East Bay Township’s planning commission will take up two preliminary development sketches and a public hearing over slope-rule changes at its meeting Tuesday, a gathering that could shape recreation, conservation and neighborhood quality of life in Grand Traverse County.

At the center of the agenda is a concept jointly presented by Grand Traverse County and the North Sky Raptor Sanctuary to move the sanctuary’s planned headquarters to Camp Greilick. The sketch envisions education spaces, a wildlife hospital, an interpretive trail, dedicated bird enclosures and a flight pen, with proposed public visiting hours of 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Officials emphasize the plan remains conceptual and would require further review and approvals before any permanent changes on the Camp Greilick site.

A separate tentative plan from Rehmann Farm proposes hosting limited private events on its property at Three Mile and Smith Road. The farm’s sketch describes capped attendance, reduced operating hours and a prohibition on amplified music as measures intended to limit impacts on nearby residences.

Also on the agenda is a public hearing on revised township standards governing development on steep and very steep slopes. County staff describe the amendments as aimed at protecting water quality in the region while easing some regulatory costs for homeowners. The slope standards will be an important local policy decision: stricter controls can reduce erosion and runoff into lakes and streams, while more flexible rules can lower the financial burden and complexity of home improvements for property owners.

County staff say a phased public opening of Camp Greilick for hiking and disc golf could begin this month as wayfinding and signage are installed, signaling an immediate expansion of recreational access even as longer-term uses are reviewed. That phased approach would allow residents to use portions of the site while the larger sanctuary proposal and any associated permitting proceed through the planning process.

The planning commission’s meeting is an opportunity for residents to hear details, ask questions and submit comments on both the specific site plans and the slope-rule revisions. The proposals touch multiple local concerns: the sanctuary project could bring new educational and tourist activity to the area and expand wildlife care capacity; the farm events proposal raises typical neighborhood considerations around traffic, noise and parking; and the slope-rule change balances environmental protection with homeowner costs.

As the review process continues, decisions by the planning commission and subsequent boards will determine whether the concepts move from sketch plans to formal development applications. Local residents and stakeholders who want to influence those outcomes should plan to attend the Nov. 4 meeting or follow township channels for submitting written comments and tracking next steps.