VBT seeks to obtain DNR property on the lake

Van Buren Township Supervisor Kevin McNamara has his heart set on a township “Lake House” at the current 3.02 acres of Department of Natural Resources property on the lake north of the Belleville Bridge.
He said the building on the lake would fulfill his campaign promise to voters that he would make sure everyone had better access to the lake.
On Feb. 6, he held a closed-door session with the board of trustees to discuss the purchase of real property and then had an employee contact the DNR. No public announcement was made of their plan.
A $300 fee is required for the DNR to review a request and so that $300 payment was on the voucher list to be approved by the board on Tuesday, March 7.
It was information on that odd entry for “State of Michigan Land Transaction Application Fee” entered for payment on Feb. 28 that was the subject of an Independent Freedom of Information Act request.
When the Independent publicly asked Supervisor McNamara about the land transaction at Monday’s board work/study session, he explained.
He said before he was elected he talked to many voters. He said Van Buren Township was a lake community and few had access to the lake. He wanted to build a lake house for everyone and, “This board agreed to go forward.”
Trustee Sherry Frazier said fishing will be a requirement by the DNR for that parcel and she felt, “They are more than willing to get it off their plate.”
She said the board believed the DNR would require the same amount as it asked of the Belleville Area District Library when it wanted to build a library on that lakeside site. At a library meeting in 2014, the library agreed to pay $395,000 to the DNR for the property, the same price the DNR paid for it when purchased from a private property owner.
Voters subsequently turned down a library on the lake.
“It needs to serve the whole community,” said Trustee Paul White, of a proposed Lake House property, saying there should be lots of picnic tables and shelters on the site.
McNamara said they can do 100-120 parking spots and it will be a great place for family reunions, graduation parties, weddings, and other events.
He pointed to the board and said the board members would decide what the site would look like.
Trustee Frazier said she would like to see a nautical theme instead of a utility looking building on the site.
“This building will define our township,” McNamara said.
“It should be named Van Buren Lakeside Park or something like that,” said trustee White. “I don’t want to see ‘McNamara’ on that building.”
McNamara said that would be confused with the airport, referring to the McNamara Terminal named for his father.
“Any decision has to be done in public,” said Trustee Reggie Miller. She said the township hasn’t filled out paperwork and when she found it had, she asked, “Shouldn’t that have been done in open forum?”
Trustee White said in the closed session there was general agreement to move forward.
“How could we fill out the form without a vote?” Trustee Miller asked.
Matthew Best, deputy director of planning and economic development, who was knowledgeable about the application, said this application to the DNR was not for purchase but was for review with a required $300 fee.
When the Independent said that VBT Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Wright was the applicant on the State Land Transaction Application, Trustee White said, “She [the Independent] has more information than we do.”
McNamara confirmed this would be a park project. Trustee Miller asked if the project would be sent before the Recreation Committee for study. McNamara said it would.
“My dream is that within three years you’re using it,” McNamara said of the park on the lake.