While a decision of a controversial special land use permit application to operate a Youth for Christ (YFC) club center in downtown Leland has yet to be made, legal counsel for the applicant, Jim VanSteenhouse of Apollos Properties, has pushed back via another avenue with Leland Township.
Leland Township’s Board of Review and assessor Julie Krombeen received a letter dated March 10 from the applicant’s attorney, Timothy White of the Parker Harvey law firm, inquiring about the revocation of the tax-exemption status of Fishtown Preservation Society (FPS). White outlines at the beginning of his letter that it had come to their attention that the township previously granted FPS property tax exemptions “for a number of parcels on the basis that FPS is a charitable institution and the properties are owned and occupied by FPS solely for the organization’s charitable purpose.”
“We believe that FPS may have, perhaps unintentionally, misled the assessor and township when it initially applied for its property tax exemption. And FPS has certainly failed to advise the assessor as its expanding commercial and economic development activity on its tax-exempt parcels,” part of the letter from White to the township’s board of review stated. “It is important to our client that all parties are subjected to the same standards with respect to property taxation.”
Fishtown Preservation Board of Directors Chair David Burkhardt previously shared the view of the organiza- tion at the township planning commission’s Jan. 7 meeting stating that they strongly opposed the YFC special land use permit, making clear that they express no opinion on the religious beliefs or programming of the applicant or its tenant. Their concerns are the impact of zoning integrity, historical district protection, and land use compatibility.
“A youth religious clubhouse does not support retail, it does not serve visitors, it does not support the waterfront economy,” Burkhardt said during public comment at the Jan. 7 planning commission meeting. “Equally important is that approving this permit would set a very dangerous precedent, opening the door to additional noncommercial quasi institutional uses that would dilute the purpose of the commercial district and permanently weaken the protections of the preserve Fishtown. This site is already one of Leland’s most congested pitch points; a high turnover youth center with frequent drop offs and pickups would increase traffic conflicts and safety risks at the very entrance of Fishtown.”
The special land use permit application, submitted last year by Apollos Properties, LLC., is to use a portion of the north side of the building for a YFC club center, located at 110 N Lake Street. The north building, one of two commercial buildings on the property, falls in the C-1 village commercial zoning district, a zone established for small scale businesses and retail establishments. The tenant, YFC, would operate its county-wide program under a five-year lease.
It is unclear whether VanSteenhouse’s legal counsel sent the letter concerning FPS charitable tax-exemption status to the township board of review and assessor because of their stance against the special land use application for a YFC club center downtown. However, FPS along with a number of Leland businesses and residents, have publicly voiced their opposition to the Apollos Properties’ application over the last several months at planning commission meetings and via written correspondence.
Many people against granting a special use permit to YFC have urged the planning commission to focus on the substantive land use concerns coming from residents and business owners that would be impacted by the decision. A letter dated from Feb. 6 to Apollos Properties owners’ Jim and Elizabeth VanSteenhouse, for example, was signed by over 60 Leland residents to further address their concerns with the YFC application and aimed to initiate direct dialogue with the owners to consider withdrawing the application for a special use permit as a gesture of good faith.
Since the news of VanSteenhouse’s legal counsel urging for the revocation of the FPS tax-exemption status, members of the public have continued to publicly voice their opposition to YFC and the applicant’s tactics. Laura Siladke, a Leland resident and owner of the Leelanau Goods gift store in Fishtown, wrote in an Enterprise letter to the editor in the March 19 edition her concerns about YFC’s special land use permit request as well as the applicant’s legal counsel challenging FPS tax exemptions.
“Many in the community are also troubled by Apollo Properties’ recent effort to challenge the nonprofit status of Fishtown. Going after a historic community institution in that way feels predatory and contrary to the supportive, neighborly values that define Leland,” Siladke said in a letter to the editor. “This debate is not about faith. It is about appropriate land use and protecting the vitality of our downtown.”
A meeting that was initially set for March 18 to review the Apollos Properties special land use application and findings of fact was canceled due to inclement weather. A new date for the meeting has been set for April 15 at 6 p.m. at the Northport Public School Auditorium.
