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July 10, 2004New park may grace Suttons BayRotary has offered $25,000ByRecord-Eagle staff writer SUTTONS BAY - Suttons Bay Township officials are working to secure funding for a 45-acre, 45th Parallel Park north of Dumas Road. The family of township supervisor Richard Bahle, who's also a parks and recreation committee member, owns an adjacent parcel that's included in the plan, but Bahle says there's nothing fishy about his efforts to push the project. "My family's position is it's only for sale to the township for this park," Bahle said. "If the township is unable to acquire the other portion, we would continue to hold this property." The property owned by the Bahle family is on the east side of M-22 and has been used as a public waterfront park for years. He said that portion would be managed by the state Department of Transportation, while the township would handle the 45 acres on the west side of M-22, which is owned by the McClure-Pearson family. "We are in negotiations with the land owners for an option on the property so we can lock it up," Bahle said. "It should cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $400,000." Bahle abstained from a March vote on a resolution of support to develop the park. In June, he voted in favor of spending $5,000 on a one-year option to buy the McClure-Pearson property. Tom Nixon, a member of the township parks and recreation committee, said he didn't see anything wrong with the potential deal. "The interest has been exclusively to develop a park there," he added. "It's of no consequence to the committee who owns the property." Nixon and Bahle said they did not know how much the Bahle property might cost. Nixon said the township board recently budgeted up to $3,000 to have it appraised. Rotary Charities of Traverse City already pitched in $25,000 for the project and Bahle said grants from other organizations and the state Department of Transportation are expected. "It's a wonderful setting for a natural park," Nixon said. "There is a small stream, wetlands, a lot of natural woods and three or four vistas you can stand on and see the bay."
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