Where Is GOREC Going? Mired in public debate and a pending lawsuit, the future of the Greilick Outdoor Recreation and Education Center remains uncertain
By Victor Skinner A proposal to restore and improve former Boy Scout facilities at Camp Greilick southeast of Traverse City is dividing area residents, with some excited about plans to enhance outdoor education programs and others concerned about the scope and potential negative impacts on the quality of life for neighbors and wildlife. It’s a situation that’s boiled over at East Bay Township meetings in recent months, as a planned use development (PUD) application has faced scrutiny from both the public and elected officials. Plans for the Greilick Outdoor Recreation and Education Center, known as GOREC, aim to make the 500-acre property financially self-sustaining through a variety of outdoor activities, from day use for disc golf, hiking, biking, skiing, and kayaking on the 250-acre Rennie Lake to wilderness survival classes, large skiing and bike races, and a sprawling campground with both cabin rentals and tent sites. Most area residents support the outdoor education aspects of the PUD proposal, but the plans also include the creation of a large event center for weddings, retreats, reunions, graduations, and other celebrations, which many believe will irreversibly change the quiet character of the lakeside community.
From Then to Now The property off Scout Camp Road was purchased by the Rotary Club of Traverse City in 1926, transferred to the affiliated nonprofit Rotary Camps and Services (RCS) in 1955, and exclusively leased to the Boy Scouts from 1955 through 2016. The Rotary struck oil on the site in the 1970s, which has helped the organization to amass a roughly
enough business plan,” McDonough says. Instead, RCS created its own plan to make the site financially self-sustaining, building on the outdoor traditions while improving facilities to accommodate larger, more frequent events. “We had staff to help launch the plan, but what we didn’t realize is some of our proposed uses weren’t allowed by the
While the Camp Greilick property borders Rennie, Spider, and Bass lakes, the potential traffic issues and precedent set by the PUD proposal could have significant impacts beyond its borders, Bernardi says. $50 million investment account that funds the Rotary’s charitable work. But the money doesn’t go to RCS, which manages Camp Greilick and other properties on Bass Lake and East Creek, says Matt McDonough, the executive director for RCS. When the Boy Scouts requested a release from the lease in 2016, RCS vetted a few proposals from entities interested in taking over Camp Greilick, but “none had a solid
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township,” McDonough says. As it stands now, the property can only be used by folks who are staying overnight, and day use—as well as many other aspects of the plans—need township approval through the PUD process before moving forward. Every Path Has Its PUDdle Rotary Camps and Services submitted a 320-page PUD application last year, and the township planning commission held a series
of public hearings in December, January, and February before voting 6-1 on March 24 to recommend the township board approve the proposal with 10 conditions. Those conditions include addressing concerns about the limited capacity of the septic system at the lodge on-site, revising the parking plan, approval of all necessary permits from county and state agencies, maintenance of a state campground license, a “due care plan” for decommissioning an abandoned gun range, a limit of 60 watercraft, and restricting large events to every other weekend. Some of the suggested changes stem from concerns raised by Save Forest Lakes, a nonprofit made up of lake residents opposing the GOREC proposal both through the PUD process and a lawsuit alleging violations of a conservation easement governing the property. An attorney for Save Forest Lakes laid out numerous issues ahead of the planning commission’s approval, including contesting the commission’s authority to allow requested uses, the lack of an economic feasibility study, insufficient environmental and sound assessments, and a prohibition against combined uses, among others. In court, Save Forest Lakes alleges commercial use of the property violates the conservation easement and degrades riparian rights. “We share a lot of concerns with the
