GT County Commits $500K to Camp Greilick, Outlines Next Steps for Park

Grand Traverse County commissioners voted Wednesday to commit $500,000 in marijuana tax revenues to an endowment fund for the long-term maintenance of Camp Greilick, the nearly 200-acre property purchased by the county last month for $3 million. Parks and Recreation Director John Chase outlined plans for the park – from amenities to programming to infrastructure improvements – with the property planned to open to the public next spring.

Commissioners voted 8-1 to commit $250,000 to the Forever Camp Greilick Endowment fund – managed through the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation – as a match to the existing $250,000 fund balance. Commissioners designated an additional $250,000 to be used as a matching challenge for the fund on a 1:2 basis (every county dollar will generate two private dollars). Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation President and CEO Dave Mengebier said the goal was to raise at least $1.5 million for the endowment fund, which would generate approximately $60,000 annually in perpetuity to cover maintenance costs for Camp Greilick.

“In fundraising, timing is everything,” Mengebier said, adding that the county’s investment will allow the foundation to leverage community excitement for the property now to raise matching contributions. Executive Director Glen Chown of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) – which helped the county secure the park and served as its interim owner until the county could finalize the purchase – agreed the county’s commitment is “really going to unleash some fantastic fundraising.” The allocation will be provided through a funding agreement that indicates Grand Traverse County is providing funds in exchange for maintenance services, since the county is not permitted to make outright donations.

Grand Traverse County is in line to receive $886,295.25 in marijuana tax dollars this year. Camp Greilick is the second project commissioners have recently committed some of those revenues to, with the board voting in August to allocate $150,000 for a child and adolescent psychiatrist and programming support at Pine Rest. Vice Chair Brad Jewett said investing in the long-term maintenance of Camp Greilick “would show the public that we at the county are committed to this project.” Commissioner Penny Morris was the sole ‘no’ vote on the allocation, as she said her constituents were opposed to putting more money into Camp Greilick. Morris’ district includes Twin Lakes Park, which the county controversially recently transferred back to Long Lake Township and has been the subject this year of a lawsuit.

Parks and Recreation Director Chase gave a presentation Wednesday outlining plans for Camp Greilick, with improvements and programming to be rolled out in phases. Amenities already available include waterfront access, an 18-hole disc golf course, a bouldering wall, a climbing tower, a teams course, an archery range, an orienteering course, basketball courts, 48 campsites, Besser Lodge, six full cabins, six mini-camping cabins, Adirondack shelters, an amphitheater, a chapel, and a pavilion.

First steps will include creating an environmental due care plan, conducting electrical/plumbing/mechanical work, fire safety, well and septic inspections, buildings and ground clean-up, and establishing detailed building, maintenance, and project plans. Some of that work has already begun, Chase said. Some buildings on the property – which was used for decades as a Boy Scout camp – will need to be demolished, while others need to be upgraded. Staff are also exploring the conservation easement on the property to determine what they can and can’t do, Chase said.

For example, no offroad vehicles will be permitted except for service vehicles, and staff are looking at extending the riparian buffer on the property from 100 feet to 200 feet, according to Chase. Commercial uses are not permitted except for those that would fall under the typical operation of a park. Parks and Recreation has also committed to not allowing any outside watercraft into the park to prevent the spread of invasive species. Instead, the department is looking at installing a kiosk for on-site kayak rentals – which would be in self-locking storage containers users can access with an app and credit card – with those lockers potentially repurposed during other times of year to rent out camping or winter sports gear. Chown said donors Casey and Dana Cowell have pledged $100,000 to the installation of the kiosk.

Facility rentals and programming are also on the docket. Chase said programming could include guided hikes, nature interpretative programs, first aid and camping skills, winter sports training, archery and paddle craft skills, and team course facilitation. Waterfront uses could include fishing, swimming, and paddling, while trails could be used for trail running, hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and biking. Groups including Norte, TART Trails, SEEDS, Grand Traverse Conservation District and the YMCA have all expressed interest in partnering on programming, such as summer day camps. Chase said he envisioned a full-time caretaker being hired, potentially in exchange for on-site living accommodations. Other workers could also live on-site seasonally in work-trade arrangements to help care for the park, Chase said.

The county hopes to open the park next spring for trail and disc golf course use. A phased rollout of more offerings would follow, starting with cabin and paddlecraft rentals and then contracted recreational programming, lodge rentals, and tent site and Adirondack use. Commissioner TJ Andrews noted that even with the endowment fund, the county will still likely need to invest heavily in operational and capital improvement costs in the coming years. Chase agreed, though said he hoped rental and other revenue streams would gradually increase over time to help offset expenses. Chown also said that now that Camp Greilick is a public park, Grand Traverse County will have multiple avenues available for grant funding to support its upkeep and operation.

Parks and Recreation has held multiple public input sessions to gather feedback. Chase said what came through “loud and clear” were four key takeaways: “Be a good neighbor,” “protect the lakes,” “protect the land,” and “respect the environment.” Chase said the county won’t be looking at “building an empire” at Camp Greilick or being “grandiose” in its plans, but rather focusing on maintaining what’s there and limiting development to what’s needed to serve the community.

Photo credit: Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy