McClendon hearing: What people said

A Michigan State Police trooper watches the crowd Wednesday night.

The hearing Wednesday night at Saugatuck High School drew about 150 people. Of the 39 people who spoke, 31 were against Saugatuck Township accepting the proposed legal settlement with Aubrey McClendon; eight supported the plan to end the 2-year-old federal lawsuit.


Read the main news story at: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/topstories/x271614177/Saugatuck-Township-OKs-McClendon-deal

See Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance President David Swan speak at: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/videos/x271614028/David-Swan-at-McClendon-Hearing?page=0

Following are some quotes and phrases from the meeting. Not all speakers are identified (I wasn’t able to get all the names and many times people did not speak clearly into the microphone) and some are not included (I was tracking down other names when they spoke or was filing online updates, taking photos or video while they spoke).

• John Huyge supported the settlement, hoping it would end “un-Saugatuck-like behavior” by people on both sides.

• P.G. Walter said the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance wants to stop development of the duneland north of the Kalamazoo River by turning Aubrey McClendon into a “billionaire boogeyman.”

• Cynthia McKean described the $429,000 spent by the township on legal fees: “It’s ludicrous to waste taxpayers’ money,” adding the planning commission should handle the zoning issues.

• A Laketown Township resident addressed township attorney Ron Bultje: “He is a waste of taxpayer money and should be replaced.” She also said McClendon has “put one over on us.”

• Jane Dickie said the proposal treats McClendon differently than other land owners and  supports “harassment and bullying.”

• Dick Waskin said the plan is not a backroom deal. He said this is “an opportunity to press the reset button.”

• Vicki Rosenburg called the July meeting “a sham.” A nine-story hotel, she said, is “not the legacy we want to leave.”

• Doug Gritter said the south side property is now in public hands and it’s time for development of the north land. “Stop the bleeding and get this thing behind us,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

• Fran Mervau said the township should not blame its opponents for the problems it now faces. If the township did its job properly, “We would not be here tonight,” Mervau said.

• Steve McKown called the latest proposal “more subtle” than the earlier one rejected by the federal judge.  This agreement, he said, “Allows the property owner to overwhelm the ZBA” and “There’s no possible way the ZBA can handle this.” He said the agreement is set up to fail.

• Fritz Royce expects the judge to turn down the proposal. “This is going to come right back from the judge,” he said, because the planning commission should be handling it.

• Kathy Roper: “The ZBA will be given a nearly impossible task.”

• Scott Howard, land use attorney for Olson, Bzdok and Howard of Traverse City: “I recognize and uphill battle when I see one.” The ZBA has been put in a position it should not be in.

• Larry Sybesma said the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance has “cost us and the school system a lot of money” but opposing development on McClendon’s land.

• R.J. Peterson said the proposal is a “win, win, win, win,” allowing the community to focus on harbor improvement; for local governments who will get more money for improvements that will benefit taxpayers; for the community to repair social damage; and for McClendon who will work through the legal process.

• A woman who has lived near McClendon’s land for 25 years called it a “lose, lose, lose, lose” for the community because the area will lose its character.

• A woman said, “These are our dunes” and the development will pollute the environment. “Please think what it might look like for the next generation,” she said.

• Janet Rund: “Much of the development makes me feel sick to my stomach. ... I speak from my heart and for the wild heart of Saugatuck.”

• Marcia Perry: “There’s been an incredible lack of dialogue,” she said. She plans to submit 147 serious questions to the township attorney about the settlement proposal.

• John Latini said that the property has seen other variances in the past, such as the one allowing the boat factory.

• James Cook: “This settlement is a backroom deal.”

• Steve Darpel: “If we weren’t facing a $400,000 legal bill, we wouldn’t be throwing our zoning out the window.” He called the proposal a “travesty of American justice,” saying, “We need to slow down and listen to some other opinions.”

• Dayle Harrison said 2 minutes was not enough time to talk. “You’ve got to give us time and listen more closely to what we say.”

Russ Harris address the Saugatuck Township board on Wednesday night.

• Russ Harris said the meeting was a repeat of last summer’s hearing on the first settlement plan. “I hope we can all walk out as friends again,” he said.

