Webster Township Board reverses decision, will allow Gordon Hall fundraiser
In a 6-0 decision, the Webster Township Board Tuesday night reversed its decision from last week and will now grant the Dexter Area Historical Society a festival permit for Civil War Days, a June fundraising event at historic Gordon Hall.
The board voted 4-3 (Trustee John Westman was absent Tuesday), last week to deny the permit because of concerns about allowing parking on a conservation easement that the historical society sold to Webster Township for $33,000. It was the first money the township spent from a half-mill land preservation tax approved by township voters in August 2005.
Gordon Hall
The plan is to use the southeast side of the property, located in Scio Township, for parking, but cars still have to drive over a part of a hay field in Webster Township to get to the parking area. Township officials want to protect the property's "natural resource and watershed values, agricultural soils, view sheds and historic structures," which is stated in the conservation easement.
Tuesday, Webster Township Supervisor John Kingsley told the board that it's possible buses could be provided to alleviate the parking concerns or a private shuttle service might be provided by the community, but he emphasized those are only possibilities.
During a call for public comment, Dan Ezekiel, chairman of the Ann Arbor Greenbelt Advisory Commission, praised the board for its decision last week to deny the permit.
"We want to thank you and congratulate you for standing up for your conservation easement last week," said Ezekiel.
Ray Tell, a trustee on the Dexter Village Council, told the board, "I don't believe a once a year crossing or even parking on it is a big deal," referring to the easement. "I think it's worth reconsidering to allow them (the Dexter Area Historical Society) to pay off their debt."
Preparations are already under way for the event June 8-10, including booking re-enactors, reserving tents and chairs.
Lisa Carolin is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. For more Dexter stories, visit our Dexter page. Contact the news desk at news@annarbor.com.
Comments
Hactin
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 8:55 p.m.
I plan to attend the reenactment - it sounds like fun.
ScioReader
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 5:21 p.m.
Not going to happen this way! Scio has the same conservation easement as Webster. Parking on Scio land is also in violation of that easement. The DAHC had better do some better planning and invest in buses to move people. Parking hundreds of cars on taxpayer protected farmland is not an option. And yes - parking like this once a year does do significant damage to agricultural land, either by compression of the soil or erosion if wet. That's not what the residents of Scio paid to protect!
Laura Jones
Fri, Apr 27, 2012 : 3:18 a.m.
No way is it going to cause damage any more than driving a harvester or tractor over it. This is one weekend, its not a wetland or protected marsh. I find it hard to believe the good people of Scio Township want the easement enforced in this way. Have you ever seen real agriculture in action? This attitude is harmful to the entire conservation idea.
John Q
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 4:05 p.m.
The lesson from this is never to enter into a legal agreement with the Dexter Area Historical Society or the Webster Township Board as neither party is willing to honor those agreements. I'm sure the Dexter Area Historical Society will be returning the funds that they were given for the easement they refuse to honor.
DennisP
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 6:18 a.m.
I agree that this is a good turnaround. It's ok that the Board looks to protect the easement. It is obliged to do so from the examples of easement contracts I've seen. However, the easement is a two-sided agreement and wasn't intended to deed out all rights. The intent of these "developmental rights" easements is to prevent the land from being sold to developers for more subdivisions. In doing so, the existing uses are to be preserved. Often the existing uses are agricultural or wooded lands. But, in this instance, the land was part of a plot that is being used BOTH for leased farming AND for historical preservation. It just so happens that part of the land is in Scio Twp where the house is and the farming part is in Webster. In the future, some of that may be annexed to the Village (not sure where those lines are drawn). To preserve the land for its possible agricultural use doesn't mean that all of it has to be kept in pristing sowing condition. It just means that it cannot be altered in a manner that would make all farming uses unfeasible. That's really hard to do just by driving over it once a year or so no matter what so many so-called experts will say.
Hactin
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 10:15 p.m.
It would be nice to see the actual agreement - and see where the opinions go from there.
ScioReader
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 5:23 p.m.
You're wrong. The Scio portion is active agricultural and cannot tolerate this type of use. The Scio easement forbids it.
Laura Jones
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 2:20 p.m.
You may have just defined "common sense" and "win-win" for this situation. Well said.
Royalprince
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 10:59 p.m.
