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City Hall Address
1820
Inverness
Sylvan
Lake, MI 48320
City Hall Phone:
248-682-1440
Email City Hall
Click here to email City Hall
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WELCOME TO OUR
SPOTLIGHT ON THE
COMMUNITY!
We do want and need your input. It is very important to help keep our newsletter different and exciting each month. 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
The Annual Ice Cream Social was
a huge success once again this year. We really appreciate your
generous cooperation with this club event. More than 300 people
attended this year and seemed to enjoy visiting with their
neighbors. Of course, we could not have done it without the generous
support of our community. Thank you to all for the tents and for
those who set them up, for setting up tables and chairs, for ice cream
dippers, and for the cake walk. We also give a big thank you to cake
servers and for those who donated and the hard working DPW!!
-The Sylvan Lake Garden Club
The Planning Commission will be holding a Public Hearing at the Sylvan
Lutheran Church on September 5th at 7:00 p.m. to receive public input for
the proposed Citgo gas station (see below). The regular meeting
will immediately follow the public hearing. On the regular
agenda will be a recommendation to City Council for the special land use
request and consideration to approve the proposed site plan for the Citgo
property. They
are in the final stages of discussion in updating our Master Plan. Planning Commission will continue discussion
on the portion of our zoning ordinance pertaining to lot coverage, garages on the front of the house, and
accessory structures in the rear yard. They will also be
discussing City identification signs.
City Council will be meeting September 20th, a week later than normal, at
the Sylvan Lake Lutheran Church. They will be sitting as the
Zoning Board of Appeals at 7:00 p.m. to hear a request for two variances
for the Citgo Property (see below).
The regular meeting will
immediately follow the Public Hearing. Tentatively on the
agenda will be Citgo’s special land use approval, road right-of-way
policy and continued discussion on the Community Center and City Hall
improvements.
Citgo Energy is proposing a new gas station and convenience store
at 2451 Orchard Lake Road. This proposal requires three
separate approvals; Special land use approval to place a gas station in
the C-2 General Commercial zoning district, site plan approval and two
variances from our zoning ordinance. On September
5th, 2006, Planning Commission will hold a public hearing for the special
land use request and make a recommendation to City Council for
approval. Planning Commission will also consider approving the
proposed site plan. City Council will be sitting as the
Zoning Board of Appeals at 7:00 p.m. on September 20th, 2006 to
receive public input for two variance requests. The applicant
is requesting an 11-foot variance from the required 25-foot front yard
setback and a 20-foot variance from the required 25-foot rear yard
setback. The convenience store is proposed at 4,835 square feet with
six fuel pumping stations.
The candidates forum held by the League of Women's Voters will be
held at Sylvan Lutheran Church, 2399 Figa, West Bloomfield Twp., on
September 14th at 7:00 p.m. Please plan on attending to hear the
candidates' views on the City and ask them questions you have. (see
Election Results)
Three candidates are vying for two seats on City Council: David
MacGillis, Sharon Maurina, and John Shepp. Also, City Council
approved ballot language for the following local proposals: Community
Center Bond Proposal, City Hall Bond Proposal, Millage for Parks and
Recreation, and an advisory question for the installation of new docks at
the Community Center. See the City's website for the full
language. Absentee ballots should be available by the end of the
month.
City Council is separating themselves from the Zoning Board of
Appeals. The board constists of five regular members and two
alternates. Five regular members and one alternate have been
selected by City Council. We are still looking for one more
alternate for this board. If you are interested or have any
questions, please contact City Hall.
Political signs cannot be placed anywhere in the City until Monday,
October 10th, 2006. When placing political signs, please remember
they cannot be placed on any City property. This includes parks,
City Hall property, and the road right-of-way (at least 12 feet from the edge of the
street).
Make sure you read the entire Water Quality Report on the
Sylvan Lake website. It is
found on the left column of the home page titled 2005 CCR (Consumer
Confidence Report) 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.
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.
Consider becoming a CRWC
Adopt-A-Stream volunteer!!
School is back
in session and the park activity is winding down. There are still a
lot of nice days ahead of us until fall, so take advantage of the cooler
evenings and earlier sunsets. The resrooms will continue to be open
until mid-november unless it gets too cold.
Recreational Vehicle
Storage
The City of Sylvan Lake owns a recreational vehicle storage lot behind City Hall. It has approximately 65 storage spaces. However, like the dock spaces, there is a waiting list. Contact City Hall for more details. The fee to lease a spot in the storage area is $250 annually. A
boat ramp key is $20 and allows you to use the City boat ramp located on
Ferndale, next to the Oakland County Boat Club. Original boat
registration and proof of Sylvan Lake residency must be provided to purchase a
key. One boat launch sticker will be provided with the ramp
key. They are now available at City Hall. There will be no replacement keys sold if you
lose yours.
We
are still routinely checking dock spaces for compliance. If you know
someone that is violating our dock policy, for example doesn't own the boat
at their dock, doesn't live in the City, etc. Please notify City
Hall.
