05-20-2007, 04:34 AM
Sugden Lake riparians forming non-profit group
[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Josh%20Jackett&-nothing"]Josh Jackett[/url]![[Image: z.gif]](http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/images/z.gif)
May 16, 2007 - The preservation of natural resources surrounding White Lake Township's Sugden Lake, as well as that of public health and safety, is the focus of two new groups in the process of being formed.
According to Matt Grisius, a Sugden Lake riparian property owner and a part of the effort to form Friends of Sugden Lake, the new group — a proposed 501©3 non-profit organization — as well as that of a Sugden Lake Improvement Board will additionally push to keep a developer from using lakefront property as a conduit providing lake access to residents who live off the lake.
Grisius said the formation of a non-profit organization is something residents of other lakes throughout the state have been doing.
"We have our stuff together, but we haven't filed the paperwork yet," he said. "Being non-profit, people can make donations to help with training costs and distribution costs. We want to educate the public about the proper use of the water and methods of conservation surrounding it."
According to Grisius, money collected could also be put toward a legal fund to support litigation against the efforts of the Willow Estates Development Co., which owns a lot on the lake where it has been seeking permits to build and operate a marina and boat launch which would serve backlot residents of Willow Estates.
In May 2006, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approved a permit for the construction of a dock no longer than 76 feet by 4-feet-wide, with three 22-feet-long by 3-feet-wide finger piers off each side for 11 boat slips; each slip would be 22-feet-long and 10-feet-wide.
A marina permit for use of the dock is still pending while a third permit that would allow the construction of 60-feet-by-12-feet boat launch — which would include the installation of 4.26 cubic yards of concrete as a foundation — is still being discussed after Willow Estates appealed the DEQ's initial denial.
The previous owner of the lot had been laying claim to the lake's bottomland at the site, which the launch would have used, and said he wouldn't let Willow Estates place the launch there if White Lake officials didn't support the project.
A Tuesday, April 24 update distributed to Sugden Lake residents by Barry Stulberg, manager of Stulberg Willow and the previous property owner, states Stulberg's intent to release the bottomland rights to Willow Estates because courts have ruled several times in the past that when lakefront property is sold, the bottomland in front of it automatically transfers ownership along with it.
Grisius said granting lake access of as many as 14 additional watercraft from one dock would pose environmental and safety problems. He said there are already 116 riparians property owners with access to the lake.
"The usable all-sport area on Sugden Lake is 16 and a half football fields, plus or minus a football field," he said. "That's roughly 1,200 feet by 800 feet, and you add 14 watercraft that accelerate to 45 mph in less than three seconds, and it takes 60 seconds to go around that whole area. If you had 14 boats doing that, it would be 850 revolutions per hour. That doesn't take into account the 116 existing riparians. There are environmental, safety, health, and congestion issues."
According to Grisius, allowing 14 more boaters to access the lake would be a 10-percent increase in boat traffic and similar to quadrupling the amount of public access points at the township's Cedar Island Lake.
"What's stopping someone from buying a little lot on Oxbow Lake, putting up a dock, and charging admission?" Grisius asked. "That's basically what it amounts to. Why can't I do that? Why can't anyone do that?"
The Sugden Lake Board Organizing Committee is planning to develop a watershed management plan for Sugden Lake's immediate watershed and may submit a grant application for Clean Michigan Initiative funding. It will serve a similar purpose to Friends of Sugden Lake, but the legal fund would be unique to the latter group.
"A guy told me the other day he didn't care what it cost, and that he'd donate $1,000 toward a legal fund," Grisius said. "People are starting to get passionate about this. Riparian rights are a very controversial issue, and unfortunately the developer and/or the DEQ wave that as their rallying flag for people who believe somebody can buy a lot, build a dock, and let anyone access it."
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[url "http://www.spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Josh%20Jackett&-nothing"]Josh Jackett[/url]
May 16, 2007 - The preservation of natural resources surrounding White Lake Township's Sugden Lake, as well as that of public health and safety, is the focus of two new groups in the process of being formed.According to Matt Grisius, a Sugden Lake riparian property owner and a part of the effort to form Friends of Sugden Lake, the new group — a proposed 501©3 non-profit organization — as well as that of a Sugden Lake Improvement Board will additionally push to keep a developer from using lakefront property as a conduit providing lake access to residents who live off the lake.
Grisius said the formation of a non-profit organization is something residents of other lakes throughout the state have been doing.
"We have our stuff together, but we haven't filed the paperwork yet," he said. "Being non-profit, people can make donations to help with training costs and distribution costs. We want to educate the public about the proper use of the water and methods of conservation surrounding it."
According to Grisius, money collected could also be put toward a legal fund to support litigation against the efforts of the Willow Estates Development Co., which owns a lot on the lake where it has been seeking permits to build and operate a marina and boat launch which would serve backlot residents of Willow Estates.
In May 2006, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approved a permit for the construction of a dock no longer than 76 feet by 4-feet-wide, with three 22-feet-long by 3-feet-wide finger piers off each side for 11 boat slips; each slip would be 22-feet-long and 10-feet-wide.
A marina permit for use of the dock is still pending while a third permit that would allow the construction of 60-feet-by-12-feet boat launch — which would include the installation of 4.26 cubic yards of concrete as a foundation — is still being discussed after Willow Estates appealed the DEQ's initial denial.
The previous owner of the lot had been laying claim to the lake's bottomland at the site, which the launch would have used, and said he wouldn't let Willow Estates place the launch there if White Lake officials didn't support the project.
A Tuesday, April 24 update distributed to Sugden Lake residents by Barry Stulberg, manager of Stulberg Willow and the previous property owner, states Stulberg's intent to release the bottomland rights to Willow Estates because courts have ruled several times in the past that when lakefront property is sold, the bottomland in front of it automatically transfers ownership along with it.
Grisius said granting lake access of as many as 14 additional watercraft from one dock would pose environmental and safety problems. He said there are already 116 riparians property owners with access to the lake.
"The usable all-sport area on Sugden Lake is 16 and a half football fields, plus or minus a football field," he said. "That's roughly 1,200 feet by 800 feet, and you add 14 watercraft that accelerate to 45 mph in less than three seconds, and it takes 60 seconds to go around that whole area. If you had 14 boats doing that, it would be 850 revolutions per hour. That doesn't take into account the 116 existing riparians. There are environmental, safety, health, and congestion issues."
According to Grisius, allowing 14 more boaters to access the lake would be a 10-percent increase in boat traffic and similar to quadrupling the amount of public access points at the township's Cedar Island Lake.
"What's stopping someone from buying a little lot on Oxbow Lake, putting up a dock, and charging admission?" Grisius asked. "That's basically what it amounts to. Why can't I do that? Why can't anyone do that?"
The Sugden Lake Board Organizing Committee is planning to develop a watershed management plan for Sugden Lake's immediate watershed and may submit a grant application for Clean Michigan Initiative funding. It will serve a similar purpose to Friends of Sugden Lake, but the legal fund would be unique to the latter group.
"A guy told me the other day he didn't care what it cost, and that he'd donate $1,000 toward a legal fund," Grisius said. "People are starting to get passionate about this. Riparian rights are a very controversial issue, and unfortunately the developer and/or the DEQ wave that as their rallying flag for people who believe somebody can buy a lot, build a dock, and let anyone access it."
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