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Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse say EGLE denied variance; engineers re-evaluating to preserve grant
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Summary
Dick Taylor told the Benzie County board that Michigan EGLE would not grant a requested 3-foot variance for a proposed seawall at Point Betsie, warning that pursuing legal relief could delay work until a grant expires; engineers are reviewing alternative designs.
Dick Taylor, a member of the Growing Protection Committee for the Friends of Point Betsie Lighthouse, told the Benzie County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 26 that the group’s proposed seawall faces a permitting setback after Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) did not allow a requested 3-foot variance.
Taylor said the committee has been working with engineers on a new seawall design but that EGLE’s refusal of the variance — and the prospect of lengthy legal proceedings if the group seeks relief in court — could create delays that risk the expiration of a state grant intended to fund the project. The minutes record the board welcomed input from commissioners as the engineering team reviews options.
The minutes and commissioner notes also reference a SOM grant tied to the waterfront project; a figure of $5.2 million appears in the commissioner notes, though that sum was mentioned in a separate report section rather than in Taylor’s presentation. The board did not vote on a project authorization at the Nov. 26 meeting but discussed next steps with the presenters and county staff.
Why it matters: shoreline protection work at Point Betsie involves environmental permits, design constraints and sizable grant funding; delays in permitting can jeopardize grant eligibility and the project timeline. The board encouraged further engineer review and offered to provide input on potential paths forward.
What’s next: commissioners and staff said they will continue to coordinate with project engineers and other stakeholders; no formal vote or further scheduling for the item was recorded in the minutes at the Nov. 26 session.