Goodbye, Owasippe

[Jschlich]

LH writes:

 

"I can only figure that your are referring to the sale of Owasippe Lake which to my knowledge occurred after the change in tax assessment, and some say as a result of the reassessment. Land adjacent to CAC's as I understand it was NOT reassessed at the higher rate at that time. That is to say all the property in that area of that zoning type was not reassessed at that time."

 

I am refering to the CAC disposal of about 8,000 acres of Owasippe property which included Owasippe Lake and all of the Owasippe property that was between that Lake and the current Western boundary of the property.

 

This property disposal (almot twice the size of what reamins of the Owasippe property) created the value that was assesed on the remaining portion of the property.

 

Your statement of understanding is just plain wrong. Perhaps you need to go to the Muskegon County records as well as see the assessor records and ask questions of the assesor to know what the actual evolution of taxes on the property have been. Something that I have done. Is your information based on looking at the documentation and discovering the time line and various events or.... is it based on some campfire talk based on speculation?

 

I'd still like to know where you came up with the information you gave that the Owasippe property was once assessed at "resort rates"? What resort? What proof do you have for saying that?

 

****************

LH further writes:

"That says it all. This is not a plan to save "Owasippe" it is a plan to prevent houses being built. Opening the 4800 acres to the public seems like a funny way to "preserve the flora and fauna" and continue the near 100 year camp traditions."

 

Where is your plan? It's real easy to sit by a keyboard and dispense false information, dis people, make judgements and do nothing constructive. You seem good at it.

 

For five years others have done some very heavy lifting to keep the remaining Owasippe property from becoming a housing development.

 

Ahhhhh...yes. I found your statement, you need not explain further. As you said,

 

"IF those originators of the save OWASIPPE campaign sought to use the name and emotional power associated with it to champion their fight then I hope Stone wins and builds as many one room shacks as he can."

 

Another statement based on what? More campfire chatter based on pure emotion and a desire to dis the people, who for whatever reason you woke up with today, who are attempting to do something other than have houses built on the property.

 

Under the plan you obviously know little about, The flora and fauna will be preserved by a conservation easement being placed on the property. A conservation easemant that would limit any redevelopment on the property to the footprints of development that the Boy Scouts created....nothing more.

 

Do you have a Plan LH? What is your Plan?

[LongHaul]

My plan was to never let this get started but there was no support for that because "It will never happen". My plan was to stop the sale at the beginning when Stone's track record was revealed. In your search of assesment records did you find any other "same zoned" property that was "reassesed" at the same time CAC's was reassested? The other camps not owned by CAC you mentioned for instance.

LH

[Jschlich]

LH writes:

 

"My plan was to never let this get started but there was no support for that because "It will never happen". My plan was to stop the sale at the beginning when Stone's track record was revealed. "

 

So you have no plan now and you prefer what you said, "...I hope Stone wins and builds as many one room shacks as he can."

 

So sad that you choose to support residential development over the conservation of natural resources. It's amazing how many Scouting members truely have their own selfish motives and would rather trade natural resources for the maximum cash-in to run the business of Scouting.

 

########

 

LH further writes:

 

"In your search of assesment records did you find any other "same zoned" property that was "reassesed" at the same time CAC's was reassested? The other camps not owned by CAC you mentioned for instance."

 

My research found that the all of the commonly zoned property was increased at the same time. What did you expect me to find? Did you expect to find that CAC was subject to, as you have called it in the past, "resort rates" that no other camp was subject to?

 

Need I remind you that except for Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp no other camp in the township exceeds the property tax exemption of 400 acres granted for not-for-profit property?

 

I found that the 4,300+ acres owned by the CAC, the acres above the exempt allowance, had taxes levied at the rate of all other property zoned the same in the township.

[Jschlich]

A Circuit Court Opinion has been issued that solidly sides with the township's zoning of the Owasippe property.

 

Residential housing as proposed by the Chicago Council has never been allowed on the property and has ruled that the township has the ability to maintain that designation.

 

With probably more than $1-million already spent on the case it has been stated by Council officials that an appeal will go forth.

 

 

[SSScout]

Thank you,jschlich, for your steadfastness. It has been asked before, but I will ask again:

Is there anything an "outsider" can do to help? Amicus Curiae letter, that sort of thing? A small check? (!) a large check?

