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The townships of Cleveland and Centerville invite the public to provide input and ideas for the future of the former Sugar Loaf Resort AND the surrounding areas.

Sugar Loaf Resort closed nearly ten years ago and now a vision for the future of the site and surrounding area is sought to provide guidance for how the Townships' master plans and ordinances could address potential development. Ideas and perspectives from the public will assist the townships as part of a sub-planning process initiated by the Cleveland and Centerville Planning Commissions.

There are 96 slots at each session (12 round tables with 8 at a table), the first two sessions filled up and the one they added next Thursday (Jun 25) from 1:30 – 4:00 pm is filling up fast – call them at 231-256-9812 to make a reservation! Visit the Leelanau County Government web site for all the info on these visioning sessions and to add your comments online if you can't attend.

Photo: Leelanau Cedar Mi Little Rare Little Traverse Lake & Sugar Loaf Hill by UpNorth Memories – Donald (Don) Harrison

Acting as a private citizen, Leelanau County Commissioner David Shiflett has posted a petition to call on Leelanau governmental units to get control of Sugar Loaf. TV 9 &10 interviewed David about the petition last night.

"Every year that the Sugar Loaf resort remains closed, more and more people leave the area," says David Shiflett, Leelanau County Commissioner. "The businesses are floundering, their struggling to survive."

Shiflett decided — on his own time — to start an online petition to encourage the county to help private investors take over the resort.

"My personal belief is 'let's give it a whole new look, wipe the slate clean, start with a new plan and go from there.'"

Background (Preamble)

Since the winter of 2000, Sugar Loaf resort has been closed, resulting in a loss of the employment for over 300 people at the resort itself, not to mention the impact on the economy of Leelanau County, and the Grand Traverse region as a whole.

The residents, business owners, and tax payers can no longer accept the fate of what once was our economic engine. It's time to take control and form a public/private collaborative for re-development.

Petition

We, the undersigned Leelanau County tax payers, residents, visitors, and friends, call on Leelanau County's Landbank authority, Brownfield Redevelopment authority, Economic Development Corporation, with assistance from Leelanau County Board of Commission, Cleveland Twp. Board, Centerville Twp. Board, to take the necessary steps to get control of the lands, buildings, recreational facilities, and Infrastructure that make up the historical Sugar Loaf Resort Hotel, Ski Runs, Sugar Barn, and Sugar Loaf Service Company and Sewer Plant, including, if necessary, the formation of a nonprofit or municipal entity to manage the facility for the benefit of the entire community.

We urge all private and governmental entities, and all citizens, to come together in a joint effort to bring about the redevelopment of this significant community asset.

Click to read & sign the petition to Purchase & Redevelop Sugar Loaf.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports that Leelanau County officials are seeking federal stimulus funds to buy & upgrade Sugar Loaf Mountain:

"For the residents of Leelanau County, this is one of their prime issues, especially in the business community," said David Shiflett, a county commissioner and chairman of the county's brownfield redevelopment authority board.

The brownfield board and other county agencies are asking for $10.5 million under the state's allotment of the stimulus package to purchase the resort and a supporting wastewater treatment facility, parcels now owned by separate parties. They'd make upgrades, then offer the combined property for sale with public financing and other incentives.

"We don't want to be in the ownership position for very long at all … the goal is to incentivize it so it allows private development to get involved, take control and be profitable," Shiflett said.

Be sure to read the rest and check out more Sugar Loaf news from Leelanau.com.

Leelanau Groomer by TART Trails

News from the Week

Stories from the week included a roundup of Leelanau County webcams, a cool aerial photo of Leelanau's northwestern shore and the fascinating tale of a potential pre-historic Stonhenge beneath Grand Traverse Bay.

The Week's Weather

We lost our snow but got it all back with interest over the week.

February 19, 2009: A good deal of snow, wind & teens (19/15)
February 20, 2009: Light snow & 20s (26/4)
February 21, 2009: Heavy snow & teens (25/2)
February 22, 2009: Partly sunny & 20s (25/20)
February 23, 2009: Sunny & 20 (21/2)
February 24, 2009: Early sun, afternoon clouds & 30 (34/-1)
February 25, 2009: Cloudy, wet snow/rain & 30s (37/22)

<Leelanau Almanac for the Week of February 26 – March 4, 2009

Leelanau Almanac for the Week of February 12-18, 2009>

In Offers to buy 'Loaf' revealed, Eric Carlson of the Leelanau Enterprise brings us up to date on the state of Sugar Loaf in a well-researched article. He says that numerous offers to buy Sugar Loaf Resort from the "unnamed guarantors" of the mortgage have been made … and rejected.

Real estate agent Allen Reed is quoted as saying that Kate Wickstrom appears to be out of the picture and also that the buildings are now viewed as more of a liability than an asset. Real estate agent and County Commissioner David "Chauncey" Shiflett of Leland agrees with Reed's assessment.  Shiflett helped establish the county's new Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and new Land Bank Fast Track Authority.

Clearly a "blighted or obsolete" property, Sugar Loaf Resort may present an opportunity for a developer interested in benefiting from special tax incentives as well as government loans and grants available for cleanup and redevelopment through the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.

