'Little marina' may have big plans

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PUBLIC COMMENT ON EXPANSION PLANS

A copy of the public notice and application is available on the DEQ website at http://bit.ly/wt6MSE.

Public comment, including requests for a public hearing, can be submitted in writing at http://bit.ly/zvwjwe, or mailed to the Water Resources Division, 120 W. Chapin St., Cadillac, MI 49601. Be sure to cite the file number: 11-45-0055-P.

Related Photos

Ginny Schmid, left, and her daughter, Kathryn Schmid, at Glen Lake. Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump

January 25, 2012

Big and Little Glen lakes may add nearly 40 boat slips

BY JAMES RUSSELL jrussell@record-eagle.com The Record Eagle Wed Jan 25, 2012, 07:43 AM EST

GLEN ARBOR — Greg Schmid remembers working as a youth at the "sleepy little marina" next to his mother's home along the narrows between Big and Little Glen lakes.

Now he's worried that expansion plans for the small-scale On the Narrows Marina and the addition of nearly 40 boat slips will ruin the character of the Leelanau County lake and turn it into another party spot like Torch Lake.

"I think this is the first robber baron taking advantage of us being called the most beautiful place in America," Schmid said. "I think by next year we'll lose that designation."

The group Michigan Fun Venture purchased the marina in 2009, the same year reconstruction finished on the narrows bridge. General Manager Conor McCahill said high demand for boat slips prompted the company to apply for an expansion with the marina renewal.

The existing seven slips primarily are used for boat rentals, he said, and leave little room for people who want to dock their boats on the lake.

"We have a pretty good wait list for people trying to keep their boats on the lake," McCahill said. "This is for people that don't live on the lake that want to keep a boat on Glen Lake."

McCahill submitted an application to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality in December. It calls for expanding the number of slips from seven to 46, and the number of mooring buoys from 12 to 16.

The DEQ issued a public notice on Jan. 11 to adjoining property owners, including Greg's mother, Ginny Schmid. It allows for 20 days of written public comment — the deadline is Jan. 31 — and concerned residents can submit a request for a public hearing.

Greg's sister, Kathryn Schmid, said she was upset to learn about the proposal and hopes the DEQ schedules a hearing.

"My heart just sank," she said. "An expansion of that magnitude is an inconceivable, dramatic change to the character of Glen Lake right there at narrows."

She said she's worried about the effect the expansion will have on traffic and parking in the area.

"There's no parking, and they can't handle the customers they already have with parking that's available," she said.

Robyn Schmidt, a DEQ district representative at its Cadillac office, said notices also were sent to local units of government, but Glen Arbor Supervisor John Soderholm said he had not yet seen the application.

"I'm not really totally aware of what they're doing," Soderholm said. "We need a sense for what the expansion is going to be. One concern might be accommodating additional parking on-site, which is very limited in terms of that particular activity."

Greg Schmid worries the expansion proposal might fly under the radar for many area residents.

"Sure, I don't want this next to me, but I really don't want to have regrets that I didn't tell everybody what these folks are up to," he said.