Sunset at Mission Point Lighthouse Beach on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
Sunset at Mission Point Lighthouse Beach on the Old Mission Peninsula | Jane Boursaw Photo
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Shoreline regulations have been on the agenda at recent Township meetings. In fact, a Shoreline Regulations study group was formed a year ago in January 2024 to address the issue of shoreline conflicts and violations, as well as a lawsuit.

At the Jan. 7, 2025 meeting of the Planning Commission, outgoing Township Planner Jenn Cram noted that the group initially focused on single and shared waterfront ownership, finding that the existing zoning ordinance, which allows one dock per parcel and one boat hoist per 50 feet, was inadequate for shared waterfront properties.

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Based on research and input, she noted, the group recommended increasing the limit to three boat hoists per 50 feet, although no final decisions have been made.

However, the group was paused in late 2024, as Township Supervisor Maura Sanders has requested that future study groups follow the Open Meetings Act, which includes posting agendas, minutes and YouTube recordings for public viewing. There are plans for this group to resume in the spring or summer of 2025 with this more transparent format.

At the Jan. 7 meeting, discussion took place regarding a Draft “Intent and Purpose Statement for Shoreline Regulations,” which is covered in Sections 6.2 and 7.4 of the Zoning Ordinance. Read more about this in the meeting packet here and the meeting minutes here). The Draft reads:

“Intent and Purpose. It is the intent and purpose of these shoreline regulations to protect and preserve the 42 miles of Grand Traverse Bay shoreline in Peninsula Township and to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public while allowing multiple uses. The water levels of the Great Lakes vary continually, and high water, wave action, or ice can cause damage to existing structures and property and can also become a hazard to neighboring properties. Shallow waters near shore also support lake ecology and provide habitat for a greater variety of organisms than all other aquatic areas.

“To protect and preserve the Grand Traverse Bay shoreline, several best management practices are embodied in the following regulations. These include measures to minimize the effects of waves, ice, fluctuating water levels, and erosion and to maintain water quality, ecological health, and scenic views. These regulations also support the best management practices associated with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.”

The Planning Commission also discussed next steps for public education for shoreline regulations. To that end, look for upcoming public education sessions on shoreline regulations with guest speakers such as Baykeeper Heather Smith and Richard Norton, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Much of his research has focused on the challenges of managing coastal shorelands along the Great Lakes.

I’ll keep you posted on upcoming public sessions, which will likely take place at a bigger venue like the community room at St. Joseph Catholic Church.

In the meantime, Maura sent me a note this morning that she has unearthed five boxes of a shoreline guide published by the Watershed Center of Grand Traverse County. The booklets, “Up North Shoreline, Stewardship Guide for Living on Grand Traverse Bay,” are available on a first come/first served basis at the Township offices.

If you’d like to view it online or print it yourself, click here. (It’s a beautiful color publication, so to save on printer ink, I recommend picking one up from the Township or printing it in black and white.)

Up North Shoreline: Stewardship Guide for Living on Grand Traverse Bay | Watershed Center of Grand Traverse Bay
Up North Shoreline: Stewardship Guide for Living on Grand Traverse Bay | Watershed Center of Grand Traverse Bay

Maura also sent over a link to a portal on Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) website, where you can see all the documents and permits for everything happening around the Great Lakes, including here on the Old Mission Peninsula.

Click here to access the portal (you don’t need an account). From there, you’ll see a map of Michigan with pink circles. When you zoom in on the area you’d like to see, you can click on the pink circles, and a list will appear on the left side of your screen for individual property owners. You can click on the individual property owners in the list, as well.

EGLE Map of Shoreline Projects | EGLE Graphic
EGLE Map of Shoreline Projects | EGLE Graphic

From there, you can click on tabs along the top of the box for Profile, Map, Environmental Interests and Documents, which is where you’ll find all the permits, deeds, public comments, etc.

EGLE Map | EGLE
EGLE Map | EGLE

Also Read…

SUPPORT YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL NEWSPAPER: I started Old Mission Gazette in 2015 because I felt a calling to provide the Old Mission Peninsula community with local news. After decades of writing for newspapers and magazines like the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Family Circle and Ladies' Home Journal, I really just wanted to write about my own community where I grew up on a cherry farm and raised my own family. So I started my own newspaper.

Because Old Mission Gazette is a "Reader Supported Newspaper" -- meaning it exists because of your financial support -- I hope you'll consider tossing a few bucks our way if I mention your event, your business, your organization or your news item, or if you simply love reading about what's happening on the OMP. In a time when local news is becoming a thing of the past, supporting an independent community newspaper is more important now than ever. Thank you so much for your support! -Jane Boursaw, Editor/Publisher, Old Mission Gazette

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2 COMMENTS

  1. I am glad that Andy Smits the County Drain Commissioner shared facts as to what caused the erosion on Bluff Road. During public comment he stated “Finally, I want to clarify some misconceptions about the Bluff Road failure. Its cause is not the Great Lakes’ elevation or shoreline protection issues. Bluff Road has withstood higher lake levels in the past. The failure resulted from poor drainage on the uphill side, where stormwater concentrated in ponds, compromising the road base. When I examined the site during the failure, it was clear the road was failing four feet below the surface, not at the slope’s toe. A visible waterfall from saturated conditions uphill was undermining the road base. It is vital to protect our roads, address these complex issues, and ensure that regulations do not impose unnecessarily on property rights but instead serve the broader community’s interests. As we face challenges like the 42 miles of bank deficient shoreline, I am committed to contributing my expertise to find balanced and effective solutions.” With 38 years of engineering experience with floodplains & shoreline development I look forward to his input wrt new shoreline regulations.

  2. As a member of the shoreline advisory group, I wanted to shed some light on why these group meetings were cancelled as of 9/9/2024. Jenn Cram announced on that date that we were done. We had completed our list of recommendations which would be forwarded to the planning commission and township board. She also stated that we were no longer meeting because there was an election coming in November and the newly elected members of the board may not want to proceed on this project.Maura Sanders had nothing to do with the cessation of this group and meetings. She was not involved nor was she the Township Supervisor at this time. Since she was elected in January 2025 she has questioned why these meetings were not abiding by the State of Michigan open meetings rules and regulations. Regards, Bill Walsh

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