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FAQs

What is Strategic Visioning?
What are the boundaries of the study?
How can I become more involved with The Grand Vision?
What is TC-TALUS?
What is the LUTS committee?
How can you be sure The Grand Vision recommendations will be implemented?
Has your team worked with similar-sized towns and counties as in this area?
Has your team worked before with layers of government that don’t always get along?




What is Strategic Visioning?
Strategic visioning is an emerging approach to problem solving being applied by metropolitan regions, counties and cities across the country. It recognizes that today's urban challenges have natural boundaries (e.g., air sheds, watersheds, and commuter sheds) that must be respected in seeking best solutions.

The primary goal of strategic visioning is to identify and preserve the widest range of "best" choices or future possibilities.

Strategic visioning is different than planning; it is a process of "letting go" of our certainty about the future.

Strategic visioning uses the analysis of future alternative scenarios to empower stewards to make wise decisions and establish robust strategies that will enhance the probability of the "best" choices actually coming to fruition.

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What are the boundaries of the study?
While the current study area focuses on Traverse City, Acme Township, Blair Township, Green Lake Township, Whitewater Township, Peninsula Township, Garfield Township, East Bay Township, Long Lake Township, and Elmwood Township, The Grand Vision is seeking input from citizens and officials in all counties that are contiguous to Grand Traverse County – Antrim, Benzie, Kalkaska, Leelanau and Wexford.

Since roads and land use do not often dead-end at county lines, it is essential to consider what everyone in the 6-county area deems important.
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How can I become more involved with The Grand Vision?
We need your input! You can register here to be on our mailing list to receive information about the project, or you can call toll free: 1.866.441.5214.
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What is TC-TALUS?
The Traverse City - Transportation And Land Use Study (TC-TALUS) was formed in anticipation that the Grand Traverse Region will soon achieve the necessary population to require a metropolitan planning organization (MPO).

As of the 2000 census, the area had not achieved the required density, so TC-TALUS continues as a precursor agency to the MPO that is expected to be necessary after the 2010 census. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the FHWA have a formal agreement such that TC-TALUS will be the official recipient for any federal dollars for transportation related studies in the Grand Traverse region.

The TC-TALUS board includes representation from Acme Twp., Blair Twp., East Bay Twp., Elmwood Twp., Garfield Twp., Green Lake Twp., Long Lake Twp., Peninsula Twp., Traverse City, and White Water Twp. All the agencies represented are in Grand Traverse County except Elmwood Township, which is in Leelanau County.
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What is the LUTS committee?
LUTS stands for Land Use and Transportation Study. The LUTS committee was appointed to define the scope of The Grand Vision project, write a request for proposal (RFP) asking consultants to propose their methods of conducting the study, review consultant proposals, and select a consultant team to conduct the study.

Additionally, the LUTS committee continues to serve in a project oversight capacity, weighing in with their comments and suggestions at key points in the study process. For a list of LUTS committee members and more information on their mission, visit www.landuseandtransportation.org.
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How can you be sure The Grand Vision recommendations will be implemented?
While no one can issue a guarantee, several aspects of The Grand Vision suggest its recommendations will be implemented.

First, there is $2 million in federal funding currently available for implementing a part of The Grand Vision upon its conclusion.

Second, The Grand Vision will include a Tool Kit to assist cities, counties, villages and townships in implementing strategies. For example, it will include a guide to navigating the regulations, requirements, incentives, investment, and review boards necessary for successful planning and development.

Third, this type of collaborative regional planning can better leverage grants from federal and state agencies, as compared to grant requests from individual local agencies.

Finally, large public participation in a project like The Grand Vision can foster political platforms and campaign issues, where politicians feel compelled to implement the wishes of their constituents.
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Has your team worked with similar-sized towns and counties as in this area?
Yes. Various visioning, scenario planning workshops, and recommendations have been implemented by members of the team for such towns as Watsonville, California (population: 37,000) and El Centro, California (a town of 40,000 people within a county of 140,000 people).

It is important to recognize that the process being conducted with The Grand Vision (discovering community values, visioning and conducting scenario planning workshops) is scalable for virtually any size town.

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Has your team worked before with layers of government that don’t always get along?
Yes. While every area has unique characteristics, members of The Grand Vision have successfully conducted this type of visioning and planning process in areas with vast layers of government, including:
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