• Dave Burdick said a 90-foot tall hotel would be equivalent to building three or four Big Pavilions at the mouth of the river. The Big Pavilion was 70 feet tall, he said.

• Keith Charak said the proposed hotel would be bad for the area’s lodging community.

On the air in Saugatuck talking McClendon

At the Morning Grind radio show Saturday, March 17, 2012. From left: Kristin Armstrong of the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, Mike Johnson and Tom Roady.

You never know what’s going to be on the Morning Grind radio show 7:30-9 a.m. Saturdays on WYVN 92.7 FM. The show is broadcast from the Annex coffee shop at Coral Gables, 220 Water St., with hosts Mike Johnson and Tom Roady.

Here’s a sample video: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news_videos/x872946430/Morning-Grind-on-the-air

Besides Kristin Armstrong who spoke about the Saugatuck Center for the Arts and Al Weener who talked about sturgeon preservation efforts,  I was a guest this morning to talk about the proposed settlement of the Aubrey McClendon lawsuit against Saugatuck Township. I quickly realized the chasm between presenting a topic for print and web vs. broadcast. I left the radio broadcast with half-finished thoughts and awkward silences.

Here’s a quick summary of the key points I stammered through:

• The public hearing is 5 p.m. Wednesday at Saugatuck High School. The township board will listen to comments then could make a decision on whether or not to accept the proposed settlement. If accepted, the agreement goes to a federal judge who could OK it or dismiss it.

• Read the proposal yourself at saugatucktownship.org. It’s about 45 pages.

Radio host Mike Johnson talks Saturday morning.

• Basically, the proposal says:

The disputed zoning — called R-4 Lakeshore Open Space District that was adopted in 2006 — will change on McClendon’s land only. It would go back to the previous categories called R1 Residential, R-2 Riverside Residential and R-3B Lakeshore Transition. In the lawsuit, McClendon said he was not properly noticed of the 2006 zoning change and his property was singled out by that designation.

All development plans will follow the proper township channels, including the planning commission and zoning board of appeals. “We have to go to the institutions like any other property owner,” said Stephen Neumer, McClendon’s local representative. “This is not a special deal.”

McClendon will ask for a variance — in essence, an approval to violate zoning rules — from the zoning board of appeals to build a 25-suite inn up to 90 feet tall and construct other buildings taller than the ordinances allow. The rules allow structures 35 feet high. He would also ask to build a nine-hole golf course and 66-slip marina.

Dugout Road would be turned into a pedestrian walkway.

• The Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance does not support the settlement proposal because the variances are not just minor alterations, but instead actually change the underlying zoning itself. “This settlement tries to fit a square peg in a round hole,” said Scott Howard, a land use attorney for Olson, Bzdok and Howard of Traverse City.

The dunes alliance recommends changing the zoning not through court action but through the traditional method of having the planning commission study the issue, hold public hearings then have changes approved by the township board.

• The township has spent more than $429,000 on this lawsuit. McClendon has spent more than $1 million, according to Neumer.

If the settlement proposal is accepted and approved by the judge, the township pays its own legal fees and McClendon pays his. McClendon would also pay $75,000 to the township to cover costs linked to the variance applications.

Al Weener talks about sturgeon in the Kalamazoo River while Mike Johnson, front, prepares his next question on Saturday, March 17, 2012, during the Morning Grind radio show.

Longtime city supporter Harold Thieda dies

Saugatuck resident Harold Thieda, right, speaks with Sig Steiger about the history of the Saugatuck Chain Ferry on Saturday, July 17, 2010. Thieda rode the ferry to get his mail at the post office across the river from his home.

Saugatuck Mayor Jane Verplank started the city council meeting with a heavy heart on Monday.

“Sunday was not a good day in Saugatuck,” she said.

Harold Thieda, 69, died in Grace of Douglas after a battle with a cancer.

Harold was a member of the city planning commission for 10 years, was a member of the historical society and was chairman of the Kalamazoo Harbor Master Plan Committee, the predecessor of the new harbor authority.

Harold also regularly sat in on city council workshops and meetings.

“He was always there when you needed him,” Verplank said.

He was a member of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and, as Verplank noted, he often sold Tootsie Rolls in front of the post office to raise money for children with special needs.

