Would you like to let your neighbors know more about what your committee is up to? Or maybe you have news and information you would like to share, such as family announcements, recipes, decorating ideas, or crafts. We invite you to submit content that you think your neighbors will want to know about. We will include information as space allows. All submissions must follow the Newsletter Guidelines for Outside Submissions at the end of this newsletter.

Please encourage neighbors who have not signed up for this newsletter to do so. While those not on our email list will receive a print version of the newsletter, it will be in black and white, only contain basic information, and they will not receive our reminders and updates.

And don't forget to visit the Sylvan lake Website.

-- John Martin, City Manager

We need your photographs!

If you have any photos related to the City that you would like to share, please forward them following the guidelines in this newsletter. The photos can be from a special event, sunset, or just a "nature" photo. Click on "Newsletter Guidelines for Outside Submissions" above to see how to do it.

Community Events

Sylvan Shuffle

The 5th Annual Sylvan Shuffle will be on Saturday, April 12th, at 9:00 a.m. The event starts and ends at the Oakland County Boat Club, 2350 Ferndale (5-K run, 5-K walk, and 1-K Fun Run/Walk). Entrants receive the official Sylvan Lake Shuffle Run/Walk T-shirt! The entry fee is $18 before race day and $20 on race day at the Oakland County Boat Club between 8:00 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. The money raised from this event will go toward the Sylvan Lake Parks. You can pick up an entry form at City Hall or go to www.sylvanshuffle.com. Please send your entry and fee to:

Sylvan Lake Shuffle

1786 Woodland

Sylvan Lake MI, 48320

For more information, contact Michelle or Dan Allread at 248-683-5738 or email Michelle at michlegal@sbcglobal.net.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program

Sylvan Lake will again participate with West Bloomfield for hazardous waste collection. The collection is May 3rd from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the West Bloomfield Civic Center, 4550 Walnut Lake Road. There is no cost to residents. Have your driver's license ready upon entering the Civic Center site. This documents residents from each community. They are going to take the normal hazardous material and electronics (including TV�s). There will also be a shredder there so anyone can have documents destroyed. New this spring will be the collection of used syringes at Beaumont Medical Center, 6900 Orchard Lake Rd (rear loading dock) on Friday, May 2nd, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

We are looking for a driver to help seniors with their collection and to deliver those items collected.

Click here to see a flyer about the Hazardous Waste Collection.

Click here to see a flyer about the syringe collection at Beaumont Medical Center.

Sylvan Lake Youth Soccer

It is that time again! Please come and join the fun on Saturday mornings from May 3rd through June 14th at 10:00 a.m. Only Sylvan Lake residents between the ages of four (4) and eight (8) are welcome. Registration forms are at City Hall or call Sharon Black with any questions at 248-683-8387.

City-Wide Garage Sale

On May 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, the Sylvan Lake Home and Garden Tour Committee will again be holding the City-Wide Garage Sale. A permit fee of $20 will cover the cost for ads in The Oakland Press and Eccentric newspaper, garage sale signs on Orchard Lake Road, and the list of participants' addresses at City Hall and the Sylvan Market. The application deadline is May 19th. All proceeds will go toward the Community Center project.

Memorial Day Parade

This year's theme: Honor the Fallen and the Living - Yellow Ribbons Tie One On. The Lakes Area Memorial Day Parade is Monday, May 26th. Businesses, local groups, schools, and residents are encouraged to participate in this event. Your help is needed for volunteering or providing a donation. A form is available at City Hall to register to participate, volunteer or donate. Please contact Jim Bull at 248-681-3053 if you have any questions.

Click here for more information.

Home and Garden Tour Sponsorship Request

The Home and Garden Tour is scheduled for June 21st, 2008. We need docents that will work in the Tour homes and gardens. We have eight beautiful homes and five gardens this year and need volunteers.

