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Township
to meet with Black Bear, DEQ on sewer grant
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At the June 13 Grant Township Board meeting,
Trustee Richard Powers, right, expresses a need for more
information before the township can make a decision to apply or
not apply for state and federal funding for the Mt. Bohemia sewage
treatment system. Also pictured are Grant Township Supervisor Ken
Korhorn, left, and Trustee Gary Barker.
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COPPER HARBOR ’Äì The Grant
Township Board will hold an informational meeting on
the proposed Mt. Bohemia sewage treatment system at
3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 27, in the Copper Harbor
Community Building. The purpose of the meeting is to
give further consideration to Mt. Bohemia developer
Black Bear’Äôs request that the township apply for
state and federal grant monies to fund their sewage
treatment system.
Representatives from Black
Bear, U.P. Engineers & Architects and the Waste
Management Division of the Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) are expected to present
information for the board and for the public and to
be available to answer questions.
’ÄúThe reason we are having the
special board meeting is to answer questions
generated at the last board meeting on June 13,’Äù
said Ken Korhorn, Grant Township supervisor. ’ÄúAnd
it is hoped that by having all parties present any
questions can be addressed.’Äù
Korhorn noted no decision will
be made at this meeting, which is informational
only.
’ÄúIt appears that we will make
a decision at the July regular board meeting,’Äù
Korhorn said.
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South Shore Association President Tom
Collins, standing, reads a letter to the Grant Township Board at
their June 13 meeting. The letter contains an SSA motion that a
need for a publicly owned wastewater treatment system in Lac La
Belle needs to be established before the township applies for a
grant for Black Bear's Mt. Bohemia system.
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At the June 13 meeting a number
of Grant Township residents expressed their
opposition to the township’Äôs applying for a grant
to fund a private sewer system. Among these was Tom
Collins, president of the South Shore Association (SSA),
who read a letter to the board reporting a motion
made by the SSA Board of Directors and members.
The motion states that a need
for a publicly owned wastewater treatment system in
Lac La Belle needs to be demonstrated in order to
pursue such a system.
’ÄúCurrently scientific data as
to Lac La Belle’Äôs water quality has not been
established,’Äù the motion states. ’ÄúPrivately
owned septic systems are in operation and their
overall treatment efficacy cannot be commented upon
until water quality has been scientifically
established. Therefore, the South Shore Association
does not support Grant Township’Äôs involvement in a
municipal waste treatment system until demonstrated
need is established.’Äù
The letter also notes that
biologist Sandra Harting, Ph.D., will be working
this summer with SSA volunteers and the DEQ in
testing the water quality of Lac La Belle, Bete
Grise and the mouth of the Montreal River in order
to establish baseline data for water quality in
these areas. The Great Lakes Aquatic Habitat Network
Fund is providing a $1,600 grant for the project.
Collins concludes the letter
with an expression of SSA concern about Black
Bear’Äôs current waste treatment design and
encourages the board to be aware of
’Äúall the technology available that would
maximize environmental protection and fit the
development needs of the area.’Äù
In a second letter, dated June
20, 2001, Collins asks the board to focus on two
concerns for the protection of Grant Township
residents, particularly those of Lac La Belle: 1)
the increased taxes or use of general funds
resulting from cost of construction or maintenance
of the treatment system; 2) possible mandatory hook
up for Lac La Belle residents.
This letter states to the
board, ’ÄúIn addressing these concerns, you need to
incorporate written agreements with Black Bear to
insure public protection BEFORE you sign and
commit yourselves to the project. To enter this
venture without written agreements related to owner
and title of land, construction cost overruns,
operation, repair, fee amount and maintenance would
demonstrate unusual and high risk taking business
behavior.’Äù
At the June 13 board meeting,
Lac La Belle resident and Grant Township Land Use
Planning Committee member Chuck Brumleve said he
failed to see why the township would want to get
involved with a grant for a private project.
