Lawmakers Introduce Major Improvements to Critical Dunes Act
Senate Majority Floor Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-Olive Township) and Representative Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo) have introduced legislation, Senate Bill 1130 and House Bill 5647 respectively, aimed at applying a less subjective approach to critical dune regulation. REALTORS®, builders, and property owners living and working within the critical dunes can attest to the fact that the application of the Critical Dunes Act has been inconsistent and frustrating for many years.
The changes proposed by Senator Meekhof and Representative Bumstead, supported by both the MAR and the Michigan Association of Home Builders, are the product of lengthy negotiation and agreement with the Department of Environmental Quality. Heretofore, the private property within the critical dunes area has been subject to significant red tape, inconsistent treatment, and often outright prohibition in terms of development and the exercise of private property rights. Efforts as simple as permitting driveway access to an owner’s property have been stifled due to a lack of clarity on how the law should be applied. Read More...
