Summary
This document is a written correspondence submitted to the Leelanau Township Board ahead of its April 8, 2025 meeting. Resident Marsha Buehler wrote to Township Supervisor Barbara Conley on April 5, 2025, raising concerns about a proposed "swap" or joint Township/Village ownership arrangement involving Buster Dame Park in Northport and the Village's 7th Street property. No Board decision on the matter is recorded in this document; the letter itself constitutes public input for the Board's consideration.
Public Comments
Marsha Buehler submitted a written letter opposing removal of the Buster Dame Park's DNR recreational designation to allow residential conversion. She noted that attendees at a recent Township Parks & Recreation Committee meeting were "overwhelmingly opposed" to converting the park to residential use, valuing its open, level, accessible space for dog park and neighborhood recreational use. Buehler raised numerous unanswered questions: what benefit the swap or co-ownership would provide Township citizens, whether there are hidden liabilities or costs, whether any concrete affordable housing plan exists (unit count, rental vs. owner-occupied, who would build/manage), and what financial feasibility analysis has been done. She questioned why this Village-driven proposal, which primarily benefits Northport Village, should be decided by the Township. No Township or Village response to these questions is documented.
Affordable Housing Initiatives
The Village/Township swap proposal is framed as enabling "affordable" housing at the Buster Dame site, but Buehler states no specific plan, unit numbers, ownership structure, or financial feasibility data have been presented. She questioned how the project could be deemed "affordable" given that a prior M-22 housing project was only feasible because it fell outside the NLTUA sewer district. She urged that zoning amendments and policies, both Village and Township, should be the primary tools used to address land use and housing needs, rather than disposing of parkland.
Parks and Recreation Matters
The letter references the Township's Park and Recreation Master Plan, developed with extensive public involvement in 2021-2022 by Becket & Raeder, submitted by the Parks & Recreation Committee, and adopted by the Leelanau Township Board in 2022. Recommendations for Buster Dame Park appear on page 23 of that plan, which does not include housing development on the site. Buehler argues the current swap proposal conflicts with this previously adopted, publicly vetted plan.
Infrastructure Projects
The letter references the NLTUA sewer system district, noting the Village may gain NLTUA users and income if Buster Dame is developed, and that a prior M-22 housing project's affordability depended on being outside the NLTUA sewer district. No formal infrastructure project or Board action is described.
Action Items
Buehler urges the Township Board not to decide on disposition of Buster Dame parkland based solely on a "well-intended concept" lacking data. She states the 7th Street property's use is a Village issue to be resolved by the Village before Township involvement, and recommends zoning amendments/policies as the first line of action for housing needs. No formal deadlines or assigned tasks are recorded in this document.