Sand Lakes, More Park Projects Move Forward

An effort by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) to save 160 acres of Whitewater Township property for perpetual public use is nearing a successful end, with the land poised to be turned over to the state and become part of the Pere Marquette State Forest.

GTRLC raced to save the property last year after Grand Traverse County commissioners put the parcel, referred to as the Sand Lakes Road site, on the market. The undeveloped property (pictured on map, in red) is surrounded by 20,000 acres of state forest and is home to multiple trails and trail events, including the Traverse City to Kalkaska trail and the Iceman Cometh Challenge. It provides public access to Bullhead Lake and has long been sought for acquisition by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to preserve its wildlife habitat, mixed deciduous forest, and recreational use.

“When the county was selling it, we knew it was going to move fast, and the state doesn’t do anything fast,” explains GTRLC Director of Communications and Engagement Jennifer Jay. “We jumped in and made an offer right away, and then the community really supported that.” Overwhelming public support for GTRLC’s effort to protect the property from development – with the goal of eventually turning it over to the DNR to become permanent public state land – prompted commissioners to accept the agency’s $255,000 offer over several other bids, including one from a private citizen for $352,000.

Almost 18 months later, GTRLC is now ready to hand off the property to the state. The organization just completed a successful fundraising campaign for $80,000 to cover its costs for acquiring the parcel, including property taxes, interest on the loan used to acquire the property, appraisal and environmental due diligence work, title and other transactional fees, and insurance liability. Half of the funds raised came through a challenge grant from the Iceman Cometh Challenge, which matched $20,000 in contributions from other users for a combined $40,000 donation. “That piece of property is important to that race, because (the event) goes right through that land,” Jay says. “They were really happy about our determination to protect it and stepped up to help.”

The DNR will cover the original $255,000 purchase price when it acquires the parcel from GTRLC; going forward, the state will pay full annual property taxes on the property, as it does for all new land acquisitions. The handoff to the DNR, as well as the property officially become part of the Pere Marquette State Forest, will "happen pretty here soon," says Jay, likely December or January.  “We were planning on it taking three years, so we’re ahead of schedule.”

The Sand Lakes Road property was one of numerous projects included in GTRLC’s Campaign for Generations announced in August. The ambitious fundraising effort aims to raise $71.4 million for conservation projects, including $17 million for natural land protection, $10 million for farmlands protection, $13 million for stewardship endowment and long-term funds, $13 million to cover six years of on-the-ground operations, $8 million for community conservation and universal access projects, and $10 million for a “quick-strike” fund that allows GTRLC to move quickly when parcels go on the market, as occurred with the Sand Lakes Road site. GTRLC had already privately raised just over $50 million before launching the public phase of the campaign; three months later, the group is now at $55.8 million.

“It’s designed to be a six-year campaign, so our drop-dead (deadline) is June 30, 2021,” says Jay. “I think we’re on pace for that, though none of us would mind beating that goal earlier. The last money is always the hardest to raise, so we’re really pleased and humbled by the number of donations that have come in.” Jay adds GTRLC will have a “big announcement” about another local property project to make in December.

In other area parks news…
Garfield Township trustees have agreed to pay a local resident to groom the trails at Silver Lake Recreation Area this winter to allow for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter walking. Peter Zirnhelt approached the township with a proposal to groom the park’s three trails – including the paved ADA-accessible, Meadows, and Hidden Lake trails – with professional equipment approximately 14 times between December and March for a total cost of $4,400. The grooming puts in a track for cross-country skiing on one side of the trail and packs down the other side for easier snowshoeing and walking. Township trustees added a caveat that Zirnhelt only groom the inside of the ring on the asphalt walking trail to reserve the outer ring for dog-walkers and other residents who frequent the path.

The Joint Recreational Authority – the board of Traverse City and Garfield Township officials that oversees Hickory Meadows, the Historic Barns at the Grand Traverse Commons, and a small parcel near West End Beach – is planning a December study session to do a “deep dive” review of feedback from two public visioning sessions about the future of the three properties and the rec authority, according to executive director Matt Cowall. The group also held focus meetings this fall with local stakeholders, conducted in-person interviews in the parks, and gathered 625 responses to a community survey about the sites. A summary of the results of all of those input opportunities has been published on the rec authority’s website dedicated to updates on the visioning process.

The rec authority and its operating millage are set to expire in 2024, with the visioning process created to help the board decide how and when to seek a millage renewal. The rec authority is also considering what amount to pursue for a millage, and whether the group should look to manage other properties beyond its existing three. Maintenance for the Boardman Lake Trail is one project that has been proposed to be turned over to the group, since the trail crosses both city and township boundaries.

Cowall says that after meeting in December, the board expects project consultants to present a finalized report on public input by February, with the board deciding by fall 2019 whether to pursue a millage request in 2020 or wait until 2022. “We certainly plan to ask before 2024, so that we’d have a second opportunity to make an ask if it fails the first time,” Cowall says.