TRAVERSE CITY — Environmental advocates want a local judge to void a state permit to allow infill of wetlands near Interlochen.
Attorneys for the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council recently filed a petition for review in 13th Circuit Court. The group wants Circuit Judge Thomas G. Power to overrule a Michigan Department of Environmental Quality permit that would allow a Missouri man to develop property on Green Lake's north end.
NMEAC contends the DEQ ignored state wetlands laws when it granted the permit in early 2010.
"The wetland law was put in place to protect these kind of wetland complexes in the first place," said Greg Reisig, NMEAC board chairman. "In this case, the DEQ did not enforce the law, and the law is being violated if they are allowed to go ahead."
Laurent Torno, of St. Louis, owns about 20 acres off Diamond Park Road. He wants to modernize an old road and develop as many as four homes on separate parcels. The DEQ permit allows him to dredge and fill roughly one-quarter acre of existing wetlands.
Torno's attorney Gary Ford said a judge's review shouldn't be required. Ford said state officials held a well-attended public hearing, and the case went through further administrative hearings after opponents continued to contest the permit.
"Mr. Torno believes he received a valid permit," Ford said. "The DEQ went through a long, painstaking process in reviewing this thing."
The law firm Olson, Bzdok & Howard represents NMEAC, Interlochen Center for the Arts and others who oppose the development. The firm's attorney Ross Hammersley believes Torno and associates improperly narrowed the project's scope in an effort to get state approval.
Hammersley said the permit only addresses the road, not homesites the road will service. The permit application initially included the homesites, but they were dropped before the permit was approved, he said.
"He wouldn't build a road if there wasn't a purpose outside of the road," Hammersley said.
Home construction would occur on non-wetland property, Ford said. DEQ staffers are aware of the planned homes and requested proof the sites wouldn't impact wetlands, he said.
"The permit was issued with full awareness of all issues that could arise from this project," he said.
Torno isn't sure why there's been so much fuss, considering the size of wetlands to be filled.
"I frankly, from day one, have been at a loss for why these people are going after us," Torno said.
Hammersley said the home construction could segment wildlife habitat and cause other problems.
"The impacts on wildlife are going to be greater than just the quarter acre that's going to be filled," he said.
Region
Advocates: Void permit to fill wetlands
The wetland law could be violated, says NMEAC board
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Possible millage for TC schools
Traverse City Area Public Schools could ask voters this fall for millions to upgrade several aging schools and facilities.
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Benzie Sheriff candidate reprimanded at work
A candidate for Benzie County sheriff received multiple reprimands for inappropriate behavior at his high school job, but contends he’s still the best man for the law enforcement post.
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Spelling bee competitor goes out with a bang
Jack Pasche misspelled “idiosyncratically,” but he certainly knew how to act it out.
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Police arrest two in separate assaults
The Traverse City Police Department responded Sunday to a reported assault at a home on Leeward Court. A 38-year-old man told officers that his girlfriend, 39, punched him in the eye. He suffered a facial fracture requiring additional treatment.
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Boaters' safety class to be held
The class will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 2 at the Grand Traverse County Civic Center. To register, call the department's marine division at (231) 922-2112.
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Audit preparations for TCL&P begin
Consultants have until mid-June to submit plans for how they would conduct a Traverse City Light & Power audit.
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Man charged with more crimes
James Anthony Simpson, 26, of Traverse City, is charged with third-degree home invasion, larceny in a building and malicious destruction of a building after a May 15 incident at a Garfield Township residence.
Continued ... - Wednesday, May 30, 2012
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Housing project 'moving forward'
Traverse City commissioners recently approved what officials expect to be the last change in long-running negotiations to sell city property near the former railroad depot off Eighth Street to two affordable housing agencies.
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Septic tank tax appears inevitable
A $30 to $40 yearly tax assessment on properties with septic tanks in Grand Traverse County and Leelanau's Elmwood Township appears inevitable.
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DEQ seeks public input on Brown Bridge Dam removal
The state Department of Environmental Quality seeks public comment on Traverse City's request for a permit to remove Brown Bridge Dam and restore three miles of Boardman River channel.
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Man charged in Crystal Lake incident
A downstate man who attempted to evade authorities by jumping into Crystal Lake spent his Memorial Day weekend in jail.
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Traverse City to expand TC Saves energy program
The city is expanding a program designed to help residents save on their energy bills.
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Elk Lake boat launch closed for repairs
The Elk Lake boat launch located three miles south of Kewadin is temporarily closed for repairs.
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Suspect arrested in parking meter thefts
Police arrested a man they said stole parking meters in Traverse City.
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TC Central, West on another 'best' list
Two Traverse City high schools made another national list of the best in the country.
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Traverse City man faces theft charge
A Traverse City man faces a criminal charge after police believe he stole cash and other items from a friend's parents.
Continued ... - Tuesday, May 29, 2012
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Video: 'Taps' at Memorial Day service at Oakwood Cemetery
An excerpt of horn player Don Sattler and drummer David Sattler performing "Taps" at the conclusion of the Memorial Day service at Traverse City's Oakwood Cemetery on Monday, May. 28, 2012.
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Memorial Day: Traverse City honors heroes
A Memorial Day ceremony included a recitation of the Gettysburg Address, a rifle salute, the playing of "Taps" and a speech from Grand Traverse County Board of Commissioners Chairman Larry Inman.
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Get to work without using your car
- Monday, May 28, 2012
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City to discontinue spring cleanup
City crews will stop collecting residents' clutter each spring.
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Terry Wooten: WWII soldier's story told in poems
Jack Miller, a survivor of the Bataan Death March and a POW during World War II, won't be in any Memorial Day parades today.
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Remembering the fallen veterans
Below is a list of military veterans from the region who died during the past year (May 28, 2011, through May 25, 2012).
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Memorial Day events
A roundup of Memorial Day-related events in northern Michigan:
Continued ... - Sunday, May 27, 2012
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Travel season begins
Tourism analysts at Michigan State University project a 3 percent increase in Michigan travel volume this year.
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Restored cemetery to be honored on Memorial Day
The "Old Ones" buried in the once-overgrown and abandoned Onominese Indian Cemetery near Northport will be honored in a Memorial Day service and traditional re-dedication ceremony.
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