“I will forever miss him,” she said.

Arrangements will be announced by the Saugatuck Chapel, Dykstra Funeral Homes, 520 Lake St..

For more information, visit dykstrafuneralhome.com.

A referendum on McClendon settlement?

Voters might have a say in a settlement agreement between Saugatuck Township and developer Aubrey McClendon.

Township Supervisor Bill Wester told about 30 people Wednesday night that he supports the idea of a referendum on the zoning issue that has cost the township hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

“I would love to see a referendum,” he said. “I think it’s wonderful.”

Some area residents have been demanding more access to the recent negotations between McClendon and the township. About 30 people attended the Wednesday meeting to ask for more input into the settlement negotiations they feel are being conducted behind closed doors.

“We must be part of this discussion,” said a tearful Janet Rund, who said she has no fondness or affection for McClendon, adding, “No tyrant should be rewarded.”

Steve Darpel, a former township planning commissioner, said more public input is needed in the negotiations.

“It feels like democracy has been hijacked in this township,” he said.

Residents have said the process that led to a first settlement proposal was closed and did not involve the community. A judge threw out that plan in November. A second settlement agreement is possible by April after the township and its attorneys have met in closed sessions.

McClendon’s company Singapore Dunes LLC sued the township in fedeal court in 2010 alleging McClendon’s property had been singled out for spot zoning in 2006.

Many residents at the Wednesday meeting, and an earlier meeting Monday sponsored by the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, a group opposed to McClendon’s development plans, want the zoning returned to what it was before McClendon purchased the land. The planning commission would then work with McClendon on how to develop the 320 acres of duneland north of the Kalamazoo River.

Voting on zoning issues happened recently in Van Buren County.

South Haven voters upheld their city’s rezoning of almost 20 acres to allow a Meijer store at the corner of Phoenix Road and Blue Star Highway.

Getting ready to fight cancer

Participants in the 2012 Allegan County Lakeshore Relay for Life Kick Off Party put luminaries on their tables Wednesday, Feb. 29, at Fenn Valley Winery and Vineyards, 6130 122nd Ave.

 Pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness. Purple ribbons for pancreatic cancer. Teal for ovarian cancer. Black for melanoma.

Volunteers for Relay for Life will bring the rainbow of colors together June 9-10 in Fennville to help bring awareness to cancer research and raise money to find a cure.

Organizers of the event met Wednesday night, Feb. 29, at Fenn Valley Winery and Vineyards, 6130 122nd Ave., to kick off the event.

“There are so many people aware of cancer, but they’re not aware of how many types there are,” said Relay for Life Chairwoman Hedy Morse.

Alan Kort talks Wednesday about being diagnosed with cancer.

Organizers are aiming for 25 teams to spend 24 hours at the Fennville High School track in June to raise $76,000 to fight cancer.

Last year, the event brought in about $73,382.

In its first year in 2009, the event raised $53,600.

“Every year, we think we can’t get anymore, but we do,” Morse said. “We work a little harder.”

Cancer survivor Alan Kort told volunteers Feb. 29 that he will be celebrating during the walk his first year since being diagnosed and treated for cancer.

He discovered a lump on his leg while bicycling last July and had it examined on a Monday. Within days, he was in treatment for cancer.

“This was my struggle. Life ebbs and flows,” he said. “Cancer is a strange thing, seemingly simple, but it is so complex in the confines of the human psyche.”

Teams will be raising funds throughout the spring before the June event.

At 6 p.m. March 10, the Seeds of Hope team has a bowling fundraiser set at Lakeview Lanes, 229 Center St. in Douglas.

At 7 p.m. April 28, Team Forever Friends is holding its second Bras for a Cause auction at the Saugatuck Brewing Company, 2948 Blue Star Highway. People bid on handmade bras modeled by men. The first event last year brought in almost $1,500.

For more information on June’s Relay for Life, visit relayforlife.org/allegancountylakeshoremi.

For more pictures from the kick-off party, visit: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/photo/x186778116/Relay-for-Life-Getting-Ready

For a video, visit: http://www.hollandsentinel.com/videos

Work needed on workshops

Saugatuck City Councilman John Porzondek thinks the council’s workshop meetings could use a little work. And he doesn’t want to read about workshop discussions in the media before he hears about the topic from city officials.

