The controversial removal of a dock near the Department of Natural Resources boat launch in Leland was not on the agenda at the Leland Township Board meeting Monday.
But that doesn’t mean it was off limits.
The 96-foot dock, which lined the Leland River at a stateowned boat launch, was located between the Bluebird and Riverside restaurants. It was moved by the state Water Resources Division of the Department of Environmental, Great Lakes, and Energy.
Township residents quickly expressed their displeasure. Several wrote letters to the township lamenting the action.
Monday night it was Dave Albert.
“(The dock) has become a ‘memory maker’ for by siblings and kids for the past 20 years,” he said. “We’d take the boat and tie up and go into the village,” Albert said. “I’m surprised the township handled it that way… It will be missed.” According to Stephanie Rosinski, unit supervisor for Traverse City and Leelanau state parks, the dock had become dangerous and needed removal. The MDNR in 2019 had asked Och if the township was interested in repairing the structure.
However, Och at the time determined that the township lacked funds for such a project, she told the Enterprise.
A related letter sent by the state to the township at the time invited discussion about a possible land swap for property at Suelzer Park in East Leland.
This came as a surprise to fellow board members.
“Supervisor Och, without authority, declined, citing a lack of funding,” township Trustee Mariann Kirch, offered in a written document in response to another township resident’s comments at the board’s May 13 meeting.
“The board was not notified of the offer or the rejection.”
Kirch added that the township finished that year with a more than $400,000 in capital improvement funds.
DNR representatives met May 16 to discuss the situation and determined that a property swap involving Suelzer Park on the north end of Lake Leelanau.
There, it was determined that a swap for the Suelzer Park property was out of the question.
“We have evaluated this and found the township land would offer challenges to boaters and staff would not be comfortable with taking on, including sedimentation and wind issues,” Jordan J. Byelich, Waterways Development Program Manager wrote in an email to Och dated May 29.
Another option is a long-term lease for the entire DNR parcel in Leland. But this won’t happen overnight.
For this year, Byelich wrote, the DNR is comfortable with the township taking care of tables, trash cans and mowing at the adjacent park/picnic area.
In other business during the regular monthly meeting the board:
• Took no action on a proposal from the Lake Leelanau Lake Association to place a trail cam at the Suelzer Park boat washing station.
• Authorized Och to prepare a request for proposals for needed repairs to the exterior of the restrooms in Fishtown.
• Authorized a legal review of the contract with the National Park Service, Department of the Interior, for Leland Township Harbor dock space.
• Approved the Cherry Capital Cycling Club use of Suelzer Park for its annual harvest tour, Sept. 21.
• Approved Michigan Township Association membership due totaling $7,538.
• Approved the Leelanau Community Cultural Center Artist Market and Cedar Street closure July 13 and 14.