’ÄúShould the township be
taking on these responsibilities and liabilities?’Äù
Brumleve asked the board. ’ÄúThis becomes a
lose-lose proposition for the township.’Äù
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At the June 13 Grant Township Board meeting,
attorney Gordon Jaaskelainen, second from left in front row, warns
the board of unforeseen liability should they apply for a grant
for Black Bear's sewer system. Also pictured (front row from left)
are Donald Piche of Lac La Belle, John Sullivan, senior
vice-president of U.P. Engineers & Architects and Black Bear
President Lonie Glieberman.
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The idea of risk was also
addressed at the June 13 meeting by attorney Gordon
Jaaskelainen, who said the unforeseen liability for
Grant Township would be very significant.
’ÄúI oppose this grant,’Äù
Jaaskelainen said.
He added his concern that Black
Bear had not yet solved the ownership issue.
At the June 13 meeting Black
Bear President Lonie Glieberman told the board his
company had an agreement with Lake Superior Land Co.
to purchase the land on which the wastewater system
is to be built. He indicated Black Bear would
purchase the land and then turn it over to the
township if the township applies for the grant and
receives the funding. The grant applicant must be
the owner of the land.
’ÄúThe lawyers are finishing up
the final details,’Äù Glieberman said at that time.
Jaaskelainen said Black Bear
had not disclosed that agreement or shown the DEQ
any title to the land. This was one reason for the DEQ’Äôs
deadlines for
Black Bear’Äôs initial application for a Part
31 Groundwater Discharge permit. The DEQ also
requested that Black Bear submit to the township a
Notice of Intent for the grant and information about
the grant to help the township in its decision.
On May 3, John Sullivan, senior
vice-president of U.P. Engineers & Architects, Inc.,
sent Korhorn a Notice of Intent for a Michigan
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) under the
Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC),
including about $700,000 in federal (Economic
Development Authority, or EDA) funds, for a total of
$3,045,000. In his cover letter Sullivan says he is
attaching the project budget, narrative and site
plan in response to the DEQ letter of April 27,
2001, listing deadlines for the permit.
Sullivan’Äôs May 3 letter
states, ’ÄúThe proposal does not include facilities
for the community at this time. If desired a sewage
pumping station and force main can be included in
the project by adding $100,000. This would increase
the EDA share by $70,000 and the local share (by
Bear) by $30,000 approximately. If there are some in
Lac La Belle who want to connect to the system an
extension of the sewer system could possibly be
added to this project or a later project could be
designed and financed by the users with assistance
by state and/or federal agencies. Also a rate
structure could be calculated for connection and
use. It is my opinion that the treatment system as
designed would have capacity for several more users
of various sizes.’Äù
The Notice of Intent lists 35
as the number of jobs to be created by the project,
at a minimum wage of $6.50 an hour.
The DEQ Waste Management
Division’Äôs May 16 reply to Sullivan’Äôs May 3
letter on the Notice of Intent warned Black Bear
that the development of the grant application did
not meet the deadlines established in their April 27
letter, did not provide the property ownership
information requested and did not provide Bear’Äôs
ability to demonstrate that Grant Township would
sponsor a grant application on behalf of the ski
hill project.
’ÄúBased on the current status
of the Department’Äôs review, a denial of the
groundwater discharge request is anticipated,’Äù the
May 16 letter states. ’ÄúIf the Part 31 Groundwater
discharge application is denied by the Department,
you may resolve the financing issues associated with
this project (if grant financing is pursued,
treatment plant construction may not be initiated
until funding is awarded) and submit a new
application to the Department. Assuming the new
application is similar to the Part 31 Groundwater
Discharge application currently proposed and no
significant environmental issues arise from the
public comment period, the review process should
move quickly.’Äù
The letter is signed by Robert
Schmeling II, Marquette District Supervisor, Waste
Management Division.