Also, if you are a Sylvan Lake resident with a business, we encourage you to participate by placing an Ad in our Tour 2008 book. This is a great way to support the key to our success. Ads are available from $50 to full page Ads.

Banner sponsors are needed as well. We have one sponsor committed to the banner that will span Orchard Lake Road from June 2nd to June 21st. There are 80,000 vehicles that will drive past each day. We welcome your sponsorship and will have a 4-foot placement for you on both sides. The cost for this is $800.

The Tour has received outstanding support from our local merchants which broke a record for buying the most ads to support it, even due to the slow Michigan economy. Please support them as much as you can in return.

We also send a special thanks to Asher Panian of Panian Chevrolet who will donate vans on Tour Day so our guests can be driven from home to home in style!

If you are interested, or if you have any questions, please call the Tour Hotline at (248) 615-6296 or email Midge Davidson at mdavidson@centraldata.com. Also, please visit the website at www.sylvantour.com.

Marguerite Davidson

Community Center

Quick Update - The rules and regulations for renting the Community Center are now on the website at www.sylvanlake.org. Reserved events are noted on the calendar. The application and fees are also posted.

The NEW Community Center is underway and construction continues despite the freezing cold and snow!! Remember, this is an official construction site and only authorized people (Construction crew, City Manager, Construction Manager, DPW and approved personnel) are allowed on the site. Under no circumstances are any residents allowed on the site. If you want to see the progress, you can look from outside the fence. There are signs posted for "No Trespassing"; violators will be ticketed!

We are still planning on having the Community Center completed by early summer.

Here are some photos of the new Community Center Construction.

View of building and covered pavilion

(from Pontiac Drive)

View of entrance to building (looking south)

View from parking lot - tennis courts on the left

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News/Announcements

Boat Ramp Keys/ Park and Sports Tags

These are now on sale. Only one of each tag or key will be sold per household. Along with the purchase of any tags or key, the resident must pay a one time park registration fee of $30. This fee helps to pay the property taxes to keep our parks private.

The park tag is $20.00 ($15.00 for seniors) and will allow your family and eight (8) guests to use our park facilities. You must have the park tag with you at all times, the Park Ranger will be checking to make sure residents have a tag.

The sports tag cost is $10.00 and will allow you and up to three (3) guests to use the tennis, bocce and volleyball courts. All guests must be accompanied by the resident. Please abide by the rules that are posted at each court. If you have more than three guests, you must borrow a sports tag from a Sylvan Lake resident to make sure you have one tag for every three guests.

The boat ramp key is $20.00. Your original boat registration and proof of Sylvan Lake residency must be provided to purchase a key. Along with the ramp key one boat ramp sticker will be provided. When using the boat ramp, be sure to lock the gate when you are done. There will be no replacement ramp keys sold if you lose yours.

City Council Meeting

The City Council meeting will take place on Wednesday, April 9th, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sylvan Lutheran Church. Tentatively on the regular agenda will be an update on the Community Center project and discussion of the boat dock policy.

Planning Commission

The Planning Commission meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 1st, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sylvan Lutheran Church.

Planning Commission Public Hearing

The Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing at 7:30 p.m., May 6th, 2008 to receive public input on two proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance. One amendment will require signs in non-residentially zoned districts to be �monument� signs instead of allowing �pole� signs. The other amendment will be the adoption of architectural standards for non-residential structures. The proposed amendments will be available at City Hall for review beginning April 1.

Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) Meeting

The Zoning Board of Appeals will be hearing two requests April 9th at 6:00 p.m. in the Sylvan Lake Lutheran Church. The first petitioner, 2635 Orchard Lake Road, is seeking approval to allow light automobile repair and tire sales in a C-1 zoning district. Automobile repair is not an allowed use in the C-1 zoning district.

