The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners decided this week to hold its first-ever public hearing on a Brownfield Redevelopment plan following a recommendation from the county’s recently formed Brownfield Redevelopment Authority (BRA).

The public hearing will be held at the county board’s next regular monthly meeting April 17.

The county’s first-ever brownfield redevelopment proposal will involve construction of a luxury yacht club in Greilickville on a 13-acre site that will require an estimated $1.3 million in environmental cleanup. The project may also involve a tunnel under M-22 from the west side of the property to the waterfront.

Local developer Ron Walters of West Bay Partners, L.L.C. hopes to take advantage of tax incentives and low interest loans available through the BRA to redevelop the former Zephyr Oil property where a number of fuel storage tanks are still located.

Several new structures and parking spaces would be located on the west side of M-22. On the waterfront side, preliminary plans call for construction of an L-shaped pier that will include 29 slips for larger yachts – 16 for 50-footers, 10 for 60-footers and three for 70 footers.

Although Walters’ plans still face scrutiny from the Elmwood Township Planning Commission, the Elmwood Township Board last week heard a presentation about the developer’s brownfield redevelopment proposal. The township board has joined the county board in “concurring” with the developer’s application to pursue a Brownfield Redevelopment plan.

The first phase of the plan will require a comprehensive environmental assessment and consideration of actions required to “remediate” the site.

“Stormwater management on this property will also be a challenge, and there may be some contaminated soil that needs to be disposed of,” according to Michael “Mac” McClelland of the engineering firm Otwell-Mawby, which presented the plan to the county BRA during a Feb. 20 meeting.

Under state law governing Brownfield Redevelopment Authorities, much of the estimated $1.3 million in cleanup costs could be paid for through “tax increment financing” – additional taxes generated by the developer’s investment in the property.

Separate from its Brownfield Redevelopment plan, however, West Bay Partners, L.L.C. still needs to secure approvals from the Elmwood Township Planning Commission.

Earlier this year, Walters’ team asked the township Zoning Board of Appeals for a variance that would allow parking spaces on the west side of M-22 to be separated from the actual “use” for the property – the marina – on the east side of M-22, but connected by a tunnel. The township ZBA advised the developer to seek a text amendment to the township’s Zoning Ordinance from the planning commission.

Elmwood Planning Commission chairman Jack Kelly said an applicable text amendment has been drafted and will be the subject of a public hearing at an April 3 commission meeting. He stressed, however, that the amendment will cover all properties in Elmwood Township, including those requiring either an overpass or an underpass to connect parking areas from other areas of the property.

In addition, Kelly said, Elmwood planners expect to hear a preliminary presentation from Walters’ team on April 3 in anticipation of their application for a review and approval of a final site plan.