Letter from Mrs. Ann T. Hackett to the CCAL

from Ann (Thompson) Hackett, Glen Arbor MI, 2005 June 06 - to the CCAL

My husband and I are seasonal residents of the Glen Arbor (MI) area. 
 

 I have seen several articles on the development proposed for the west shore of Arbutus Lake.

I am very sorry to learn of this.

I spent two wonderful summers at Camp Arbutus for Girls in the mid '40s.  I am now 72 and remain deeply grateful for the wonderful experiences I had there.

I am interested in knowing if there is a realistic chance of defeating the proposed development, or significantly reducing its size?

We are not residents of Grand Traverse County and will not be able to attend the Tuesday evening meeting of the East Bay Township Planning Commission.

You may be aware of the 16 year struggle waged by the Friends of the Crystal River and others, to save the wetlands near Glen Arbor from development into a golf course and condo site.  They succeeded over very discouraging odds.

Unfortunately, I am in touch with only one other camper of my "Arbutus era".  I have emailed her about the proposed development.  I know that she is in touch with others, and hope that she will alert them.  She has not been well, however, so I do not know what she will feel able to do.

I wish you success!                                  - Mrs. Ann (Thompson) Hackett

              Jim Cook: Letters to the Northern Express and the RecordEagle

  8 June 2005l Letter from Jim Cook  to the NorthernExpress Editor

I sat down to write a letter expressing my concerns about the effects of the McKeough Land Companies plan to develop the land on the West Shore of Arbutus Lake.  But then I thought, wait a minute; this is just a little lake in what used to be a relatively remote spot in Michigan's Northwestern lower peninsula. What's the big deal?  Think of all the great condos that could have been built on Sleeping Bear; Isle Royal as a private upscale hunting, fishing and vacation camp; how great it would be to have your chalet on top of El Capitan in Yosemite and I realized that sometime, somewhere, someone has to say No.

We can't leave our grandchildren a portion of Northwestern Lower Michigan that looks as it did before we cut down every last tree but we can leave them a small piece of lakeshore on a small lake that looks pretty much as it did right after the saws went silent.

Go out and look at the Western shore of Arbutus Lakes two, three, and four.  You can get to it by water from the public launch site on lake four and decide what you would like your grandchildren to see there.

  27 May l Letter from Jim Cook  to the RecordEagle Editor

It is appalling.

Ninety-one lake front lots with ninety-one septic systems on this pristine shoreline in land the state considers " severely limited" for septic systems.

The "beach" for at least half of those ninety-one lots consists of muck and unconsolidated silt and most of the rest contains logs and woody debris that has accumulated over the ten thousand years since the glacier made this lake.

There is an oil well on the property. It will be their neighbor.  We live across the lake from the well.  On a warm night sit on the beach or porch to look at the stars and listen to the silence of the woods and water you'll get pockata pockata whirr and smell it.

This is the largest piece of undeveloped lakefront property in Grand Traverse County and with its campground and boat launch it is available to all of us. Lets save it.

Jim Cook - Westland and Arbutus Lake Michigan

              Tom Tinker: Letter to the East Bay Township

 
29 April Letter from C.N. "Tom" Tinker l to the East Bay Township  

Based on what we have been advised regarding the proposal and what we know first hand about the lake and the Salon property such a development will simply overwhelm Arbutus Lake!

If the developer is allowed to proceed as proposed, the overall negative impact on every aspect of nearby East flay Township (je; Arbutus Lake, the State Campground, the East Bay Township Park, the YMCA Camp Hayo-Wenta, and the Boardman River watershed) will be incalculable.

That is. why we were sorely disappointed when the Salon family cut short negotiations with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) to try and preserve one of the few remaining unique, undeveloped inland lake shorelines in Michigan, and opted instead for the potential of maximum taxable profit.

First, some background about us.

We are members of a very concerned extended family which has had a lifelong (84 years) affection~ for Arbutus Lake.

During 1921, before East Arbutus Lake Road was a "two-track", Jan's grandmother~ bought the island in 3rd lake.  Her parents were married on the Island during 1928.  We honeymooned on the island during 1955.  As a result, Jan has spent all but one of.her 73 summers and I have spent over 50 summers either at the island. or our cottage at 14301 East Arbutus Lake Road.

Accordingly, as you evaluate the proposal for Salon Shores, please consider carefully the following which is based on our lifelong experience and first hand knowledge of the area.

As you know, the proposed "Salon shores" is located in the Forest Lakes Area which we believe is subject to special ordinances regarding development and/or usage of this unique land.  Arbutus Lake consists of five very small and/or narrow bodies of generally shallow water (Lakes 1 thru 5) which are connected by very narrow, shallow channels and surrounded by even shallower lagoons, wetlands and mud flats.

Over the years the depth of water has fluctuated dramatically (up and down over 3.1/2 feet) so that sometimes it has been all but impossible for boats to travel safely between the lakes and/or behind our island.  Also, with the influx of larger boats and heavy weekend use, the entire lake has continued to fill and the bottom contours have changed significantly so the overall depth of the lake is much less than earlier.

However, even with these conditions, as a result of careful 'water management programs encouraged by the. Arbutus Lake Association, the water quality has generally been excellent and the Association has been commended for their good work.

The 1st & 5th Lakes are fully developed and "self contained". Except for the Salon property, the other three lakes are also developed but not as densely.  As a result, in addition to the 4th Lake state Campground, the East say Township Park on 5th Lake and Camp Hayo-Wenta on 3rd Lake, on the order of 125 developed home sites, exist on the shores of Arbutus Lake today.

Because 1st and 5th lake are "fully developed, very shallow and self contained", the DNR imposed "no wake" boating rules for them.  In view of the likely increase in docks, boats and the generally shallow water, if Salon Shores is allowed to go forward as proposed, it seems the DNR would be compelled to consider imposing "no wake" rules over most of Arbutus Lake.