The second petitioner is asking for a rear-yard setback variance for the construction of a new addition and attached garage at 2360 Ferndale, on the corner of Pontiac Drive. The zoning ordinance requires a minimum rear-yard setback of 30 feet. The petitioner is proposing a rear yard setback of six (6) feet, requiring a variance of 24 feet. Public comment is welcomed. Written comments may be submitted to City Hall prior to 4:00 p.m. on April 9th, 2008.

Spring Leaf Clean-up

This is a reminder that there will be no spring leaf collection. To dispose of your leaves, please put them out for collection as yard waste (see below). All garbage can must be stored so they are not visible from any street.

Yard Waste Program

The program starts April 2nd. Yard waste will be picked up on the same day (Wednesday), as your trash but in a separate yard waste truck. Pick up is on a weekly basis. Please place your trash and yard waste a few feet away from each other for pick up so it can be easily seen. Yard waste includes:

cut grass,

leaves,

cut weeds,

shrub trimmings,

brush,

twigs,

small branches,

sod, and similar items.

Here are some guidelines that need to be followed for the yard waste collection.

Yard waste will be accepted only in brown paper yard waste bags (from retail stores) or trash cans clearly marked COMPOST or YARD WASTE. Yard waste stickers are available at no charge at City Hall.

Small branches (three inches in diameter or smaller) will be accepted if securely tied in manageable bundles no more than four feet in length.

Yard waste in any type of plastic bag will not be accepted!

Yard waste may not be placed at the street earlier than 5:00 p.m. the night before collection day.

Don't Drive on the Grass!

Our parks are being destroyed by people driving across them to access their dock spaces to install their docks and/or hoists. We try very hard to maintain the beauty of our parks and need your help. Do not drive in the parks under any circumstance! Doing so may result in a ticket. In addition, you will be charged for any necessary repairs. It is the responsibility of the dock holder to inform anyone sharing your space, or a company installing your dock, of this rule.

New Boat Dock Committee

The Committee members are: Brad Conkey, Rob Conkey, Rob Galacz, Jim Bull, Patty Harrop and Mitch Black. The new committee will be reviewing the current boat dock policy and making any recommendations they feel are necessary, to the City Council. They will also be enforcing the dock policy over the summer.

New Calenders

Please take the time to look at our website, www.sylvanlake.org. We have created two new calendars: Events and Community Center. When your click on an event, it will give you further details of that event. Residents interested in renting the Community Center can see if a date is available. There is no Grand Opening date set yet for the Community Center.

Michigan Week

Celebrate the state of Michigan from May 17th to May 23rd 2008. Greater West Bloomfield salutes those who have made significant volunteer contributions to their community. The Community Awards Breakfast is May 16th, 2008, at 7:15 a.m. at the Bay Pointe Golf Club. Tickets are $25 at the West Bloomfield Parks and Recreation office or call 248-451-1900.

Civic Center TV-15 Information

On January 14th, the District Court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting Comcast from moving Civic Center TV to a digital channel assignment. Pending the outcome of this decision, the current channel 15 on the analog basic tier could change to channel 915 on the digital basic tier. Subscribers would be required to have a digital cable box or a cable card compatible television using QAM. Get details by calling Comcast at 800-CALL-COMCAST or 248-855-6971. If you have any questions regarding Civic Center TV-15, email civiccentertv15@comcast.net or call 248-683-2343. Please tune to CVTV for further information.

School Election

The school election will take place on May 6th, 2008. Residents in the Pontiac school district can vote to elect one candidate for the Pontiac School Board. Monday, April 7th, is the last day to register to vote. You only need to register if you are not already a registered voter in Sylvan Lake. City Hall will be open Saturday, May 3rd, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to hand out absentee ballots (only).

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From The Police Chief

Please be aware that the Police officers are being very strict on enforcing the traffic laws in the City. For everyone's safety, please make sure you follow the speed limit, come to a full and complete stop at all stop signs, and always be aware of residents of all ages walking or jogging.

