More than 200 gather to discuss McClendon property

Wed, Aug 27, 2008    to del.icio.us

SAUGATUCK — When you say "McClendon" and call a meeting, people tend to come.

More than 200 people gathered Tuesday evening in the auditorium of Saugatuck High School to listen to and question preservationists on a variety of issues surrounding the McClendon property, and ways in which it might yet be preserved and put into public hands.

The public forum began in silence as projected images showing the natural dunes, waterfronts and wetlands of the land were shown.

"For 30 years, we've been working together to protect the dunes, the beaches and the wetlands," said David Swan, president of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, which sponsored the event. "We've been working together to protect what we love."

The property is a 412-acre tract of nearly undeveloped lake frontage owned by Aubrey McClendon's local land interest, Saugatuck LLC. It straddles the mouth of the Kalamazoo River where it empties into Lake Michigan, linking Saugatuck Dunes State Park to the north with Saugatuck's Oval Beach to the south.

Conservation efforts range from restricting McClendon's development plans for the north parcel through placement of easements, historical districts, zoning measures and other means; to convincing the Oklahoma billionaire to sell the land to the community for preservation and public use.

State Sen. Patty Birkholz, R-Saugatuck Township, said there are several conservation designations that could be pursued to restrict development of the property, including critical dunes and wetlands protections, and environmental area and natural river designations.

Ken Freestone, project manager for West Michigan Strategic Alliance's green initiative, presented maps showing additional adjacent properties that were purchased recently by the developers. Planned or considered acquisitions by Saugatuck LLC total 789 acres, covering an area larger than the city of Saugatuck, he said.

Maintaining a contiguous natural area is "important for biodiversity and migrations, and those critical lands that we see along the lakeshore contain flood plains, ... protected habitats, historic and cultural sites," Freestone said.

Swan said he believes McClendon can be convinced to sell the land.

"I'm forever optimistic," Swan said. "I believe the McClendons will come back to the table. I hold on to that hope every day, or I wouldn't be sitting here."