After Grand Traverse County commissioners voted 7-2 last week to purchase the former Camp Greilick/GO-REC property for $3 million from the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, the county will host its first public input session on park plans Tuesday (May 21) at 7pm at the Conservancy's headquarters at 2846 North Three Mile Road.

Though Commissioners Brad Jewett and Penny Morris were opposed, county commissioners approved a plan last week to purchase the 196-acre property formerly owned by Rotary Camps & Services to turn into a public county park. The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy – backed by an anonymous donor – stepped in recently to buy the site to hold it for Grand Traverse County while the county worked through its due diligence and approval processes. The site has 4,310 feet of frontage on Rennie, Spider, and Bass Lakes and is adjacent to thousands of acres of protected land, providing connections to numerous trail systems. 

Grand Traverse County will provide an initial $100,000 deposit – which will go toward the purchase amount – and close on the property no later than September 1. In the interim, county staff will work with Conservancy staff and others “to conduct due diligence assessments on the property,” according to County Parks and Recreation Director John Chase. “Parks and Recreation staff will engage the community and community partners to develop a plan for the future of the property.”

According to a county release, "based on the historic use and recreation potential, Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation envisions many uses for this beautiful property. While the ultimate plans are not complete and will include significant public input, the county sees securing the property as an important step to put the former Camp Greilick property in public ownership to ensure continued access to recreation in the community for years to come."

The county and Conservancy are working with the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation to boost a permanent endowment fund to support the care and maintenance of the property. The Community Foundation stewards the existing approximately $150,000 Greilick Endowment, which benefits the property, and is working to grow the permanent fund to a minimum of $1.5 million.

"The endowment will provide the county with annual funding to support the property’s care and maintenance," according to a Community Foundation and Conservancy joint release. "Stewardship activities for the property may include restoring and improving habitats for wildlife and water quality and building and maintaining recreation-related infrastructure such as the existing buildings, trails, signage, and parking areas." 

Photo credit: Traverse Area Historical Society