Canim Boathouse Gets Green Light at Hessel
By Amy Polk

A side view drawing of the proposed boathouse that will shelter the Canim, a 1930 yacht, shows the building that received Clark Township Planning Commission approval last Tuesday, May 6. (Illustration by Rob Robley)

The Clark Township Planning Commission has granted a special land use permit to Brad and Shelley Koster to build a large commercial boathouse next to the couple's Mertaugh Boatworks in Hessel. The boathouse, designed to house the 96-foot yacht Canim, has been the subject of public debate in Cedarville and Hessel since last fall, drawing about 100 letters and prompting half a dozen meetings and hearings in that time. Some people objected to the sheer size of the building, while supporters say the project will provide jobs and the building will enhance the waterfront.

Commissioners voted 6-1 to allow the project following a special land use hearing Tuesday, May 6, attended by more than 25 people. The nonconforming boathouse was turned down by the township, 5-4, in November 2007.

Commissioners stipulated that signed and stamped blueprints are required before the structure can be built, and that builders inform Clark Township of any changes to the blueprint or structure.

"We hope it to be a real positive addition to the community, and also for our business, too," Mr. Koster said.

The boathouse will be on Lot 55 on the Lake Huron waterfront in Hessel. It will be 116 feet long, 60 feet wide, and 35 feet tall. The 6,960-square-foot building will have two restrooms, including one on the upper level, where a storage area has been planned. The upper level will also include a desk and lounge for the captain or boat owners when they are in port.

"Our intentions are not in any way to use that for any kind of a living space," Mr. Koster said, answering questions from Commissioner Mike Patrick about the upper level's appearance as a possible living space. "So we will not be seeking any occupancy permit for that."

Commissioner Joe Eger said the explanation makes sense to him, as boaters who arrive at port after a long cruise would most likely seek a place to rest and shower at the end of their journey. The boathouse facilities, including restrooms and a shower, will be serviced by the water well and sewer connection that are now servicing the house on the lot. The house will be moved from the lot.

The dimensions of the project changed from the 120-foot by 54- foot building proposed in the fall, and Mr. Koster said the building will be situated on the west side of the lot to minimize the impact on neighbors' views of the water, leaving open space on the east side.

Canim is a 96-foot-long Ted Geary yacht built of wood in 1930, now owned by Marty and Lisa Sutter of Harbor Springs. She is one of eight ships in her class built between 1928 and 1930, all of which are still in service. The vessel was built at Lake Union Drydocks in Seattle, Washington, for Colonel C.B. Blethen as a private yacht.

The boat would be there primarily in the winter, stored in a climatecontrolled environment. During the open water season, the boat will come and go to Hessel as the owners travel around the Great Lakes, Mr. Koster said.

Answering questions from Leah Brunson about what happens if the boat leaves the area and the owners change their minds, Canim's captain, Luther Hall, assured commissioners and the audience the boat will remain in the Great Lakes.

"I brought the boat from Seattle, Washington, all the way around Nova Scotia to bring it here, and the boat's going to stay in the Great Lakes," Mr. Hall said, adding that he has been with the boat for seven years.

Mr. Koster said he believes the cost of the project and the Sutters' investment will be an anchor that keeps them in the community, but, "We hope they stay here because they love it."

"I think we've gone out of our way to try to make this building look as attractive as possible," Mr. Koster said. "We'll use natural siding, and we'll try to use as much decor as we can to fall in line with what is considered to be as good or better than any design that's around."

Comments at the Tuesday meeting were primarily in favor of the project, and concerns about the size of the boathouse and its location were repeated.

David Gray, who owns space at Mertaugh's Hessel Harbor Association, offered support.

"I think it's got a lot of potential for the community," Mr. Gray said. "It's a world class boat that, in itself, is an attraction for Hessel. There is a lot of work that that type of a boat requires in the way of skilled labor, and if that attracts and retains the right people in this community, I'm all for it."

Chuck Albright was concerned about the number of parking spaces, and wondered if the two spaces planned are enough, and comply with Clark Township zoning.

"Parking is a real premium in the town of Hessel," he said.

Only two spaces are required for a boathouse in Clark Township, said Planning Commission Chair Jeff Davis. Mr. Albright also asked how far the boathouse will extend out into Lake Huron. The building does not extend past the shoreline, Mr. Davis said, because the boat well will be dredged inland, and the structure will be built over the well.

Elizabeth Fels, owner of The Village Idiom bookstore and Fels Photography of Hessel, thinks the project could enhance local business owners' efforts "to not only run successful businesses, but to contribute as much as possible to our community."

"Any legitimate and interesting business should be welcomed," she said. "Some of us have staked our life's savings on our work, and we need businesses which attract people from not only our own area, but from far away. Canim will provide work for the construction of her boathouse, her maintenance, and her upkeep. She will also, I am sure, attract visitors, and therefore cash, to us all."

As a member of the Antique and Classic Boat Society, Robert W. Smith of Cedarville said he knows the people who appreciate wooden boats and visit the Les Cheneaux Antique Wooden Boat Show each year are drawn to wooden boats like Canim and are interested in all the boathouses in the Les Cheneaux Islands.

"There were a lot of people who were concerned when the original Mertaugh boathouse was torn down. It certainly was a landmark in Hessel, as well as it was in the Les Cheneaux Islands. It would be my hope that the new boathouse that will be erected will certainly become something that will take the place in the nostalgia aspect in Hessel, as the E.J. Mertaugh boathouse used to be," Mr. Smith said. "I don't see the downside. I'm sure that the boathouse isn't going to please everybody, but I think it's an important part of the future, not only to the economy of the Les Cheneaux Islands, but also the atmosphere that we're trying to create to bring the new people here, whether they are boating people who are passing through the islands, or people who are coming from afar."

Julie Dumbauld, a Hessel property owner, said she is not against the boathouse, but is against its location and the size of the building on that lot, and she asked commissioners to consider those factors when they make their decision.

Bob Dunn of Cedarville said he remembers when boathouses lined the shores here.

"Whether there's a boat in it or a restaurant, we're a boating community and a nautical community, and I can't see any downside to it," Mr. Dunn said. "I think it will enhance our community."

Commissioner John Grenier made a motion to approve the project, citing sections of the zoning ordinance that support the project and adding, "This project continues the more than century-old tradition of uniquely beautiful boathouses in the Les Cheneaux Islands."

Commissioners Davis, Grenier, Patrick, Joe Eger, Mike Freel, and Dana Leach voted in favor of the motion. Commissioner Marti Hart voted against it, citing concerns about the size and scale of the building on the lot.