Clark Township Planning Commission Approves Resort Plan

At the March 11 Clark Township Planning Commission meeting, commissioners approved the request of Dennis Fox to convert the Lindberg Cottages property in Hessel to a resort condominium use.

Commissioner Mike Patrick abstained from voting and participating in deliberations because his wife, Diane, is a real estate agent involved in the transaction.

The use will allow lots to be created and sold, but the property must continue to be operated as a resort, and only the main residence can be designated as a homestead.

Mr. Fox said the property will be divided into 13 site condominiums, but the resort will remain intact and managed as one property with common spaces, like the yard in the center of the resort and Lake Huron beach across the road from the resort.

"We want the owners of the units to leave the units in the rental pool, and hopefully have them con- tinue as rentals," Mr. Fox said. "We're hoping it will be a transparent change to the public's view."

Jim Wynn of Petoskey, the attorney for the project, said the master deed that governs how the condominiums will be managed stipulates continued renting to vacationers.

"Basically, the use will stay the same, but the ownership will change," Mr. Wynn said, adding the master deed is patterned after the Les Cheneaux Landing resort condominiums in Cedarville.

In 2006, Les Cheneaux Landing was the first Clark Township resort to be converted to condominium ownership. Lindberg's is the third resort to be converted since then.