A special meeting was held by the Glen Arbor Township Board today to discuss the expansion permit request submitted by the owners of the On The Narrows Marina.
The following letter was read at the meeting today and is now a matter of public record.
Open_letter_to_the_Glen_Lake_Community
Filed under: Narrows Marina
Wow..we just head about this expansion from a friends email. We own the property directly across the street from the marina. Our address is 8088 Glen Lake Rd. We are very concerned about this expansion. We have problems with cars and cars with boat trailers blocking our driveway now. We have often run out to catch the driver and ask them to move their car but when we miss them it takes one of us to stand out in the street and check for traffic because our sight and turning radius is so limited. If the marina expands I can’t imagine where the cars are going to park. There is too much congestion now for the walkers, bikers, and runners going around the cars parked on the side of the road. Please think about the rights of the residential owners at the narrows too.
Dave & Gail Komendera
I have property across the bridge and would not enjoy the view of 48 boat slips. There is already a problem of boats docking close to our beach and we often have difficulty getting out of our dock to go out into the lake. What would more boats do? I would be stranded on my beach. I pay taxes and the people using the boat slips do not! This is a bad idea and you can’t go back after the change is made. Please consider this decision and how it affects the families who have owned property for 25 plus years.
We have owned a home for ten years on the southwest corner of Big Glen on the shallow cove abutting M-22. We sent a letter to the Glen Lake Association last year regarding our concerns about the escalating trend in the following:
1. People dumping beer and pop cans, wine bottles and juice containers in the lake. Also, we have had cigar and cigarette butts, plastic bags, a bag of dog excrement and bottles of urine wash-up on our shore.
2. Boats and ski jets are anchored in the cove the majority of the day. It has become common for 25-50 boats and more than 100 people to spend the entire day. When we first purchased our home, it was typical for only 4-5 boats to anchor in the cove.
3. People yelling and playing loud music creating a party atmosphere. The Narrows Marina has not helped the situation by towing volleyball nets across the channel and operating a food boat in the cove.
4. We have witnessed ever more risky and ignorant watercraft use, especially individuals using jet skis at high speeds in the cove and operators ignoring the no wake designated areas.
5. People parking along the road and being picked-up by boats in the cove. We have had people walk through our property and onto our dock, as well as our neighbors, to be picked-up by boats. Posted no trespassing signs have not deterred them.
We certainly want everyone who is willing to protect the environment, adhere to watercraft and property laws, as well as respect the sanctity of the lakes to enjoy access to them. Also, we are not opposed to any business being able to responsibly expand; however, given our past experience and ongoing concerns, we cannot fathom that the proposed expansion will do anything but add to an already out of control situation.
We have been owners on Little Glen for seven years. I sympathize with the current property owners’ comments above and the proximity to the Narrows. It has gotten much busier in that area over the last several years. And there is a reason they call it “The Narrows”…it IS narrow, there is not enough parking for current operations, and there is certainly no room for expansion. The petitioner’s open letter seemed to indicate that these slips would be taken by those that might otherwise use the Day Forest boat launch. If that were truly the case — and I don’t believe it is — then perhaps he would support a parking ban along Day Forest near the boat launch. I am a real estate developer so I understand the process. The petitioner wants everyone to believe that his plan is being proposed as a public service (there is demand for more boat slips on Glen Lake….no kidding?!). While there may be a chance that is partially true, what the petitioner really wants is to improve his return on investment and I’m sure he considered expansion as a way to do so when he bought it. However, there are risks associated with that and he should have considered those risks as well. When I enter into a contract to purchase a property and wish to seek a variance, conditional use, zoning change, or some combination thereof, I do so with a contingency that allows me to walk away if I am unsuccessful in my pursuit.
I’ve experienced the effects of “keyholing” boat access for property owners whose purchases do not include riparian rights, and it has created a nightmare for home owners on the north end of Long Lake. How would you like a dock – the width of the property – butting up to your property? Zoning and MDOT regulations exist to level the playing field for all taxpayers, and thus should be enforced for all. If you subtract the state road right of way, even if you bulldozed the buildings, there is not enough land at “On the Narrows” to even park half of the cars. This is a terrible prospect for the quality of Glen Lake and anyone trying to enjoy the public accesses in the area.