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What does GO•REC say it's doing?
The Rotary-backed GOREC, or Greilick Outdoor Recreation & Education Center, is currently applying to East Bay Township for special powers and rights that would otherwise be illegal under the township Zoning Ordinance. This request was submitted via a Planned Unit Development application (PUD). GOREC’s website says the following about the PUD application (emphasis added):
Our proposal is to use this campus in the same way that it has been used consistently for more than 60 years. We’re only seeking to allow day use, as well as outdoor education and training programs to those not staying overnight. If our PUD application is approved by the Township, it simply means that people will be allowed to come back for the day to hike, bike or ski our trails, play disc golf, kayak on the lake and participate in our other outdoor recreation and education programming.
What is GO•REC actually asking for?
Their expanded use requests include, but are not limited to, the creation of an event center that would allow for:
To put these numbers into perspective, on any given day, you’re talking about nearly doubling the entire population of Rennie Lake, increasing its boat traffic 500%, and overwhelming its surrounding hilly, poor line-of sight, secondary roads – adding over 2,000 extra vehicle trips per day on Hobbs Hwy, alone.
What part of any of what GOREC is asking for sounds like outdoor education, recreation, or even responsible stewardship? Odd that statements about hiking, biking, skiing, disc golf, kayaking, and educational programming fail to mention 500 person events and weddings.
For obvious reasons, events and Places of Public Assembly such as these are not allowed in this area per the East Bay Township Zoning Ordinance. They run contrary to the low-intensity, rural, natural preservation intent of our district and its future land use plan.
- 20 large-sized special events with up to 420 guests each, including 12 summer weddings, each with up to 300 guests. In addition to weddings, these events would include races, retreats, reunions, graduations, ceremonies, and celebrations.
- 50 additional mid-sized, year-round events, with up to 100 guests for similar event types.
- Unlimited events of 420+ guests with a Transient Activity Permit.
- A full campground with over 300 guests and potential capacity of over 600.
- With shuttles, buses, and trolleys shuttling these many thousands of guests around.
- And 60 public boats launching on Rennie Lake at any given time, all carrying the risk of dangerously irreversible aquatic invasive species (AIS) to our Forest Lakes.
To put these numbers into perspective, on any given day, you’re talking about nearly doubling the entire population of Rennie Lake, increasing its boat traffic 500%, and overwhelming its surrounding hilly, poor line-of sight, secondary roads – adding over 2,000 extra vehicle trips per day on Hobbs Hwy, alone.
What part of any of what GOREC is asking for sounds like outdoor education, recreation, or even responsible stewardship? Odd that statements about hiking, biking, skiing, disc golf, kayaking, and educational programming fail to mention 500 person events and weddings.
For obvious reasons, events and Places of Public Assembly such as these are not allowed in this area per the East Bay Township Zoning Ordinance. They run contrary to the low-intensity, rural, natural preservation intent of our district and its future land use plan.
Has the camp been used this way for the past 60 years?
GOREC’s marketing and PUD application state that their proposal is to use this campus in the same way that it has been used consistently for more than 60 years. Beyond being plainly ridiculous in comparison to the asks in the PUD, the claims around consistency with historic usage of the former Boy Scout Camp have been repeatedly refuted by the Township attorney in a memo to the township, by a letter from the former Township Zoning Administrator, by former camp staff, and by local Scout historians.
Why is everyone talking about AIS?
Our inland waterways are currently being devastated by the irreversible impacts of aquatic invasive species (AIS). Once lakes are infected, they can become unusable to all – and the 6-7 figure costs of simply mitigating the damage end up the responsibility of lakefront property owners. Guarding against the introduction of AIS is a chief concern amongst those opposing the current application. Learn more.
What about that gate sign?
GOREC's marketing materials, social media ads, and website all claim some flavor of the following:
Due to recent actions and litigation by a group of Rennie Lake neighbors who seek to restrict public access to GO•REC property and amenities, we’re currently only allowed to be open to those staying overnight in our cabins or on our campsites. We are prohibited from allowing outdoor enthusiasts like you to visit our center and participate in our programs unless you’ve booked an overnight stay.
Once again, false. They are temporarily limited because of a zoning ordinance violation – not because of Rennie Lake neighbors, but instead for not following the laws of the township. As a result of staff observing illegal activities, in an information letter sent by East Bay Township back in May, the Zoning Office directly informed GOREC that its uses "must be curtailed until and if you are approved per the Planning Commission".
Was there a lawsuit?
Yup, but it wasn't "unfortunate litigation based on inaccurate information", as is stated on GOREC's site. Rennie Lake property owners repeatedly attempted to get GOREC to agree to many common sense, environmental best practices in interest of protecting their lake and surrounding environment. Basic things like boot brush stations and state required environmental permits were fought tooth and nail by GOREC. Where they refused to compromise was on matters related aquatic invasive species introduction. Issues included motorized watercraft, a public boat launch, no boat washing station, and an uncapped amount of boats on the lake at one time. Left with no choice, a group of property owners united as Protect Rennie Lake and filed suit to protect the water. After going to court over what should've been a default position for a conservation-focused entity, GOREC has agreed to limit public boat access to classes and campers while requiring all offsite boats to be washed with a high pressure, hot water system – although, not dried as per State of Michigan EGLE and Natural Resources Protection Act based guidance. Motorized boats are not allowed, but up to 60 boats would be allowed under the terms. You can read the entire settlement here.
