Summary
This document is a piece of correspondence submitted for inclusion in the Leelanau Township Board's June 10, 2025 meeting package. The letter, from Northport Village Council Trustee Will Harper, urges the board to proceed with transferring a deed restriction from Buster Dame park to a sensitive wetland area on North Shore Drive (referred to as 7th Street), a project he says was previously advanced by former supervisor Mike McMillan and former village manager Jim Dyer.
Public Comments
A written letter was submitted by Will Harper, Northport Village Council Trustee. Harper urges the board (addressed to "Barb") to continue work begun by predecessor Mike McMillan and former village manager Jim Dyer to move a deed restriction from Buster Dame park to a sensitive wetland area on North Shore Drive (7th Street). He states the survey and land appraisals are complete and that the DNR is awaiting ratification from both the township board and village council.
Harper argues the transfer would not obligate the township to develop Buster Dame, but would give the township autonomous control over the property's use rather than requiring DNR waivers for any non-baseball/volleyball use. He notes the current dog park use may not conform to the existing deed restriction.
Harper proposes that if the village proceeds with affordable housing on the "hard-scrabble" portion of the North Shore acreage, protecting the adjacent treed wetland area could serve as a mitigating factor or "peace offering" to neighboring residents who might object to the development. He states this would require a village council vote but expects the current council would not reject the offer. He requested that his letter be published or shared and included in the board's meeting package.
No response from the board is recorded in this document.
Affordable Housing Initiatives
Harper's letter references a possible affordable housing development on the "hard-scrabble part" of the North Shore Drive acreage, to be pursued by the village, with protection of the adjacent sensitive treed area offered as a mitigating factor for neighboring residents. No board decision on this is documented; this is presented as Harper's suggestion.
Parks and Recreation Matters
The letter discusses Buster Dame park, currently encumbered by a deed restriction limiting use to baseball- and volleyball-related purposes. Harper notes the existing dog park use may not conform to this restriction and argues any other future use would require a DNR waiver. He states moving the restriction would let the township, rather than the DNR, decide the park's future use.
Infrastructure Projects
The correspondence describes a proposed deed restriction transfer from Buster Dame park to a sensitive wetland area on North Shore Drive (7th Street), pending survey and appraisal work already completed. Harper states the DNR is awaiting ratification from both the Leelanau Township Board and Northport Village Council to finalize the transaction. No vote or board decision is recorded in this document.
Action Items
Will Harper requests that the township board act to ratify the deed restriction transfer from Buster Dame park to the North Shore Drive wetland area, matching action he says is still needed from the DNR. He also requests his letter be included in the board's meeting package, which appears to have occurred. No deadlines or assigned staff follow-ups are stated in the document.