GLUE Membership Update-September 30, 2006

Board Meeting Notes

Since my last report, the GRDA monthly meeting of their board and asset committee took place on September 16^th. Other than the usual administrative items, only two significant items that would be of interest to our group were on the agenda.

One of our members, Joe Neil, has been attempting to get approval for a three slip dock configuration to service three new homes he has under construction on Monkey Island. His request would replace an existing dock which already has a waiver. If there was ever a case where common sense would dictate the approval of a waver request this is it. It all boils down to how the now sacred 1/3 of the cove rule measurement is taken. The authority’s current policy is rather straight forward, but extremely rigid. Compliance officers are instructed to measure from where a walkway to a dock is attached to the 750’ elevation to the nearest shore line.

The Neil property is located in the back of a cove where the water splits into what I’ll call sub coves, a “Y” if you will.  The authority is measuring to the closest shoreline which is clearly a sub cove. In discussions with the authority’s legal people, I’m told they have struggled with the definition of a cove due to the many turns and bends Grand Lake has in its landscape. There has to be a better way to do this all important task.

It really all boils down to the intestinal fortitude of the current board. The state legislature has granted the board the authority to grant waivers, but they seem reluctant to exercise that authority. If this board is ignoring common sense, due to possible litigation by Mike Brady, it’s a shame and an example of what our society has become. Mike Brady, who has a place in the back water of Duck Creek, doesn’t live within twenty miles of Neil’s project and Joe has letters from all property owners in his cove expressing no objection to his proposed dock configuration. Go figure!

The bottom line is Joe withdrew his dock application while reserving the right to resubmit it at a later date. I’m supposed to meet with Director Chernicky to explore any viable options for pursuing Joe’s application. It may just end up being like that old Sinatra song about the proverbial Billy goat trying to ram that dam, but well give ‘er a go.

The other significant item was the filing by Shangri-la Resort requesting approval of a new Monkey Island marina. Pete Boylan, who purchased the resort property approximately two years ago, has been working towards bringing investors to Grand Lake to build a hotel and convention center on the island. When I was the “High Publisher” of The Chronicle of Grand Lake, I often wrote that how Shangri-la goes so Grand Lake goes when it comes not only to the economy of Monkey Island, but all of Grand Lake. Pete says the marina is a prerequisite for finalizing a deal with a hotel and convention center investor.

Boylan hails from Kansas City and is a member of our organization. Regardless of how you perceive him, the message is a sound one for all involved. There is currently a shortage of boat slips on Monkey Island and the coming of a convention center and hotel will only magnify the issue.

This Grand Lake thing is sometimes a lot like a sorority or fraternity…..us against them…new versus old…friends taking on enemies. I’ve heard several express concerns for the well being of the current Shangri-la Marina owners, but in the long run they will only have the opportunity to profit from this endeavor. In the end, this will be a positive step, one all of Grand Lake has been clamoring for over the last fifteen years or so.

After visiting with Boylan about his plan, it is my belief the project falls well within the mission statement guidelines of our organization. At the time of the permit application filing, the authority stated they would take written comment only during the thirty day notification period, but they have now scheduled a public meeting for Wednesday, October 4, 2006, at 5:30 pm in Cleora, Oklahoma. Cleora is located near The Coves residential and golf course development and the meeting will be held in the school building located on Highway 85A.

It is my intent to speak in favor of the Boylan proposal, but I would welcome your comments or suggestions  concerning our position on this issue. I know this is short notice, but I need your input no later than noon Tuesday.

Water Level Petition & Shoreline Management Plan Notes

The petition drive initiated to raise Grand Lake’s minimum target level upward to 742’ and find an alternative to the millet seeding program for migrating waterfowl continues to move forward. We’ve published ads in The Chronicle which have been very effective and our petitions continue to circulate. The response has been very supportive, but we need as many signatures as possible before presenting the petition to the GRDA board in November. I’m attaching the petition form for any of you who would like to further circulate the initiative. We want to guard against duplications, but we would like to encourage each of you to participate in this endeavor and tell all your Grand Lake friends they can sign on line at www.grandglue.com.

Our objective is to encourage the authority to request a meeting with FERC with respect to this issue. I’m lobbying hard to be included in any such meeting. We have a real opportunity here, but we must take advantage of it now. I’ll keep you posted.

The next round of Shoreline Management Plan meetings will likely be scheduled for mid October. I continue to have concerns about the makeup of the committees. The long demanded carrying capacity study for Grand Lake has now been distributed to the stakeholder committee groups. The results were believed to be the catalyst for restricting many areas of future growth by some committee members, but the results don’t appear to support that. The study is over a hundred pages, but if you would like a chance to review its contents let me know.

The current draft of the SMP, much of which was done prior to the availability of the Carrying Capacity Study, zones the shoreline of Grand Lake as follows:

15% designated as multi-purpose. These areas would be made up of a mix of commercial and residential areas.

58% residential only. It would be possible to get a commercial permit in these areas, but the permitting process would be much more difficult and each applicant would be treated on an individual case basis.

23% Sensitive. These are areas pertinent to fish and wildlife. Existing docks in these areas would be grandfathered in, but any future requests for docks in these areas are virtually doomed.

4% Project Management Requirements. These are areas controlled by the authority like parks, boat ramps, spillways and dams.

I’ll post another report following the public meeting along with some additional thoughts on the smp. Let me hear from you.

See Ya’ Around the Pond!