Why does GOREC want to do large events?
GOREC states in the PUD that the request to be an event center is economically driven:
GO·REC must become a self-sustaining entity in order to continue operating. There is no financing necessary to expand its use, but it does need to be able to financially support itself. By adding the ability to rent to other entities, offer classes for purchase, and lease venue space, this will sustain the campus and be able to continue its day-to-day function.
This is peculiar for a handful of reasons:
- They already have a revenue model. Most businesses directly fund their expenses by selling products and services that are compatible and core to their mission. There's nothing stopping GOREC from charging for camp sites, cabin lodging, rental equipment, class attendance, etc.
- Like selling cigarettes to pay for a cancer awareness campaign. This indirect subsidy for outdoor access is inconsistent with how we currently use and fund our recreation. Many of us voluntarily pay for a Recreation Passport sticker on our licenses that gets us into our state parks, state recreation areas, and state boat launches. We pay when we camp in our state parks. We pay when we rent canoes to navigate our waterways. We pay to access Federal Parks. GOREC is subsidizing access to the outdoors through means that actively harm the outdoors. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park doesn't open a cruise ship dock and resort so that we climb the dunes for free.
- The Rotary. GOREC is backed by the Traverse City Rotary Club, and more recently Rotary Camps & Services. Per a July 2015 article on MyNorth:
“Throughout the years, Rotary Charities has collected more than $100 million in profits gushed from oil and gas wells drilled on a 450-acre tract of land in the Spider and Rennie Lakes area.”
Even if we look past the self-destructive revenue model, arguably, the profits generated from these mineral rights far exceed any expected earnings from weddings and special events. After all, this is a non-profit organization & the wealthiest Rotary in the world. Furthermore, 80 mid-to-large size weddings and events per year is inconsistent with the goal of preserving and protecting this land – and profitability is not an appropriate excuse to allow them.
Further, as a non-profit that does not pay income or property taxes, GOREC would be placing the entire economic burden of environment, road, and safety destruction on all of us, while being the sole beneficiary.
But shouldn't the Rotary backing make us feel more confident about how this will be executed?
Our Rotary has done many wonderful things for our area and has donated millions. They leased the camp to the Boy Scouts for $1/year for decades. We owe them a great deal of gratitude. Even if we were to suspend disbelief, however, and assume this all works out because of the Rotary and the graces of social luncheons and such, we need to all be aware that the powers granted from this marketable permit stay with the land, regardless of who owns it next. The application rights are transferable. Trust is not.
And still deep in the midst of Lakemore issues, are we really in a position to cut corners and just hope for the best? Should our reverence and deference to the Rotary, its connections, wealth, and standing within the community supersede our common senses and the present lack of required diligence manifested by our Planning Commission's attempt to waive an environmental study and unwillingness to demand noise and traffic studies?!?!?
And still deep in the midst of Lakemore issues, are we really in a position to cut corners and just hope for the best? Should our reverence and deference to the Rotary, its connections, wealth, and standing within the community supersede our common senses and the present lack of required diligence manifested by our Planning Commission's attempt to waive an environmental study and unwillingness to demand noise and traffic studies?!?!?
How does the Rotary feel about all of this?
One of the goals of this site is to provide answers, but to this question we can only wonder. On the sign outside of the camp, right under the GOREC logo reads, "A ROTARY LEGACY FOR THE COMMUNITY”. What will that legacy be? Who among our beloved community members wants to be the one to tell their grandkids they wrecked the Forest Lakes? This is a special place – not many left like it anywhere. Are most members even aware?
What will that legacy be?
Are we against the property being used by the public?
No! Emphatically no! Those opposed to this application are not opposed to outdoor education or to sharing our wonderful resources. We wholeheartedly agree with our GOREC neighbors that this camp's important tradition of outdoor education shouldn’t be extinguished just because Boy Scouts are no longer the beneficiaries. Hiking, biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and responsible boating are the kinds of activities we need access to now, more than ever. We all support outdoor access and education, but that's not what this is.
What we ask
We simply ask that this be done in a way that is respectful to our lakes, our environment, our residents, and most importantly, our ability to share it all with future generations. We must consider the magnitude of GOREC’s plan, its outsized and irreversible impact on our precious but small ecosystem, the peace destroying effects of a busy event center, the safety of our roads, and the deeply flawed basis of comparison with historic usage. There is plenty of room for us all to support GOREC's mission without honoring its massively scoped request. We ask this and share these concerns in interest of stewardship of our great resources, for their conservation for generations to come, and out of the deeply instilled Scout value of leaving it better than you found it.
How can you help?
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