The St. Ignace Golf Course Committee is planning to clear trees on 25.8 acres of city-owned land near the golf course on US-2. It is a step toward the possibility of expanding the course to 18 holes. From the white dotted line inward is where the committee proposes to clear trees and determine how much of the 25.8 acres is wetlands. (Photograph courtesy of City of St. Ignace) Asection of land adjacent to the St. Ignace Golf Club course on US-2 will be clear-cut to determine how much of it is wetlands. It is the newest step by the city’s Golf Course Committee in its continued attempt to expand the golf course to 18 holes.

City Council, meeting Monday, February 6, approved a recommendation by both its golf course and real estate committees to clear-cut 25.8 acres, a strip that runs south of the course toward Lake Michigan. The targeted section runs parallel to course holes five and eight. It is part of 80 acres the city owns and abuts two parcels owned by Great Lakes Gas Company and Lakehead Gas Company.

“We’re basically working with what we got,” said Golf Course Committee Chairman Greg Cheeseman. “We have to delineate the wetlands before a mitigation process with DEQ can begin.”

The committee was told by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) that it cannot have any structural development on wetlands, however, said Mr. Cheeseman, clear-cutting is allowable without any state permits as long as the land is not drained or filled, which, he said, is not an issue.

Clear-cutting, said Mr. Cheeseman, will allow a surveyor to determine how much of the 25.8 acres is wetlands. By clear-cutting, he said, it will only take a surveyor half a day instead of 1.5 weeks to work around the many trees.

Mr. Cheeseman said once the committee determines how much of the 25.8 acres is wetlands, it can then explore the possibility of mitigating the wetlands, or swap land, with DEQ.

Councilman Paul Grondin, who sits on the Golf Course Committee, said the golf course will seek bids for the clear-cutting.

“We are not planning on building any housing developments,” Mr. Cheeseman told The St. Ignace News. “It would be strictly for expansion of the course itself.”

“There’s no question an 18-hole golf course would be a real upper for this community,” said city attorney Prentiss “Moie” Brown at the council meeting. “It would be an economic plus, especially since the course is city owned, so it doesn’t have to pay any real estate tax.”

The city council approved Marianne Huskey’s proposal to hold a personal watercraft race in Moran Bay this summer. City Manager Eric Dodson and Mr. Brown were instructed by Council to work with Mrs. Huskey on the legal details for the special event.

She already has made an agreement with Star Line to allow the racers to unload their personal watercraft near the boat company’s main dock downtown.

The day-long race, coordinated by American Power Boat Association’s Midwest Watercross Tour, is scheduled for Saturday, July 8 at the American Legion Park on North State Street. The area, said Mrs. Huskey, will be away from any ferry traffic. The event would only be delayed or canceled by lightning.

“Otherwise, wind or rain won’t be a problem,” she said. “Actually, they would love the wind because it creates waves, and they love waves. And so will the fans.”

The race is a three-part series, with the site in St. Ignace as the third and final round. Hillsdale and Constantine are the other sites.

The only vendors the event will bring in are watercraft dealers, explained Mrs. Huskey.

She told Council the American Midwest Watercross Tour committee sets up the entire event.

“They handle the whole bit, from security to obtaining permits from the Coast Guard,” said Mrs. Huskey. “The biggest thing we have to do is provide them places to park and set up.”

Council will hold a public hearing for Jim Everson’s proposal to rezone his property on First Street from Residential to Tourist Business to expand his in-home upholstery business into a furniture store. The date of the hearing has yet to be set.

Mr. Everson attained a recommendation from the city’s Planning Commission January 18 to allow him to rezone the property. Once a hearing is held to allow the public to comment on the proposal, council will then vote to amend its zoning ordinance.

Council approved the renewal agreement with Ed Reavie’s Nostalgia Productions.

The motion, held up for weeks, negotiated a financial review of the Straits Area Antique Auto Show and the Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show, which Nostalgia produces. Council also wanted the option to buy the rights to the shows from Mr. Reavie if he ever quits producing them.

Mr. Dodson explained that both requests have been taken care of. The financial review is part of the city’s special events ordinance and the option to purchase is given in a contract between Nostalgia Productions and the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau.

Council issued permits for the summer-long events Bayside Live and Locals on the Bay. Both will be held at Dock 2 or at Little Bear East Conference Center and Ice Arena during July and August.