 

YiS

[LongHaul]

With the probability that an appeal is forth coming everyone can help by sending what they can to;

Blue Lake Township Legal Fund

1491 Owasippe Road

Twin Lake, MI 49457

This will help insure that the Township can fight the appeal.

 

For those with the optimist view on things you can support the OOECs effort to purchase the property; Make checks payable to the Owasippe Outdoor Education Center, earmark them for the Save Owasippe Fund and mail them to the OOEC at P.O. Box 212, Whitehall, MI 49461.

 

LongHaul

[Jschlich]

Thank you SSScout for your question.

 

The 5+ year effort of the Owasippe Outdoor Education Center (OOEC)to preserve the Owasippe property and to assure that Scout camping is preserved on the property would appreciate any financial assistance.

 

The OOEC is a 501©(3) organization with it's Vision for the preservation of the property, including America's oldest Scout Camp, at www.ooec.org.

 

Jim Schlichting

Whitehall MI

 

 

 

[nldscout]

I wouldn't count my chickens yet. This was only round 1 by a local judge who answers to the people in that area.

 

I am betting it gets overturned on appeal.

[Jschlich]

nldscout -

 

I guess the only thing I can respond with is the final words from who you call "a local judge" along side the final words of the Supreme's in the 2005 Kelo vs. New London case:

 

Local judge: "this court declines the invitation to thwart the will of the public as expressed through the Township Board."

 

Supreme's: "The Court declines to second-guess the wisdom of the means the city has selected to effectuate its plan."

 

I'll entertain your offer of a wager outside this group.

[nldscout]

Totally different case and circumstances. If I was ruling on this, I would rule against the township. I beleive they are in the wrong here.

 

Only time will tell.

 

Either way, I don't see CAC ever selling to OOEC. As to the $1Mil in attorney fee's, if they win the township has to pay them, so CAC would win twice.

[Jschlich]

nldscout writes,

 

"If I was ruling on this, I would rule against the township. I beleive they are in the wrong here."

 

Amazing!

 

You're offering a ruling based on not hearing [or even reading] the 9 days of court testimony. Based on not having read the 4+ file boxes of evidence and pleadings.

 

Have you even read the 19 page Opinon?

 

I have done all of the above.

 

Still waiting for contact outside this group concerning your wager offer.

 

 

[nldscout]

In answer to your question, I don't bet, gambling is against my morals.

 

I also have read anything that is publically available and then some stuff that only Judge can see.

 

Everyone is entitled to thier own opinion.

[SSScout]

 

Anything new to report?

 

Anything?

[Jschlich]

The core issue of the Chicago Council decision to sell Owasippe has not changed. That was decided more than 3.5 years ago. At issue has been the decision to sell to a residential developer. The Council took on an obligation to sell to the developer, in exchange for over $19-million. In addition the Council took on the obligation to have the entire property zoning changed from Recreational to Residential.

 

The Council has already spent more than $1-million to effect a zoning change. The expense has been paid from Council operating funds. There has been no special fundraising nor appeal for financial support from the Council to demonstrate public support for the property sale. The $1-million spent have come from the donations and fund-raising effort of the Council.

 

Support appears to be strong for the Council from within the Chicago donor community. The Council has had continuing success in increasing the operating income from institutional and private donors through the many fundraising efforts aimed at the donor community.

 

The Township, defending their local zoning ordinances, has spend in excess of $250-thousand. The expense has been paid from the Township operating funds as well as donations from other governmental units state-wide and donations from individuals.

 

Support appears to be strong for the Township from a broad coalition of governmental authorities and individuals from across the nation. The township has had continuing success in increasing the donations to their specially dedicated legal defense fund.

 

On the legal front, the Circuit Court complaint filed by the Council has been heard and decidied. Each and every point of the Council complaint has been found in favor of the Township. The process was a bench trial heard over 9 days.

 

The Council has decided to go forward with an Appeal of the Judgement and is in the process of filing what is necessary with the Michigan Court of Appeals.

 

The issues of Council governance still remains a subject of interest to some. The basic lay of the land there is that the National BSA Council has installed one of their employees as Scout Executive/CEO for the Council for day-to-day operations. The SE/CEO reamins on the National Council payroll during his current assignment. Also, the National BSA Council has selected a new Board of Directors to be seated as the Directors of the Council.

 

I hope this summary answers the questions.

[OldGreyEagle]

Did the camp operate this year?