Porzondek, who has missed recent workshops, asked his fellow councilmembers Monday night to reconsider how the workshop meetings are run, including how much time residents in the audience get to talk about issues.

“If this is a true workshop, three minutes isn’t enough,” he said at the council’s regular meeting.

Other council members said the workshops are informal enough that audience members get plenty of time to speak. Some also said that if Porzondek misses a workshop, he needs to check in with the city manager the next day.

The council has a workshop at 4 p.m. Thursday before the regular 7 p.m. Monday council meeting. At the workshop, council members discuss topics that might be more complex and take more technical knowledge and input from professionals than a regular meeting will allow. The topics can take weeks or months to come before the council at a regular meeting where all voting takes place.

No decisions are made at the workshops. The meetings are open to the public, but few people attend.

“I’m tracking with you to get more people involved,” said Councilman Barry Johnson. The council can look at ways to improve the workshop, he added, including recording them so they can be broadcast on community access television, as the regular meetings are.

The city now sends out the workshop agendas with supporting background, when available, to people who sign up on an email list. There are about 200 people on the list.

“If there’s something on it they are interested in, they’ll come,” said City Manager Kirk Harrier about the agendas.

What set off Porzondek’s comments was the Jan. 19 workshop during which an engineer presented plans for a half-acre park. One idea was for an 80-100 seat amphitheater at the corner of Butler and Water streets. Porzondek was not at the workshop and a story later appeared in The Sentinel then other newspapers.

“I don’t want to see another thing in the paper I’m not aware of,” he said.

The idea of an amphitheater was scrapped at a workshop last week after residents brought up concerns, said Mayor Jane Verplank.

Bathroom Break in Douglas

Beery Field in Douglas at last year's Oktoberfest. The infield — shown here in dirt — will be planted with grass this spring as part of the park renovation project. The dugouts, at left, will be refurbished and the backstop painted.

The grass will be greener on the other side of the Douglas public restrooms this summer — and maybe through the winter, too.

A new grass infield will be seeded in April at the Beery Field baseball diamond at Center and Main streets, Ryan Kilpatrick, director of community development for Douglas, told the city council Monday night. The work by Grounds Management Solutions will cost $7,800.

The upgrade will be paid for through the money raised in the last two Oktoberfest celebrations.

The dugouts will be refurbished and the backstop painted, Kilpatrick said.

The field is the home of the Douglas Dutchers vintage base ball team that plays 19th-century style baseball throughout the summer.

During the summer, those who watch the games or play on the adjoining playground have easy access to the public restrooms in the park, but not when the cold weather hits. The city closes the restrooms in the fall, a practice some city council members say discourages tourists in the off-season.

“If we want to promote Douglas as a city, having a restroom they can use is absolutely essential,” said Councilwoman Jane Mayer about tourists.

“We need to have the ability ... to have heated restrooms in this town,” said Councilwoman Martha Hoexter.

Mayor Jim Wiley suggested the council consider the year-round restrooms when the council draws up its budget for next year.

In 2006, the downtown development authority estimated the cost of improvements to the bathrooms, including making them compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and adding a heating a system, at $40,000.

In Saugatuck

Bathrooms are also on the minds of Saugatuck council members.

The council is looking at renovating the park at the corner of Butler and Culver streets where the information booth is now.  A small unisex restroom facility is part of the plans — and would be cheaper to heat than the year-round facility several blocks away on Butler Street.

That facility used to rack up $600 to $700 monthly heating bills until the city made some modifications in the ventilation system and lowered the heat to about 60 degrees. Now it costs about $100 to $120 a month to heat.

The city has four public restrooms, two on the north end of downtown — one facility is at Butler and Main streets, another at Water Street at Wicks Park — one on the west side of the Kalamazoo River at the foot of Mount Baldhead and another at Oval Beach on Lake Michigan. Only the Butler Street restroom stays open in the winter.

In December, the council began looking at ways to finance a new restroom at Coghlin Park on Culver Street. The park is becoming more popular and is the site of jazz concerts and Waterfront Film Festival events. Estimates put the cost at $50,000 to $80,000.