Part 2 of 2 parts
The Vansteenhouses’ said that since the planning commission began looking at their application in October, YFC has not been operating out of their downtown Leland building. The YFC bible studies and Friday morning Arise and Shine coffee sessions have since continued at the Cramer’s house.
Liz said when her and Jim purchased their building in Fishtown, it was with full intention to use it for the purpose of operating a YFC club center, and that they had followed the township processes and were given the green light to do so. They were shocked when the building had to be shut down last year, adding that based on the zoning of the building in the commercial district, they understood it as being not a problem to have a youth ministry at the location.
As the YFC branch continues to grow, they have also had to find a new location to accommodate more people, and now meet weekly at the Immanuel Lutheran Church across from Leland Public School. A lot of the youth that attend these Sunday bible studies have parents that make food for the dinner they have afterwards, Liz said, so it’s like potluck style every week. Northport Evangelical Covenant Church as well as Immanuel Lutheran in Leland have been supporters of the YFC youth group, whether it be with supplying some of the snacks for gatherings or with providing the space for a bible study itself.
Questioning Fishtown Preservation Society’s tax-exempt status
In March, VanSteenhouse’s legal counsel sent the township’s board of review and assessor a letter inquiring about the revocation of Fishtown Preservation Society’s (FPS) tax exempt status.
Jim said he wants to make clear that his inquiry was strictly just him asking questions, and had nothing to do with YFC pushing back.
A memorandum from VanSteenhouse about these tax exemptions stated that the inquiry is intended to encourage discussion regarding the application of Michigan property tax exemption laws, and that it is “not intended to question the importance of preserving Fishtown or the many contributions of the FPS to our community.”
“The only reason that we asked the question of what is going on is because we would love to have the same tax treatment — Ad valorem property tax treatment on these two buildings — that they (FPS) have on their buildings, because if we could, we would have almost a self-sustaining ministry,” Jim said.
“We love Fishtown. We want to preserve Fishtown. We’ve invested a lot of time, money, and energy — building a home here because we believe this is an extraordinary place that does need to be preserved,” Liz added.
The three-page memorandum about Fishtown’s tax exemption status noted that the question is not whether FPS is a nonprofit organization, but whether “certain FPS-owned properties that are occupied by commercial tenants continue to qualify for property tax exemption under Michigan law and, if not, what impact those exemptions may have on local taxpayers and public services.”
“The issue is not whether Fishtown should be preserved. The issue is whether Michigan property tax laws should be applied equally to all property owners,” part of the memorandum states. “Most taxpayers assume that businesses operating on valuable waterfront commercial property contribute property taxes that help fund schools, roads, emergency services, and local government. The question raised here is whether that assumption is accurate with respect to all FPSowned commercial properties.”
Hope for a resolve
After relocating to Leland from Texas in 2022, Liz said her and Jim saw firsthand and felt that there was not a safe place for teenagers to gather, and being part of the church and youth ministries since their own kids could walk, wanted to offer a safe and wholesome alternative for kids to gather, whether that involved participants sharing their faith or not. With Micah, the VanSteenhouses’ nephew, having a calling in his life to be a pastor, they said he was also overjoyed to move to Leelanau and work with youth via YFC.
“The kids love this place. Why are the adults having such a big issue with opening up a privately owned building? Because if it wasn’t good for the kids, what would you see on the (building) walls? Nothing. Zero,” Jim said. “That wall over there has all the kids’ names that bothered to put their names in there. If this was so bad, how did this all happen?”
Jim said he believes that they don’t need to have a special use permit to own a building to be able to have a kids club that reads and studies the bible and scripture, adding that he also understands that there are many individuals that believe it should not be allowed. Despite those against YFC, Jim urged that the process they are following through the board of appeals will ultimately determine the result.
“It’s not going to end up in a stalemate. Somebody is going to say you have the right to be here or you do not have the right to be here. And when that is done, great, that’s what we do,” Jim said In the meantime, Jim says their immediate focus remains on the current appeal because they believe their property is well-suited for the intended use and fully consistent with the applicable zoning standards. When asked about plans for the building if the appeal is denied, Jim said, at this point, “it would be premature to speculate on alternative properties or future uses for the building.”