This is good news! I am glad the Dexter Area Historical Society will now be able to pay off the mortgage and then make the property available to the public as an attraction. I am a history buff, so I can really appreciate this.
motorcycleminer
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 7:57 p.m.
Glad the heat made the reptiles move off the rock...too bad when Ann Arbor politics ,like a bad sci fi movie blob move out of OZ and try to conquer our neighbors..one would assume that the ezekils of the world would be content just to destroy home turf....
William Flewidity
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 12:23 a.m.
Amen to what Laura said! When it is all said and done, the land will still be undeveloped, in the same condition as prior to the festival (likely better as any trash that may be there now will have been picked up), and everyone wins. All those cars crossing that hay field for a 1 day event will still in the end likely weigh LESS than the tractor and hay wagons that drive that field to cut, rake, and bail the field. As Laura said, radicalism......... Oh ya, and for the $33,000 they got, I think they should repay the money they received for the development rights and never have to deal with this again!
Laura Jones
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 11:17 p.m.
Look, its not as if this is a regular thing or something that in its once per year occurring has caused damage, The conservation land is still not any less conserved than it was since last year, nor do folks around here go around wrecking things and leaving them if they are damaged. This is not some large city (at least not yet) with anonymous people, these are folks who lived most of their lives here and know each other. There is no damage from the last time, sure there won't be again. Radicalism is never a good thing.
Hactin
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 10:03 p.m.
The Historical Society could just withdraw its request for $$ for the conservation land and send the money back. or maybe they like to break their word out there in Dexter?? I'm confident that the Greenbelt Advisory Board is seeking to avoid protracted legal fees when the next conservation contract is violated and their attys. claim a prescident set by this situation. Maybe it would be wise to redraw the agreement and show a driveway thru the acreage so that Gordon Hall can have this privledge in the future. They just didn't plan their request for $$ very well did they? But they got the check, and the strings too.
Vette96drvr
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 3:55 p.m.
Glad to hear common sense prevailed! As always, Ray Tell voiced the reasonable and sensible opinion! As for Dan Ezekiel, stay in Ann Arbor, there is a reason all of us live in Dexter not in Ann Arbor! The correct decision was made!!!!
Hactin
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 10:01 p.m.
Here's a guy who really hates urban sprawl and who is doing everything he can think of to help Washtenaw County have a chance for a little less of that, and make it last, and out comes the voice of one of the legal experts from the guys at Katy's who hate the rich college bicyclists in their funny clothes.
gmo99
Thu, Apr 26, 2012 : 10:50 a.m.
I agree that common sense prevailed. The whole issue should have been solved without all of the fanfare and public outcry.... And by the way, not all of us Ann Arborites are as liberal minded as Mr Ezekiel and have the good of Dexter and Gordon Hall at heart
Laura Jones
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 11:12 p.m.
Why restructure it at all? Nothing needs to be done here, just leave it as is.
Hactin
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 9:53 p.m.
and now the Township Board can reach into its pocket and pay for the attorney fees required to restructure the land use agreement.
John Q
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 3 p.m.
The conservation easement is a legal document that protects the property. If the Township doesn't enforce the easement on this property, it opens the door to problems on other properties. The Historical Society was compensated for the easement. If they didn't like the terms of the agreement, they shouldn't have agreed to sell it. They can't have it both ways.
xmo
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 1:18 p.m.
Is it really that difficult to come up with the right decisions? Now we have to worry about the environment, other races, religions, endangered species,wet lands etc
pbehjatnia
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 12:42 p.m.
The hayfield should have been a nonissue. What I want to know is what exactly this fundraiser is about? That house is way too Gone With The Wind leaves me wondering if this is a reenactment event?
81wolverine
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 12:19 p.m.
I'm a big supporter of conservation, but allowing cars to drive over part of a hayfield once a year is not a significant problem for the property. We're not talking about a sensitive wetland or area of woods. These politicians need to stop micromanaging sometimes and look at the bigger picture. Looks like they finally realized this.
Vette96drvr
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 3:59 p.m.
Not sure if they finally realized it or if the read all the comments on the last Annarbor.com article concerning it after they voted to not allow cars to cross the easement and they realized everyone of them would be voted out if they didn't allow the event to proceed. Either way, glad they pulled their heads out of the sand or whatever "place" they had them stuck in.
melissa08
Wed, Apr 25, 2012 : 11:59 a.m.
Finally, the proper decision is made. Sheesh.