In addition, the county's newly-formed Land Bank Fast Track Authority has the legal ability to "quiet title" on certain properties where ownership is contested, unclear or potentially subject to forfeiture due to unpaid property taxes – circumstances which might describe Sugar LoafResort. Action by the two county authorities could attract a private developer willing to take on project to redevelop Sugar Loaf Resort.

"I have no idea whether the newly seated Leelanau County Board of Commissioners will support the idea of doing something to improve the situation there," Shiflett said. "But I know that trying to do so is something that I will be focusing on. I know that many of our constituents support the idea of the county taking some action to help revive Sugar Loaf."

Chauncey is quoted at the end of the article saying that:

"In some economies, it might not make sense for a county government to get too deeply involved in something like this, but we're not in a normal economy right now – and now may be the right time for the county to help spearhead an effort to revive Sugar Loaf."

Over the holidays, I looked around at the downtowns, and while I saw some activity, to me it looked like every winter weekend back in the day when Sugar Loaf was a going concern. I'm wondering what you think about whether or not the county government should get involved.

Our first major blizzard of the season has closed schools and rendered roads treacherous. As we head into the winter season, it's probably a good time to dust off some links to help you deal with winter.

The TV 9&10 School Closing Page will let you know if your school is closed or on a delay and you can set your school so you see it at the top.

Once you know school is closed, you'll want to get out and enjoy that snow. A great place to start is our Ski Leelanau page. It offers reports for downhill skiing at The Homestead and Crystal Mountain resort and also cross-country skiing trail reports.

If you want to range a little further afield, check out these Michigan skiing articles & links from Absolute Michigan!

The photo is 'Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow'! by John Levanen and if you have another link that you like, share it in the comments!

From the "News you might have been able to write by looking out the window" department comes a report from the Traverse City Record-Eagle that the first part of this winter may pack the biggest punch. They quote meteorologist Keith Berger of the National Weather Service in Gaylord as saying:

"The last couple of years we've had a mild start to winter and more snow in the latter half, but it looks like it might switch that this year.

What we're thinking it's going to look like is the first part of winter will be a touch on the cooler side with a good amount of snow, maybe slightly above normal. The last half of winter may be more mild, from mid- to late-January through February and March, it may be less snowy and a bit above normal temperatures."

Photo: Ohhhh Baby it's cold outside! by jsorbieus

One bright spot is that ski resorts around the state are opening early!

Over on our Absolute Michigan web site, we're featuring Leelanau's own National Lakeshore in Dig Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes. It begins:

The October 21, 1970 Act of Congress that established the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore declared that "…the Congress finds that certain outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena, exist along the mainland shore of Lake Michigan and on certain nearby islands in Benzie and Leelanau Counties, Michigan, and that such features ought to be preserved in their natural setting and protected from developments and uses which would destroy the scenic beauty and natural character of the area."

Before it's all over, you will have hopefully enjoyed the photos, maps and links and checked out 5 "must-do" ways to experience the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. (I'm hoping folks who know and love the Dunes can add many more tips for visitors!)

Check it out – I'm really happy with how it came out!

Photo: canyon of trees by metrolens

The Record-Eagle (and today's Enterprise) report that Brad Lutz, who signed a purchase agreement for the resort in February, announced Tuesday he won't close because he hasn't finished his review of the deal.

"We're still very interested in Sugar Loaf. We've done a lot of work out there and we still have a good plan for the property," Lutz said. "But we couldn't accomplish in 90 days what others haven't been able to accomplish in eight years."

…Lutz declined to discuss his plans in detail, but said he wanted to make the resort more of a four-season attraction in Leelanau County. He said he also needed more time to work on details like county and township approvals for renovating the property, tying down building demolition costs and reaching and resolving sewer issues as the resort's sewer system is not part of Wickstrom's holdings.

Read Purchaser pulls back on Sugar Loaf deal in the Traverse City Record-Eagle and also see Offers for Sugar Loaf shot down from the Leelanau Enterprise.

The photo is (still) waiting for Sugar Loaf by Andy McFarlane (who is still (still) waiting for Sugar Loaf).

One of Leelanau County’s more famous geographical landmarks is known as The Whaleback.
Jutting out into Lake Michigan just south of Leland, the Whaleback was so named for obvious reasons. When viewed from the north or south along the shoreline or just offshore, the geological formation is shaped much like a beached whale, with its head pointing west into the lake.

Technically, The Whaleback is a moraine, having been formed by earth and stones deposited there by a glacier. Specifically, The Whaleback is a drumlin, defined as “a long, oval mound of boulder clay molded by glacial action.”

The Whaleback trail is a beautiful trail leading up onto the bluffs looking out over Lake Michigan and the islands. The trail is steep so be prepared, but the view is worth the effort of the climb. The Whaleback trail snakes through an area that is home not only to a variety of animals, but also, in the spring, to vast swaths of forest flowers such as trillium and columbine.

About the Trail: 1.5 hours, challenging hike, steep access trail to flat 3/4 mile hilltop loop. Info kiosk at trailhead, benches along steep trail.

Cool things to do on the climb: spot trillium and columbines in the spring, spot freighters passing by when you reach the top, try to name the islands you see.
Spring Specialties: thimble berries, bird-watching
Summer Surprises: monarchs on milkweed
Fall Fun: brilliant colors
Winter Wonders: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing