By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — Residents of Three Rivers, as well as the surrounding area, will have a chance to weigh in on the city’s plans for the future.
On Tuesday, the Three Rivers City Commission approved a measure to place the city’s updated We Are TR: Imagine 2040 master plan document on file and officially open up a 63-day public comment period prior to final adoption of the update.
The 60-page document is a five-year update to the plan originally approved back in 2020 by the City Commission. It outlines a number of goals for the city, along with many objectives under those goals in order to accomplish them. The goals are listed as follows: Downtown development and city growth, housing and neighborhoods, recreation and river access, local aesthetics and beautification, and transportation and connectivity.
The plan can be viewed online at threeriversmi.org/imagine2040 and in-person at City Hall on West Michigan Avenue, with a number of ways available for the general public to offer comment. According to John Beebe, the city’s director of community development, these include writing a letter to the city clerk’s office, filling out the online survey on the city’s website, emailing planning@threeriversmi.org, and commenting at meetings of the Three Rivers Planning Commission and Three Rivers City Commission.
Beebe said the most direct way he recommends the public to offer comment is through attending the Planning Commission meetings, which are held on the fourth Monday of every month at 6 p.m. at City Hall, and making public comment there.
“Ideally, it is the Planning Commission, because you’re going straight to the horse’s ears, because they’re the ones responsible for developing the master plan,” Beebe said. “We always welcome people to come in and comment on it. Once it’s ready to go, they’ll do a final recommendation to the city commission for final approval.”
According to the background of the item in the board packet, the Three Rivers Planning Commission has been drafting the update over the past year, and has incorporated some public input into the update prior to sending it to the city commission. Beebe also acknowledged that there has been comment already, but it has only been a fraction of the population of the area that’s contributed.
“I think everybody should have a say in our community, whether you live here or you have a business in town or what have you, it’s worth it. This is the document that paves the trail for the next 10-15 years,” Beebe said.
There wasn’t a whole lot of discussion about the plan prior to the unanimous 6-0 approval of placing it on file, however Mayor Tom Lowry pointed out there were a few typos with the statistical data presented in the plan that needed to be corrected prior to official adoption after the public comment period.
Beebe said he hopes for plenty of comments with the period that just opened up, and is encouraging the community to participate.
“This is the Imagine 2040 project, and we’re still imagining 10, 15, 20 years out. If people have something to say about those types of things, whether it has to do with parks, recreation, downtown, the city in general, housing, it doesn’t matter. If you have something to opine about it, we’d be happy to hear it,” Beebe said.
In other business…
- Commissioners held a public hearing on a Community Development Block Grant for housing rehab in the city. No public comments were made, and a resolution to request $270,000 from the program for residents to make energy-efficient and safe environment repairs/improvements to their homes was approved.
- Commissioners approved a $23,000 purchase order to Fleis & Vandenbrink to complete a Water System Reliability Study and General Plan update. Lowry said the update is being done in preparation for the 2028-29 Michigan Department of Transportation reconstruction project of Michigan Avenue and Main Street in the city limits, and will provide the city with water main sizing and connection information needed for the upcoming reconstruction. Department of Public Services Director Amy Roth clarified that the study is only testing the reliability of the system, and not the quality of the water coming through the system.
- Commissioners approved its winter salt purchases for the upcoming season. The city ordered 300 tons of early-order salt at $69.37 per ton ($20,811 total) and 200 tons of mid-season order salt at $69.08 per ton ($13,816 total). It also includes a $1,873 contingency to get the total purchase order to $1,873.
Commissioners approved the purchase of a 2023 Chevrolet Blazer from Vetter-McGill Chevrolet for the Three Rivers Police Department to replace a 2013 Chevrolet Impala currently in service. The purchase would be funded by trading in three department vehicles with mechanical issues toward a credit on the purchase, and then an additional $14,760 combined from the Motor Pool Fund ($5,000) and from the Drug Law Enforcement Fund ($9,760). The new vehicle will be used as an unmarked vehicle for the department. - Commissioners approved the use of $30,000 from the Major Streets fund balance and $30,000 from the Local Streets fund to pay the costs for depositing street sweeping material during Fiscal Year 2026.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
So I am reviewing the 2025 master plan and I find it very interesting you are using data from 2017 (8years ago) for a lot of the statistics. Why don’t you have current information? Also when it is mentioned to support local and surrounding business you have highlight downtown. As a community shouldn’t we be focused on all the businesses? When it comes to cleaning and beautifying the parks and other city owned areas. We need to consider the areas that are being neglected. If you are going to hold citizens accountable then make sure the city parks and cemetery are also held to the same standard. Let’s also talk about the road conditions and the manhole covers. All commissioners and council should drive down all of the main and side roads in and around Three Rivers. Drive your vehicle over the manhole covers at posted speeds. Another hot topic is the amount of youth that need an outlet before school after school on school breaks and summers. The children are the future let’s have a safe place for them to grow. Next water and sewer: lead pipes have they all been replaced or atleast have a plan in place. City water and sewer is too expensive. When you have your meetings at city hall do you consume the city water? Water and air quality is the most important element to maintain health.
Next let talk about living conditions of the rentals around town. I am not familiar with this because I have never rented. But I do feel that individuals that do rent should have maintained housing. Next Traffic and speeding: way too many vehicles are speeding in residential and main corridors. I have even seen public safety vehicles City, County and , State not abiding to speed limits or not using a turn signal or fully stoping at a stop sign. I do understand they have to reroute for emergencies but I don’t understand why I am seeing it all the time. Bicycles what are the rules for the motorized biles and scooters? Aren’t they supposed to stop at stop signs and lights. These are just a few things I have noticed.
Thank you for your time.