Committee hears bill to allow expedited shoreline protections after high Great Lakes water

Representative Van Orkam told the committee HB 5103 responds to high Great Lakes water and ownership‑level emergencies that in 2020 forced some homeowners to use structures such as sandbags to stabilize dunes and protect houses.

"Homeowners were literally having their houses fall into the lake," Van Orkam said, describing 2020 water levels. The sponsor said the bill would let landowners submit their plan and location to EGLE for expedited review so temporary protective structures can remain in place when those structures have become part of dune stabilization.

The sponsor acknowledged competing concerns about public access and walkability and said the bill includes clarifying language to ensure structures do not prevent reasonable access to the shoreline. Van Orkam said the expedited process is intended to avoid having homeowners remove barriers that have become part of stabilization and thereby worsen erosion or risk property loss.

Committee members asked why the bill gives deference to landowners’ rights over public access rights during permit review; the sponsor responded that the language intends to preserve access while prioritizing urgent private stabilization needs in the limited circumstances the bill addresses.

No committee vote on HB 5103 is recorded in the transcript; the sponsor invited questions and described next steps for rule review and local coordination.