If you have any solicitors in your area or that come to your door, or if you see a suspicious person, contact the police immediately by calling 248-681-1911. That will go directly to West Bloomfield dispatch, day or night, and they will have a Sylvan Lake Police Officer respond to your call.

Who is allowed to go door to door? Only non-profit groups that register with the Police Department.

If you have a concern or a complaint regarding the Police Department, please send an e-mail to slpdchief@comcast.net.

Street Lighting

The City has been working with Detroit Edison�s Community Lighting group to expedite the repair and maintenance of streetlights. If you see a problem with a street light, please call City Hall with the following information:

Specific streetlight location,

wooden or metal pole,

streetlight pole number (metal pole - at base of pole, Wood poles - it is located eight feet up the pole),

details about outage (intermittent, off, flashing, etc.).

If there is a case where a pole has been knocked down or any other emergency, please call 1-800-477-4747.

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Ordinance Violation Hotline

Residents can call in with any ordinance violations you may see. You do not have to identify yourself, but we need you to provide an address and description of the problem. Call 248-682-1440 extension 6, after 4:30 p.m. or email sylvanlakeordinance@gmail.com. There will be violation notices and possibly tickets given to anyone violating the City's ordinances. This includes common violations such as:

Dogs in the parks or unleashed dogs,

Junk cars (expired plates),

Storage of garbage cans (cannot be visible from the street),

Incorrect storage of PODS, trailers, and RV's,

Illegal parking on the road or in the front yard,

Rocks in the road right-of-way,

Missing addresses on your homes, and

Blight.

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Rubbish Collection

The collection takes place every Wednesday. Richfield Management begins picking up trash promptly at 7:00 a.m. So make sure you have your trash and recycling at the edge of the street by 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday. Trash collection will be delayed one day only for the following holidays:

New Year's Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

*If you have any items that need to be picked up, please call Richfield Management at 877-609-6753.

Building Permits

Building permits must be obtained if you are going to do any repairs, remodeling, renovating, building, plumbing, or electrical work on your home. Always check with City Hall before starting any project. Permits are also required for any improvements made in the road right-of-way. A zoning permit is required for fences, driveways, parking areas, etc.

Permits are required for a few reasons, safety being the primary reason. It is very important that work performed in your home meets the current codes and regulations. Even something as small as adding a circuit to your electrical panel or installing a water heater needs to be inspected. Both could have disastrous consequences if installed improperly. If you have a contractor do the work for you, make sure they have pulled the appropriate permits. Also, part of the permit fee is a bond that is refunded if the work is completed properly and all applicable inspection fees were paid. We want you to be aware of this so a contractor doesn't�t add this �bond� fee to the cost of your project and then they get the bond refunded to them when it is completed. If you have questions on how the permit process works, please call City Hall.

Recycling

Only 25 percent of Sylvan Lake residents recycle. Recycling is included as a part of your normal trash collection. Bins are available at City Hall. It is not necessary to use their recycling bin. Your first recycling bin is free, but if you like more, they are $10 each.

You can use a plastic "storage" type container or a cardboard box.

Make sure it is marked RECYCLING so the contents are not disposed with the regular trash.

Newspapers, magazines, and ads should be tied securely with a string or placed in a brown paper bag.

Telephone books do not have to be bundled.

Plastic jugs, bottles, glass bottles, and jars must be washed out.

Only bottles marked with a 1 or 2 on the bottom will be accepted.

Metal cans need to be clean and the label must be removed.

If any recycling is dirty, it will be thrown out with the regular trash.

Click here to view a flier for RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE and ELECTRONIC RECYCLING.

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Road Right-Of-Way (ROW) Policy

City Council has approved the ROW policy governing improvements in the ROW. The ROW is City right of way, the strip of land along the street, from the edge of the street to the property line. The area generally extends from 12 to 15 feet from the pavement. The ROW policy requires a permit before ANY improvement is made in the ROW. This includes digging, filling, installing sprinkler systems, planting trees, etc. Improvements that do not require a permit are minor things such as maintenance, planting grass, or flowers.