In a May 25 reply to Schmeling,
Sullivan requests withdrawal of the Part 31
application since financing issues will not be
resolved in time to meet the DEQ deadlines. He adds
it is Black Bear’Äôs hope to solve the issues with
the help of Grant Township in June and then to
re-apply for the permit.
In a list of responses to
questions from Korhorn, Glieberman confirms his
intention to re-apply for the permit concurrently
’Äúwith Township approval of initial grant
application paperwork.’Äù
Replying to other questions
from Korhorn, Glieberman wrote that the benefits to
Grant Township in being the grant applicant include
’Äúeconomic development (tax base increase and job
creation), control of wastewater treatment, assuring
the construction of a wastewater treatment facility
that will enhance the protection of Lac La Belle by
providing a state of the art facility of the type
preferred by the Michigan DEQ in a location away
from the Lac La Belle watershed.’Äù
Glieberman cited the benefit to
Black Bear would be in saving the ski resort project
about $900,000, which could then be reinvested in
facilities to enhance the resort operation. At the
June 13 meeting he mentioned mountain biking trails
and a cross-country ski center as possible examples
of this.
Should the township not apply
for the grant, Glieberman noted, Black Bear would
spend its private dollars to construct the
wastewater treatment system and have less money to
develop the resort initially.
In reply to Korhorn’Äôs
question on responsibility should Mt. Bohemia close,
Glieberman wrote, ’ÄúBlack Bear would be responsible
for costs associated with sale or closure and would
be guaranteed by a performance bond issued to the
Township and paid by Black Bear subject to Township
approval.’Äù
Also attending the June 13
board meeting was Keith Niemela of the Houghton
Keweenaw Tourism Council. Niemela said the Council
and the Chamber of Commerce support the Mt. Bohemia
project.
’ÄúWe see this as a benefit to
the tourism base,’Äù he said. ’ÄúI think what
you’Äôre looking at here is a positive move.’Äù
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Lac La Belle resident Sue LeBlanc, standing
right, spoke at the June 13 Grant Township Board meeting on the
lack of aesthetics at Mt. Bohemia. Also pictured in foreground,
from left, are Copper Harbor residents Don Kauppi, Nicole Pierce,
Sharon Powers and Mary Jo Beveridge.
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Lac La Belle resident Sue LeBlanc said Niemela should look carefully at Mt.
Bohemia before recommending it to tourists.
’ÄúIt’Äôs ugly,’Äù she said.
Ray Quicksilver, a visitor from
Houghton Township, said aesthetically pleasing
development is a big concern in Keweenaw County.
’ÄúWe don’Äôt want to be like
the Wisconsin Dells. We don’Äôt want to be like Door
County,’Äù Quicksilver told Glieberman. ’ÄúYou’Äôve
got to communicate with people. You can’Äôt assume
that everybody knows what you’Äôre doing.’Äù
Anita Campbell, Grant Township
Land Use Planning Committee chair, agreed one
problem is not knowing what Black Bear’Äôs future
plans are and how much they would expand the sewer
system later.
Grant Township Trustee Richard
Powers suggested the Board call the special June 27
meeting in order to have more complete information
before making a decision on the grant for Black
Bear.
’ÄúI don’Äôt know if there’Äôs
an advantage for Grant Township,’Äù he said. ’ÄúI
don’Äôt want to vote yes; I don’Äôt want to vote no,
because I want to make a good decision.’Äù
Some residents complain that 3
p.m. time of the June 27 meeting is inconvenient for
working people.
Said Lac La Belle resident Paul
Campbell, who will not be able to attend because of
his work, ’ÄúIt’Äôs supposed to be a public meeting,
but it’Äôs not very accommodating.’Äù
Click here for the
Keweenaw Liberty Library and then on What’Äôs
New to read correspondence between Black Bear
and the DEQ or other documents related to the
proposed grant application ’Ķ
Click
here to comment on this article ’Ķ
’Äì Michele
Anderson
June 26, 2001
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