The Keweenaw County planning commission, above, was unable to vote on a private property zoning request at Tuesday’s public hearing because one commissioner was absent. (Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette)

EAGLE RIVER — Public opinion regarding a request for rezoning of an 80-acre parcel near Lac La Belle, in Grant Township was mixed during the public comment period of public hearing of the Keweenaw County Planning Commission conducted on Tuesday.

Elizabeth Whelan, a Houghton County resident who owns property in Keweenaw County, said she has concerns regarding development.

“Firstly,” she said, “my concern comes not from rumors, not from what people said on Facebook, but on what you (Lonie Glieberman) posted on Mt. Bohemia website, talking about chalets with 70-year leases. That’s the first thing that caught my eye.”

Whelan said that that will require water, sewage, electric service and roads.

“Yes, you have every right to do with your property what you see fit,” she said. “As a community member, I care what that means. Maybe I don’t have a right to, but I do.”

What she needs to do, she said, is to pay more attention to development plans in the future and “butt” her nose in then.

Whelan also questioned Black Bear’s motives in requesting rezoning from residential to residential services, if Black Bear has no plans for development of the property.

“I don’t understand that,” she said, “but maybe you and I can have a conversation about that at some point.”

A number or meeting attendees objected to the Planning Commission conducting the public hearing in January, at a time when, as one commenter phrased it, “most of the residents” are not here.

In response, Planning Commission Chairman John Parsons said that there is a specific timeline in which the PC must respond to a rezoning request made by a property owner.

“Once we got that application,” he said, “we had a definite time frame that we had to react to it. I don’t remember what that time limit was, but it’s within a certain time, and that’s why we’re doing this now in January.”

The commenter, whose name was not recorded, said that Black Bear should present a Master Plan to the public for review, including a schedule of what they are going to do and when they plan to do it.

“There are three components to our township planning,” he said. “There’s Black Bear, who has the business; then the council, that represents the people; and then the community itself, should all have a part in being able to make these decisions, and we seem to be being left out of part of this.”

It is difficult to make decisions, he continued, when the public is not informed.

Another commenter, Mellisa Simon, who owns a home in Mohawk, said that because of Mt. Bohemia providing her employment since 2019, she was able to purchase the home, as well as to employ contractors to renovate it.

“I’m part of the community because of that,” she said, “and I’m proud to be here and happy about it.”

A resident of Sand Point Road, who said his home is 400 feet from the property to be rezoned, objected to the rezoning because the property is adjacent to Bete Gris Preserve.

He asked the Planning Commission why Black Bear’s rezoning request does not include environmental areas.

John Kern, Bete Gris Road resident, expressed his concern that, in his opinion, the Staff Report incorrectly analyzes the facts included in the report.

“Because Black Bear has elected to go with an unconditional zoning revision, you guys, as a commission, are required to go through worst case scenarios of development,” he said. “Because those will be allowed if you grant the zoning ordinance. This is a fact and you need to do the research.”

Kern told the commission that an unconditional request is a higher bar to approve an unconditional request.

“The fact that there is no plan for development isn’t evidence that it’s a minor revision, it’s the opposite,” he said. “It’s evidence that once it’s granted, all of those listed possibilities can be built on Sand Point Road – a commercial marina could be built.”

The DNR, he continued will mitigate, as they often do.

Vern Barber, general manager of Mt. Bohemia, a resident of Marquette who rents a home on Sand Point Road, said he has been in the ski business for 44 years, including in the Telemark ski areas, Marquette Mountain. He said he has seen resorts that have over expanded and went bankrupt, like Indian Head and Black Jack.

“There are people who are asking for a plan – a grandiose plan,” he said. “Just keep in mind that it’s very hard to have a plan at a ski are for many, many reasons.”

Barber said Mt. Bohemia does not have a plan for the land for which he has requested rezoning. That is because a ski area has to grow a bit at a time.

“If you grow too big and your customer base can handle it,” he said, “you end up like the ones I just mentioned.”

Mt. Bohemia’s plan has been to grow incrementally based on customer needs and customer growth, staffing and economic sustainability, Barber said.

“Lonie doesn’t have a plan,” he said. “And I know there’s a scare of some grandiose plan out there, but some people are asking for a plan that doesn’t exist, and it doesn’t exist because it shouldn’t exist,” he said. “You need to grow slowly, with many factors involved.”

Michele Morgan, an Eagle Harbor Township resident, said that what he had heard at the hearing does not explain to her what the urgency is in responding to the rezoning request.

“What would be the harm in saying, ‘no, we’re not going to approve an unconditional change, we’re going to just leave things the way they are, and then when there is a request for a site plan and for development, then come back to us and we’ll do a conditional evaluation for a change in zoning.’ I don’t see what the harm would be in saying ‘no, now, but let’s look at it again later when you have a plan and you know what you want to do it.’ What’s the urgency right now to say yes?”

A Copper Harbor resident who gave her name as Stacia, said she has lived in Copper Harbor for 30 years, where she works. She said in those 30 years, she has seen much change.

“I feel really strongly about not inhibiting people’s growth and their potential in life,” she said. “Everyone here that is here has had their opportunity to grow,” adding that everybody, including in Bete Gris, Sand Point Road.

“Everybody has had the opportunity to build their spot,” she said. “And what I see happening in the Keweenaw is for people like me, and other people who want to live here and work here, and love it here. Slowly, their opportunities are going away.”

Residents will not have the half-million dollars to afford two lots, she said, so she feels strongly about protecting everybody’s ability and their right to grow, which includes Glieberman.

“He has no plan,” she said. “There is no reason not to let this zoning go through. Should there be a plan, he has to come back here and present it to everyone of us in the community.”

But to expect to see a grandiose plan that does not exist, she continued, and when Vern Barber presented a valid point based on experience, she said the public does not have the right to deny Glieberman’s request.