To permit 91 "as small as you can get away with" building sites on a shore that has many lagoons, wet lands, mud flats, steep hillsides and deep gullies, which will require 91 septic tanks, 91 water wells, 91 docks and who knows how many more boats, simply condones overwhelming Arbutus Lake.

Then, if this is compounded by permitting an additional 136 adjacent building sites, requests for exceptions to allow "key-holing" are sure to follow.

All of these concerns, to say nothing of the adverse effects on the ground water and the lake itself as well as the diverse flora and fauna, (ie; deer, fox, eagles, orioles, tanagers, loons, plus all the other ubiquitous species common to the area) make the. dense development proposed for Salon shores, with the potential addition of 227 septic tanks and 227 water wells, border on the unconscionable.

Obviously, who ever drew up the plan does not truly care about the Forest Lakes Area.  The so-called "open space" within the proposed building sites is areas with exceptionally deep potholes, swamps, or oil well and pipeline development, all of which are unsuitable for building or recreation.  To claim these areas as "open space" in a veiled attempt to justify exceptions in order to jam ever smaller lots on the shoreline is ludicrous.

Frankly, to any one who cares about the Forest Lakes Area, the plan seems backward!  The larger lots are located up-land and the very smallest lots are on the shore.  The true buildable open space being retained is removed from Arbutus lake along Garfield and Salon roads.  One has to wonder, are apartments or a shopping center coming next?

In view of the other underdeveloped platted subdivisions nearby, we wonder what will have been accomplished if Salon shores also doesn't prove as popular as expected and the developer simply walks, leaving behind the damage of unnecessary roads and a partially completed unsupervised infrastructure.

Please know that we do not think anyone has the right to tell private owners what they must do with their property. However, we do believe that the State of Michigan and East Bay Township have an obligation to impose regulations and enforce ordinances designed to preserve the environment. and protect the interests of all parties adversely affected by a given proposal.

It seems this proposal has only one objective, ie; jam in as many building sites as possible while retaining large areas for future development, and argue that "condominium rules" will be sufficient to "prevent. inappropriate development and protect everyone's interests" in the future.  Thus, eventually, the proposal will be OK'd by unsuspecting governmental agencies.

We know that usually isn't allowed to happen in East Bay Township and that is why we are writing to you.

Accordingly, we urge you to visit the property₁ tour the shoreline, listen to the neighbors and experts and then examine what the proposal, if accepted as is, would likely accomplish.

We also urge you to work with your counterparts at the DNR, Road Commission, Drain Commission, Health Department and the GTRLC so together you can work toward a plan that generates a prudent return to the developer, appropriate compensation for the Salons and preserves this unique land and shoreline for the people of Grand Traverse County and East Bay Township.

Ir. other words, please do every thing necessary to assure that the interests of all parties are considered and resolved in a manner that maintains the integrity of Arbutus Lake and the Forest Lakes Area and is fair and equitable for all concerned.

Thank you for your consideration, and for all the good work you have done for East Bay Township to date.

C.N. (Tom) Tinker
Janice Wheeler Tinker

              Ely Hill Letter to Mike Nikels/East Bay Twn Planning Commission

April 28, 2005 Letter from Ely L Hill to Mike Nikels (Acting Chair) East Bay Township Planning Commission 

Dear Mr. Nikels:

As one of the founding members of the Arbutus Lake Association, and as an owner, with my family, of property on Arbutus Lake, I am writing the commission expressing several concerns over the proposed development of the Salon property on Arbutus Lake. My family has been associated with Arbutus Lake since 1935 when my wife started to attend Camp Arbutus, In 1949 we acquired property on the lake and built a summer home there.

We, the property owners and the Arbutus Lake Association, have assumed the position of guardians of the lake to try to preserve the pristine beauty of the lake for small boaters and fishermen. We have also spent several thousand dollars in the effort to control the milfoil invasion with great success.. Our Association also worked with the township in creating an ordinance for the establishment of new structures on the lake which has been adopted by a number of other lake associations.

We are concerned that so many additional structures are planned for such a small lake. The proposal would almost double the homes on the lake. Our concern is that this would cause serious crowding with many new power boats and personal watercraft.

This could create not only a serious pollution problem, but one of grave safety. There is a YMCA youth camp on the lake with much canoeing and small boat sailing. The potential addition of these many new power vehicles could make these activities very dangerous. Are there not DNR regulations that limit the load that a small lake like Arbutus can handle?

Another concern is the pollution from fertilizers and septic take runoff that can cause the algae growth in the lake to balloon. while there may be restrictions imposed by the developers, what will prevent the new owners from trying to establish grassy lawns. Where will the drainage from this fertilizer and the septic talks eventually flow?

Another concern is the proposed development of the shoreline of 'turtle cove" in fourth lake. This is an area with a very mucky bottom, that remains still if left undisturbed, but upon being stirred up with boat traffic from these proposed lots will cause this silt to affect the remainder of the lake, particularly fourth lake.

Has the large number of wet lands on the property been mapped? These wet lands by law cannot be destroyed. Has the developer taken these wet lands into account in the plans?

What effect will the adjoining development of 136 homes on the balance of the property have on the lake? Will there be septic and fertilizer runoff problems that will eventually end up in Lake Arbutus?

We, the homeowners and the Association, take the guardianship of this very beautiful small lake seriously. It has been declared one of the few beautiful and pure lakes remaining in Michigan. We believe we have acted judiciously in administering that trust. We want to insure that this gem of a small lake, one of the few remaining in the area, will not be destroyed.

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

Ely L. Hill , resident of East Arbutus Lk Rd

[We'll post any reply from Mr. Nikels ]
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