over the next 25 years will rise fastest in “smart communities” that incorporate traditional characteristics of successful cities including a mix of residential and commercial districts and a “pedestrian-friendly configuration.”

In contrast to many suburban employment center proposals, Port Huron’s Desmond Landing project leaders plan to offer walkability to the city’s new urban employees. Leaders want to attract people who will live and work in the downtown area – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Walkability, combined with mixed-use developments make a powerful combination, but construction timing is everything in building vibrant new urban centers.

Some new urbanist developments around the country have faltered because one piece of the essential mix - the residential, the retail, or the workplace - has lagged behind. Private developer Acheson Ventures is working to

avoid investment timing issues by actively seeking partnerships with large employers, those with more than 1,000 workers. This will give plans for mixed-use development on the site the best chance for longevity while improving the viability of other Southside businesses and neighborhoods. SEMCO Energy recently relocated its headquarters from Detroit to Desmond Landing rather than to a typical suburban greenfield development outside of town.

Desmond Landing designers, planners, and investors are making smart use of the city’s unique physical setting along the water to draw people to the place. The Desmond Landing mixed-use project will replace more than a mile of waterfront rail yards, abandoned warehouses, and manufacturing facilities with new parks, refurbished natural areas, new residential and commercial spaces, a fishing pier, recreational boat docks, and a promenade. Barriers to the water will be a thing of the past. The life of the city will return to the waterfront.

Foster vibrancy through connectivity

A new promenade along Port Huron’s waterfront offers the desirable “walkability” factor to the city’s new urban employees. The “24-7” use of the promenade appeals to citizens of all age groups.

Desmond Landing complements the city’s current and future public investments to re-establish the linkage between the automobile and pedestrian

environment of Main Street with the boating and pedestrian environment of the waterfront. Municipally-funded projects that have extended the traditional

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ResourcesGetting to Smart Growth, 100 Policies for Implementation, Smart Growth Network, 2002.

Making Smart Growth Work, Douglas R. Porter, Urban Land Institute, 2002.

This publication was produced by the Michigan Association of Planning.

Photo credits: Acheson Ventures, pages 1, 3, 4, and 5; Gary J. Kropp and Associates, page 2;

Michael Majeski, page 6.

SmartGrowthTactics

street and sidewalk grid from Main Street toward the river are examples of this complementary relationship.

Pedestrian traffic, auto traffic, and boat traffic are all essential to the heritage

and vibrancy of Port Huron and Port Huron continues to invest in its public docks and boat slips. Most recently, at the north end of the Desmond Landing project, the privately owned Black River Marina has been refurbished and

named Desmond Marine. The marina adds a full-service boat dealership to several other riverfront marinas and businesses leading up the river through the Main Street district. New public sidewalks and a promenade all contribute public access to the nautical theme in the area.

Miles of railroad track have been removed from the rail-switching and staging area at the heart of Desmond Landing to make way for planned mixed-use structures. In tribute to the past, the old CSX railway drawbridge remains. Standing vigilantly open just across the Black River from the new pedestrian-friendly Landing, it serves as an interesting visual reminder of the district’s industrial heritage.

ConclusionCreating special places in cities is one of the fundamentals of Smart Growth. In some waterfront communities the special nature of the waterfront has been lost because the community’s connection to the water has been severed by industrial growth, decline, and abandonment. Smart land use planning and community development initiatives can help to rebuild a sense of place on the waterfront and capitalize on a Great Lakes location advantage.

Michael Klepinger is a Michigan Sea Grant Extension Specialist with program responsibilities in Land Use, Water Quality, Aquatic Nuisance Species, and Environmental Sustainability. Michigan Sea Grant, which is a cooperative program of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University, is one of 30 programs funded by Congress in coastal states to conduct marine and Great Lakes research and education.

The City of Marquette knows how important Lake Superior is to its future. Residents and community leaders are engaged in an ongoing effort to protect and enhance water-dependent uses such as marinas and industrial harbors while providing a pleasant environment to tourists and locals who wish to recreate and live along the shores of “the Big Lake.”

Sustainable Coastal Communities Planning and Development (CCPD) has unique characteristics that are complemented by Smart Growth principles. The following elements of sustainable CCPD are suggested by Sea Grant to supplement the unique needs of coastal communities:

1. Maintain and enhance physical and visual access to the shore.

2. Design with respect to natural processes and enhance native shoreline habitat.

3. Promote alternatives that support

waterborne transportation.4. Consider the aesthetics of the

development when looking landward from the water.

5. Preserve and build upon highly-valued coastal community character.

6. Plan seasonal and year round uses to achieve mutual benefits.

7. Apply a water zoning scheme to advance community goals for recreation, economic development, and environmental priorities.

8. Enhance working water fronts and prioritize water-dependent uses.

Elements of sustainable coastal communities

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