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Editor’s Note: Peninsula Township Supervisor Maura Sanders reports on happenings in the community, including the recent flooding, Town Board meetings, an upcoming Non-Motorized Transportation Planning meeting, a WOMP/Bonobo update and more. Big thanks to Maura for these weekly updates. Read on for this week’s note. -jb)
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April 19, 2026
This has been a truly unprecedented weather week in the township and in the region. Unfortunately, these events are reminders of the precautions we all need to take as property owners, neighbors and good stewards of our environment. Mother Nature usually wins, and she certainly provides proof of why we have regulations, via our ordinances and the permit processes, to protect life and property.
Grand Traverse County authorized a Declaration of Local State of Emergency due to the impacts of recent flooding. In Peninsula Township, on top of flooded basements and localized ponding, we had a washout on Swaney Road in the Village of Old Mission, we had major flooding at Bowers Harbor Road and Peninsula Drive, and we had a landslide near Franklin Woods and Peninsula Drive.
There is work to be done around the Peninsula to restore the damage. We will continue to emphasize the impacts of the lack of maintenance along our roads and press the Road Commission to take the preventive actions necessary to prevent many of these destructive situations.
The Township Board (TB) met twice on Tuesday, April 14th. The 5:30 p.m. special meeting was followed by the 7 p.m. regular meeting, which included an annual update from our local governmental entities and the first public hearing on Shoreline Amendment #206 (view the meeting packet and packet addition).
The local governmental updates were very informative. The meeting video is available on our YouTube channel here (for 30 days) with Governmental Updates starting at 1:30 and the Shoreline Amendment Overview starting at 2:26.
Nine members of the public provided verbal comments during the public hearing. The TB made several requests and asked questions of our planner, Sara Korpiva, and legal counsel, Chris Patterson.
(UPDATE: This meeting has been canceled because of scheduling conflicts due to the Bonobo/WOMP Preliminary Injunction court appearance on 4/23 in Kalamazoo in front of Judge Maloney. -jb) The next TB meeting is scheduled for April 23rd at 7 p.m. where the TB will discuss the Shoreline Amendment recommendation and the answers to our questions from staff.
Looking Ahead to Next Week – and Beyond
The Michigan Townships Association (MTA) annual conference is next week. Luckily, it’s at the Grand Traverse Resort this year. Several members of the TB and staff will be in/out during the week to attend classes at the conference. The office will be staffed at all times in the event you need assistance or have questions.
The Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) will be meeting on April 21st at 2 p.m. On the agenda: signage ordinance, Amendment 201 acreage recommendation, farm stays and short term rental language and more. View their meeting packet here, and watch the meeting on the Township’s YouTube Channel here.
WOMP/Bonobo Update: Thursday, April 23rd, is the scheduled “Hearing on Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction.” All updated information can be found at the bottom of the “WOMP Lawsuit Court Filings” page on the Township website here.
Opening for the Season. Mission Point Lighthouse will open for the season on May 1st. The historic Dougherty Mission House opens for the season on June 3rd. A cleanup day is scheduled for the Dougherty House on May 16, 10 a.m. to noon. If you have a couple of hours to help spruce things up, contact Sharron Zimmerman, [email protected].
Non-Motorized Transportation Planning. Mark your calendars, you’re invited! A Community Engagement Event is scheduled for April 28, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., at Old Mission Peninsula School (2699 Island View Road). Help shape the future of walking and biking on the Peninsula.
Please keep an eye on all upcoming meetings via the Township website and our live-streamed meetings (saved for 30 days) on our YouTube Channel.
Have a great week ahead!
Maura Sanders, Peninsula Township Supervisor
Phone: (231) 223-7323
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Mondays 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesdays – Thursdays 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Friday – Sunday and Holidays. If TCAPS is closed due to weather, Peninsula Township offices are closed at least until 10 a.m. Please check the website homepage for any updates.
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Maura, why have you not updated the community on the board’s recent directive halting the Agricultural Advisory Committee’s work on proposed changes to Amendment 201 until the lawsuit settles…which is years from now? Your silence is glaring—especially since you previously stressed they should continue to work on changes. Plus, you skipped today’s meeting, their first since this decision, where they deserved further clarification from you…their leader & supposed supporter. Simultaneously, the board is gutting the committee’s structure. Reducing membership from seven and restricting it solely to “active” farmers illogically excludes those who want to farm but are barred by these very restrictive ordinances. Legally and financially, this direction makes little sense. Judge Maloney noted in ECF 518 that Amendment 201 strongly resembles its previous iteration without ever ruling on its constitutionality. Isaiah stated changing it would cost around $100,000, making the justification for the board’s decision highly questionable. Given your prior instructions and these changes, the agricultural community deserves an answer: why the sudden reversal?