Traverse City may be the cherry capital of the world, but Leelanau County is well on its way to becoming the hard cider capital, at least for Michigan. Leelanau is already home to three sizable cideries and could add one more depending on a public hearing this week in Solon Township. Tomorrow (Tuesday), the Solon Township Planning Commission will review the application for Heartwood Cider, a hard cider proposed for the southeast corner of the township. The same meeting will also include a public hearing on a proposed expansion of existing automotive operations in Cedar.
heartwood cider
A Maple City-based LLC called Nyberg Holdings, doing business as Heartwood Siders, has received site plan approval to develop a portion of the 10-acre property at 13775 South Lautner Road. and special use permit (SUP).
According to the SUP application, the land is “already partially ready for planting.” [the applicant’s] Apple orchard. ” Nyberg Holdings wants to build a cider, tasting room, kitchen room and parking area on the property, and its purpose is to “produce cider from apples grown on the property and at other farms, They offer cider to guests in their tasting room. ” All proposed uses are permitted as special uses for agricultural land pursuant to the Agricultural Tourism Provision (Article 21) of the Solon Township Zoning Ordinance.
Heartwood Siders is a locally-based, family-owned business founded by David and Rachel Barnard with the help of Rachel's parents, Ed and Kathy Nyberg. In 2021, David and Rachel decided to “quit their careers as corporate executives,” move to northern Michigan, purchase land (pictured), and enter the cider business in Leelanau County, where the Nyberg family has resided for many years. . Since then, the Bernards have continued to document their journey on his YouTube channel called “Cidery from Scratch.” None of the four owners have any experience in cider or farming, but they have spent the past two and a half years learning and preparing their South Lautner land for farming. The Berners even started their own cider tour bus company, NoMi Tours, to get into the cider industry while farm and ciderry plans took hold. Now, if all goes according to plan, Heartwood Cider should finally be ready to open sometime next year.
If approved, Heartwood Cider will join Leelanau's thriving hard cider community. There are already three cider-focused producers and tasting rooms in the county. Tandem Siders, Two K Farms, and Sutton's Bay Siders are all located in Sutton's Bay, as well as several other Leelanau wineries, including Green Bird Organic Cellars and Bell's Largo Vineyard. , also dabbles in cider production.
In addition to offering guests the opportunity to “enjoy cider in the tasting room while experiencing the atmosphere of an orchard,” Heartwood Cider also features on-site kitchen facilities, including “processing of food for sale to tasting room guests.” (used for cooking) will also be included. and an “outdoor patio and seasonal tent” component (“can be used for on-site events such as parties, weddings, and corporate events”). In addition, the development calls for the construction of an architectural facilities building, a gravel driveway, and his 64-space parking garage, which includes space for “two wine tour buses/vehicles.”
Heartwood Cider will expand its hours during peak season from May to October.
Special events may be held [the abovementioned] The application states that “evening events, such as weddings, will be closed during business hours or during extended hours,” but that “such events must close all music by 10 p.m.” “Outdoor noise must cease and guests must leave the premises by 11 p.m.”
A public hearing on Heartwood Cider's site plan and SUP application will be held during the Solon Township Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, February 6th at 6:00 pm at the Solon Township Hall.
Leelanau Automotive Expansion
Tuesday's meeting will also include a hearing on a site planning application from local business owner Ryan Thompson, who is looking to build additional facilities on an already active business site.
Mr. Thompson is the owner of Leelanau Automotive, which is described in filings as an “automotive maintenance facility.” and Thompson Racing Fabrication, a “custom motorsports facility.” These businesses are located adjacent to each other at his 9166 South Kasson Street and 9162 Kasson Street, respectively, in Cedar. Mr. Thompson is proposing a two-phase expansion that would include an addition to the existing building in phase one and construction of a brand new facility in phase two.
The Leelanau Automotive building currently houses four automotive work bays. The proposed addition would add a fifth work bay measuring 20 feet by 32 feet and allow for the hiring of one additional employee, bringing the total number of employees on site to six.
Meanwhile, the Thompson Racing Fabrication facility is slated for a 24-foot x 50-foot expansion, which will “provide even more space for our current employees to work.” Employees are already using the space “for outdoor vehicle work,” according to the filing. Adding this simply allows companies to do that work indoors.
The second phase will include construction of a new 1,920-square-foot facility on the northeastern portion of the site to accommodate a third business called Leelanau Performance. The new building will house a “two-bay auto repair facility specializing in vehicles owned by auto enthusiasts.” Leelanau Performance, already part of Thompson's business group, “currently occupies one block of space in the Leelanau Automotive Building,” according to the filing. The new facility also incorporates office/client space and will allow Thompson to expand the business by adding three employees, bringing the total number of employees across the three businesses to 15.
Thompson hopes to begin construction on phase one this spring, followed by phase two. He said there would be “minimal to no impact on existing infrastructure or the natural environment” and that “the amount of traffic generated would be minimal, probably an additional two to five cars per week.” Expect. His application also outlines plans to minimize environmental impact, including the installation of new stormwater basins to reduce runoff and a site planning strategy that seeks to remove only “minimal trees.” ing.
