Robert Vanderbough is seeking site condominium designation for his development, Hillcrest Properties in Cedarville. He wants to be able to sell lots to prospective buyers in the manufactured home community. The Clark Township Planning Commission, August 14, tabled Cedarville developer Bob Vanderboegh's petition to sell lots in the manufactured housing development he established seven years ago. His special land use permit only allows him to rent or lease the lots for modular homes. There are no homes on the development, yet.

Commissioners also approved a special land use request by Joe Reid, a Cedarville cottager, to have a boat yard at the former Hill's Used Auto property in Cedarville. Commissioners approved Mr. Reid's plans to build a 50-foot by 100-foot storage building to use with the other buildings for storing, showing, and restoring boats. The basis for allowing the special land use permit is that its use is similar to an auto repair garage, which is one of the approved uses in the commercial zone. It includes the stipulation that the pole barn storage building be "trimmed in a style reminiscent of an older wood building." As his representative and contractor, Mike McMaken said Mr. Reid is not establishing a business there, but the boat yard will complement other activity in the area, namely the Great Lakes Boat Building School. He said the new storage building will look similar to the boat building school, which he also built.

Clark Township Planning Commission approved construction of a 50-foot by 100-foot storage building at the former Hill's used automobile lot in Cedarville, where Joe Reid will operate antique wooden boat storage and renovation, with a showroom. "Mr. Reid is into wooden boats, and that's his passion, and he'll be affiliated with other boat yards and boat shops in the area," Mr. McMaken said, noting that the community seems to be heading in a particular direction with the boat school and other businesses devoted to restoring wooden boats.

"It looks like the Reids have already done a nice job fixing up the place, and they've obviously done a nice job at their other properties [in Clark Township]," said Commissioner Dave Dunning.

Neighboring property owners Alan Huff and Robert W. Smith endorsed the project. There were no complaints from any other neighboring property owners.

Mr. Vanderboegh wants to sell the 45 home sites on his development along M-134, across from Hill Island Road, and seeks a special land use permit to establish site condominiums. Commissioners tabled action, saying they want an attorney's opinion on the development's master deed and whether it fits Clark Township's land use laws before proceeding. The Clark Township board, meeting August 16, passed the deed on to an attorney for review.

Discussion at the planning commission meeting centered on whether removing the property's "mobile home park" status would open the township to having more mobile home parks. State law mandates a municipality have a designated place for mobile home developments, or else mobile home parks can be anywhere in the township. Clark Township does not yet have an official mobile home district, so a mobile home park can still be developed elsewhere in the township. Commissioners have been planning to base a mobile home district around Mr. Vanderboegh's property, but have yet to formally establish the district.

"We talked about it, but we never changed it to make the area into a mobile home district," said Commissioner Dana Leach. "It hasn't legally gone through the channels. We haven't followed through. What's at hand right now are site condominiums."

Mr. Vanderboegh's property was developed for manufactured or modular homes, which are classified in Michigan as "mobile homes" because they meet the same definition as a mobile home. Both mobile and the modular structures are factory-assembled residences consisting of one or more portable modules.

That designation caused Mr. Vanderboegh to seek a special mobile home park land use permit seven years ago, although he wanted to sell and erect only manufactured homes at the development. Commissioners in 2000 awarded the special land use permit with 15 stipulations to regulate the development, including a buffer between the development and M-134 so it would not be visible from the road. Sites would have been rented to people who wanted to bring modular homes there. Each site would have access to water, sewer, and electricity. The development was described by Mr. Vanderboegh as an affordable housing option for people who could not afford the cost of buying and developing a lot and the home that goes on it. In granting the special land use, commissioners cited sections of the Clark Township master plan that called for affordable housing.

Mr. Vanderboegh developed the property and the sites are ready for homes, but now, he said, he has learned that financing the purchase of a home without the lot is more difficult than if the home comes with property, which is why he now seeks permission to sell his lots.

He presented a letter from U.P. State Credit Union of Cedarville that explained financing is more readily available for site condominiums than it is for homes without property.

"Instead of looking at leasing the sites and selling just the homes, I'm now looking at selling the property with the homes," Mr. Vanderboegh said.

Answering questions about the progress on the development, the lack of homes there now, and why he never obtained a mobile home park license, he explained that progress has "been pretty stagnant" for the last three years, as family illness forced a move downstate to be closer to aging relatives.

"So there hasn't been a whole lot of effort put into promoting or selling the sites," he said.

Revisiting the affordable housing designation, Commissioner John Grenier asked if homes would still be more affordable than conventional homes and lots if the property becomes condominiums.

Doug Sheckler, the real estate agent for the properties, said the lots priced between $26,900 and $34,000 would cost less than buying a typical lot and installing well, septic or sewer, and electricity.

Commissioners argued over some of the concerns raised by the development seven years ago, as well as the consequences of eliminating the mobile home park there. Commissioner Dave Dunning said the development straddles three different land use zones, and he thought the master deed may lack protection for purchasers of the lots. Commissioner Jeff Davis suggested focusing on the present request, instead of what was granted previously.

"If you look at it strictly as site condominium, I guess I don't care what happened in the past," Mr. Davis said. "He meets the minimum 10,000-square-foot [lot size] requirement, he has the minimum setbacks. I have no problem with it other than the 66-foot road easement requirement [stipulated in the permit]. The road is only 22 feet wide through there, and he couldn't do 66 feet in most places. Other than that, I don't have any problems with it. I think it's a great thing."

If the 66-foot easement requirement stands, "that could potentially kill the project, so we would end up with another vacant property in Clark Township," Commissioner Grenier speculated.

Clark Township Planning Commission tabled Mr. Vanderboegh's request, pending attorney review.