The Policy requires that the first four feet (4') of ROW adjacent to the street be grass, low approved vegetation, or at-grade rocks for retaining (around a culvert end for example). This vegetation could be flowers (hostas) etc. If you are wondering what would be allowed, please call City Hall. Items that are absolutely not allowed within 4 feet of the edge of the pavement are above grade items like rocks, boulders, tall plants or bushes, landscape planters, reflectors, etc. The entire ROW policy will be available for review on the web site and at City Hall.

What is a variance? Click to read about the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), how the appeal process works, and how the ZBA tries to relieve property owners from ordinances uniquely affecting them.

SEMCOG - For more information, go to www.semcog.org/ourstoprotect.

CRWC

The Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC) is a non-profit organization to help protect and improve the health of the Clinton River. The CRWC also wants to assure that the river's natural, economical, and recreational attributes enhance the quality of life for those who are directly affected by it. The CRWC is made up of four full-time and two part-time staff along with a 15-member board of directors. They provide programs in areas of watershed management, such as Stream Leaders, Adopt-A-Stream, River Day, and Clinton Clean-Up Programs. The Clinton River, as some may know, runs through Sylvan Lake. Click here to learn how the CRWC has such an impact on Sylvan Lake.

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Clinton River Trail

Use of the Clinton River trail is increasing. It's great to see so many people enjoying it.

Mike Schwanitz continues to volunteer his time patrolling the trail from Orchard Lake Road to Inverness picking up trash and making sure everything is OK.  If someone would like to help Mike by policing another part of the trail, that would be great! Please call City Hall if you are interested.

Betty Delaney continues to head the Trail committee. A meeting was held in August and plans are being made for the cleaning maintaining, and improving of the Trail. There will be much more to come!

Sharon Hughes continues to lead a planting program on the trail near Pontiac Drive.  She would appreciate help planting and maintaining the areas.   If you have something you would like to donate, please call Sharon at 248-681-5557, or email her at Slynnhughes@netzero.net.

Clinton River Trail Website

The old railroad that is now a trail that goes through Sylvan Lake is part of the Clinton River Trail system. For all of you trail users and enthusiasts, the Clinton River Trail's website is full of news and updated features. It is updated by the Friends of Clinton River Trail (FCRT). Thanks to John Hensler, and FCRT member, the website is getting better and better. For any words of appreciation or any suggestions, please contact John at john@sunkenanchor.com



Special Thanks/Kudos

Boat Dock Committee for reviewing and enforcing the dock ordinance.

Community Center Committee for your continued work in finalizing details for our new Community Center. It's been a very long journey

Community Center Rental Committee for working very hard to review and revise the community center policy, rules and regulations.

Project Updates

Community Programs

Fur-e-tails Newsletter

A new electronic newsletter for pet lovers, fur-e-tails, has been launched by Sylvan Lake resident Linda Wasche. Every monthly issue contains information and news covering all topics ranging from pet care and nutrition to the latest in pet products and pet lover events. For your FREE subscription contact editor-fur-e-tails@oaklandpetfund.org. All proceeds from fur-e-tails advertising will go to benefit Oakland pet fund, bringing the No-More-Homeless Pets movement to Oakland County.

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT BECOMING A NEW MEMBER OF NOOTERS CLUB!

CAN YOU FIND A HOME FOR TWO KITTENS? CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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April Calender Of Events

1st    - Planning Commission meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Sylvan Lutheran Church.

2nd    - Yard waste collection begins.

7th - Last day to register to vote for the May 6th school election.

9th    - City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Sylvan Lutheran Church.

12th   - Sylvan Shuffle, 9:00 a.m. at the Oakland County Boat Club.

24th   - City Council Study Session at 7:00 p.m. in the Sylvan Lutheran Church.

