5-slip proposal eyed in Northport off Fourth Street

The Army Corps of Engineers is accepting public comment on a proposal from NM Investments of Royal Oak to build a five-slip marina at the end of Fourth Street in the Village of Northport.

Corps officials posted a public notice on a request from NM Investments, L.L.C., to replace an existing concrete and stone boat ramp with stone riprap, and install about 252 feet of steel sheetpile in “J-shaped” configuration to create a breakwall.

The breakwall would be used for a five-slip marina, which would go with a five-lot luxury home development planned by the company. The breakwall would run 120 feet east from the shore, then 80 feet north, and 40 feet to the northwest to complete the backward “J” configuration.

Developers are also asking for permission to dredge the proposed marina basin to a uniform depth of 6.5 feet below the low water mark of 577.5 feet. The approximately 3,812 cubic yards of sediment that would be removed by dredging would be disposed of on property owned by NM Investments between M-22 and Overlook Road.

Public comment period expires on July 29. Written comments may be sent to: Wally Gauthier, Chief, Permit Evaluation Branch B, Regulatory Office, Detroit District, Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 1027, Detroit, MI 48231. E-mail comments should be sent to Martin.Kuhn@usace.army.mil.

All responses must refer to file number LRE-2007-204-56.

All e-mail responses must include name and mailing address.

NM Investment president Fred Gordon said the five-lot development, called Northport Landings, will feature five luxury homes. Each home will have a slip at the private marina. The slips are 40- and 50-feet long.

“We already have one of the houses nearly completed. We want to show the community we are dedicated to Northport,” Gordon said. The home under construction is 5,000-square-foot in size and has five bedrooms. Gordon said the homes will be offered for $1.6 million.

NM Investments is the same company behind the 485-unit Timber Shores development that is proposed for a 400-plus acre property located on the former Timber Shores RV Park in Leelanau Township. Gordon said homeowners in the Northport Landings will have access to all amenities at Timber Shores once the planned unit development is built.

NM Investments has also purchased seven lots to the northwest of the Northport Landings property and plans to develop several “cottages” that will be priced in the $300,000 to $350,000 range.

Leelanau Township Planning Commission chairman Tom Nelson said while the developers have submitted the final site plan for review by consultant planner Val Lazdin, the planning commission has not formally received the plans for its review. He said the commission may hold a special meeting at the developers request later this month or sometime in August.

The Township Board also needs to give its approval for the interior road system for Timber Shores before any final site plan is approved by the planning commission. The development’s interior roads are being built using the township’s private road standards, which fall under the jurisdiction of the township board.

Gordon said depending on how the final site plan review and approval goes, NM Investment hopes to have construction start in late summer or early fall.