Land Conservancy buys GOREC

Jordan Travis, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·2 min read

Apr. 26—TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy bought a former scouts camp in East Bay Township so that it might eventually become a Grand Traverse County park.

With help from an unnamed "conservation angel," the GTRLC put up $3.25 million to buy the 200-acre northern portion of the Greilick Outdoor Recreation and Education Center. That's according to a GTRLC release, and Matt McDonough, Rotary Camps and Services of Traverse City executive director, confirmed the nonprofit sold the camp Friday.

The sale comes nearly 19 months after Rotary Camps and Services of Traverse City opted to close the camp. The nonprofit withdrew a request to amend the camp's zoning amid pushback from neighbors and concerns planning commissioners raised, including about proposals to host events including weddings there.

"We tried to repurpose the property ourselves and we were unsuccessful, so we thought it best to put that property up for sale and use those proceeds for something else," McDonough said.

The purchase secures the portion of the property not going to Traverse City, McDonough said. That entails woods, hiking trails and more on about 300 acres south of the camp buildings.

Grand Traverse County leaders considered buying the property but needed more time for due diligence than Rotary Camps and Services could offer as part of a sale timeline, according to GTRLC. So the conservancy, which already oversees a conservation easement on the land, will hold the property.

That'll allow time for building and grounds inspections, plus environmental testing — concerns about old pit toilets and a shotgun target range came up repeatedly as East Bay planners discussed the previous zoning amendment proposal.

Grand Traverse County Administrator Nate Alger confirmed the county hopes to buy the camp following the required due diligence. That includes both inspections, environmental assessments and title work to ensure a clean property transfer.

"It's more complicated than it needs to be, I think, but when you're using public money, when you're using taxpayer money, you've got to be sure you're doing it right and doing it correctly," he said.

Alger said he hopes county commissioners will have a purchase agreement to consider at their May 15 meeting.

The camp is off Hobbs Highway in East Bay Township, with shoreline on Spider, Bass and Rennie lakes. Land conservancy officials said the property will not be open to the public for now.

Check Record-Eagle.com for updates to this developing story.