Advertisement

“We have been waiting a long time to get these issues resolved,” said Sanilac County Parks Commission Chairman James Bowerman.

“It will really be a service to Delaware and Lexington and the county if we can get those open. The reason we do this, because there is no benefit to the parks commission, is it is a real help to the community. Parks provide jobs, people come in and spend money, and there are recreation opportunities.”

Lexington

The Lexington Township Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing for a rezoning and special land use permit on March 21 at the Lexington Township Hall.

The commission will hear a request from the county parks board to: change the zoning at Lexington Park from Residential II to Agriculture II; grant a special land use permit to operate an overnight campground from April 1 through Oct. 31; remove three campsites and build three cabins for overnight camping; and to add and/or update sewer and water connections on sites 1-21 and 37-42.

In December, nearly 60 people showed up at a public hearing on the rezoning, only to find out the parks board had been told to request a zoning designation that was not in the master plan. The hearing was cancelled.

The parks commission has received many inquires about camping reservations at Lexington Park for 2007, but can’t take any until the matter is settled.

Last year camping was stopped by court order after a multi-year legal battle between the park neighbors, township and parks commission. The Michigan Appeals Court determined improvements to permit camping violated the township’s zoning ordinances.

In November, the circuit court judge ruled septic system improvements and an office could remain after the neighbors asked that he order all improvements be removed from the park.

The park is located on Lake Huron about 2 1/2 miles north of the Village of Lexington.

Delaware

Delaware Township is ready to proceed with the legal steps necessary to allow the parks board to develop the undeveloped park.

Delaware’s master plan designates the area a park, but the zoning ordinances do not allow certain things needed for camping. That is why the parks board is asking for a rezoning on the lake-side of the park property to allow camping and a special land use on the west side of M-25 to allow recreation.

Zoning Administrator Cliff Messing notified Bowerman that the township planning commission scheduled a meeting to discuss adding a new use and zoning district on March 5. Barring any problems at that meeting, the next step will be to schedule a public hearing on the new zoning district for March 22. As long as the township approves the change, it would go to the county planning commission, which meets the second Tuesday of the month.

If the county planning commission can meet April 10 to review the proposal, the plan can be returned to the township board for its May meeting.

In January, the parks board sent a set of plans for park development to Delaware officials. The board has also been hearing presentations about alternative septic systems for Delaware Park. If the park tapped into Forestville’s sewer system, the commission would have to pay for the sewer line connecting the park to the village

The parks board wants to develop about 25 of the approximately 60 to 70 acres on the east-side of M-25. The park includes a total of 112 acres on both sides of the highway. The camp sites would range from large drive-through ones for RVs to rustic sites for tent campers.

Delaware Park is located 14 miles north of Port Sanilac on Lake Huron. The estimated cost of development is nearly $1 million.

The parks board will apply for grants after the plans are approved.