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Variances

The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) has the power to grant variances upon appeal, from the strict application of the zoning ordinance. An appeal may be filed when there is a practical difficulty or hardship preventing the property owner from conforming to the strict letter of the ordinance. The ZBA will consider the request for a variance and determine whether it may be granted without substantial detriment to the public good and without substantially impairing the intent and purpose of the ordinance.

The authority of the ZBA is designed to provide relief to a property owner from an ordinance that is uniquely affecting him/her. The problem the property owner faces must be created by circumstances unique to the property and not shared by surrounding parcels and the problem cannot be self-created. Typically, the following situations must exist:

The alleged practical difficulty is exceptional and peculiar to the property and generally does not exist throughout the City. An irregular shaped lot or odd natural characteristics of the land are possible examples of this.

The alleged practical difficulty must be more than a mere inconvenience or need for financial gain or financial savings.

The practical difficulty was not created by an action of the applicant and either existed at the time of the adoption of the requirement from which the variance is requested, or is necessary as the result of governmental action such as road widening. A self-created hardship is typically not a valid basis for a variance.

The variance is the minimum necessary to permit reasonable use of the land and building for activities permitted in the zoning ordinance.

Justice considering: Public benefits specifically defined by zoning rules, AND individual hardship suffered by not granting variance, AND the rights of affected property owners.

The appellant presents information usually showing that the requested variance:

Will not be contrary with the intent and purpose of the zoning ordinance,

Will not cause a substantially adverse affect upon adjacent properties,

Will relate only to the property under control of the appellant,

Will not essentially alter the character of the surrounding area,

Will not increase the hazard of fire, flood, or other similar dangers; and

Will not increase traffic congestion.

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Newsletter Guidelines for Outside Submissions

The City of Sylvan Lake welcomes articles, news and updates from members of the community. Such information should be relevant to Sylvan Lake, to its residents and to living in the community. The editor reserves the right to accept or reject any such information. All such information will also be edited for style and space.

In submitting information, please follow the guidelines below.

Submit your information, preferably in electronic form, to:

Newsletter Editor

Sylvanlakenewsletter@gmail.com

248-682-1440

1. Articles and updates

Limit articles, updates and other information to no more than 200 words. Such items must be written from the perspective of an outside objective third party. We do NOT accept editorials or opinion pieces. Let readers know where they can go for more information, where appropriate, by including a phone number, email address or website. Also, be sure to include your contact information in case we have questions.

2. News releases

We welcome news releases on upcoming events and programs, but cannot run releases in their entirety due to space limitations. Be sure to include contact information.

3. Photos

Color photos are welcome IF THEY ACCOMPANY ABOVE DESCRIBED NEWS OR INFORMATION. All photos MUST be in ELECTRONIC format as a .gif or .jpg. If photos include human subjects, be sure you have their permission to submit the photo. Be sure to include a caption explaining what is in the photo as well as a name and contact information for the person submitting the photo. If a photo was taken by someone other the person submitting it, you will need his or her written permission to allow us to use the photo.

4. Deadlines

Information for the newsletter is due as follows:

The 12^th of the month preceding the issue (For example, information for the December issue would be due November 12th and so on.)

Sylvan Lake Spotlight

Sylvan Lake Spotlight is published by the City of Sylvan Lake, 1820 Inverness, Sylvan Lake, MI 48320. Resident news and information are welcome, but must follow newsletter editorial guidelines. To request a copy of the Editorial Guidelines, contact City Manager John Martin at martinsylvanlk@comcast.net.

In the future, Advertising may be accepted from residents and local businesses. Please watch future newsletters to obtain advertising rate information, or to place an ad in the Community Service Directory or Classified Advertising section..

LEGAL NOTICE: This email may be considered an advertising or promotional message. If you no longer wish to receive this email, please unsubscribe using the link found at the top of this newsletter. Views expressed or implied herein are not necessarily those of the City of Sylvan Lake, City Council or its affiliates.