If
you are taking your boat out of the water early to store it for the
winter, we want to remind you to take your registration out of your boat
and keep it with you. You will need to provide it to
City Hall when you register for your dock space next
year.
The Oakland County Health Division has
begun testing for E. Coli bacteria. Samples are taken
June - August. If samples exceed the limits, notices
will be posted at the beach. You can also view posted beach
closures and reopening results at www.co.oakland.mi.us/health/info_pub/eh_beachclosing.
Although summer is nearly over, it's not too late to be thinking
about Bocce Ball. There is always next year! If you are
interested in organizing a league for a second night of the week,
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are available. Mike Grasser
will help you get the organization process started. If you have any
questions, contact Mike at 248-681-9022 or
248-505-4744.
These
stickers are required on all watercraft launched and Removed at the boat ramp, with the
exception of the guest ramp pass. If you have a second boat, you
must purchase an additional sticker in order to launch your
watercraft. They are available at City Hall for a cost of $10.
You must be a resident and show your original boat registration showing the
resident owns the watercraft in order to purchase a sticker.
A
guest ramp pass will be issued to a resident (only) for the purpose of
allowing a specific guest to use the boat ramp. The cost of the
guest pass is $25 for one day, for one watercraft. If a
guest leaves his or her watercraft in the water for more than one
day, then another guest pass will be required to use the ramp when the
watercraft is removed. The charge is based only on how many days the boat ramp is used. To obtain a
guest pass, a resident
must fill out a very short form indicating the type of watercraft along
with the MC number that will be using the boat ramp. Guest ramp
passes are available at City Hall during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30
p.m., Monday through Friday.
There is still one opening on the Cable Advisory
Board. This is a three-year term running from July 1st through June
30th. If you are interested or have any questions, please
call/submit a letter to City Hall.
Yard
waste will be picked up by a yard waste truck on the same day as garbage
collection (Wednesday). So make sure your yard waste is separated
from your garbage. Yard waste includes: cut grass, leaves, shrub
trimmings, sod, twigs, small branches, etc. Please follow the
guidelines below:
Richfield
Equities has been picking up your trash for a month now. As you have
probably noticed, they start early and are finished early, so make sure
your trash is out no later than 7:00
a.m. You can continue to set out bulk items, but you will
need to call the hauler for a special pick-up. They will also be
collecting the leaves this fall. The flyer Richfield Equities sent
out lists days your street will be collected for leaves only. Watch
for further details on the October newsletter.
We have been
receiving complaints about about dead trees and not maintaining
trees. This can be dangerous to not only your household, but your
neighbor's as well. Dead trees allow animals to harbor in them and
it could eventually fall on a house. Please take care of them
properly.
Only 10 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.
Rocks, boulders, wood, and reflectors are not allowed in the
road right-of-way (ROW). Violation notices will be issued, and a
ticket will follow if necessary.
You may have noticed that the "No Turn" signs have been
removed. City Council voted at the last meeting to remove them
because they were originally installed due to the thru traffic from the
construction. They said it was more of an inconvenience to the
residents.
There are several items at City Hall that have been found over the
summer. They include sunglasses, cell phones, car keys, a tennis
racket, and a lady's ring. If you have lost an item and can identify
it, please come to City Hall and pick it up.
This is a reminder of taxes being
due September 14th. A 3.5% penalty will be applied starting
September 15th. If you have not received your bill, please contact
City Hall immediately. Remember, you can sign up to have your taxes
auto-debited from your account on September 14th. Forms are
available online or you can come into City Hall. If paying by check,
please use a check separate from other payments (water/sewer bill, etc.) or
pay by credit card at PayLocalTaxes.com.
Property tax information is now
available on the Oakland County 24-hour tax hotline by calling
248-858-0025. To access tax information, you will need to enter your
10-digit parcel ID number. There is no charge for this
service.
SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan
Council of Governments, believes that pollutants during the warm days of
spring and summer most effectively creates ground-level ozone. Many
of these pollutants are caused by everyday activities, such as driving,
refueling, painting, barbecuing, etc. Here are some tips to help
decrease pollutants during the warm days that are knocking at our
door!
If you would like to be added to
SEMCOG's notification list, please send an email to ozoneaction@semcog.org.
Keep your
lawn and garden beautiful…and our water clean: Some earth-friendly tips to
remember... Did you know that an estimated 70 million pounds of pesticides are applied to lawns nationwide every year? The chemicals in herbicides and pesticides can pollute our waterways if washed from our lawns and gardens into storm drains that lead directly to our lakes and rivers. So what can you do to help? Simple. Protect your kids, pets, and the environment from the harmful effects of herbicides and pesticides by choosing earth-friendly landscaping. Here are some steps you can take to maintain your lawn and garden and help keep our water clean. Select plants native to Michigan. Native plants require less fertilizer and water, and are more disease resistant. Native plants also attract butterflies and birds. Also, a wide variety of plants will help control pests and minimize the need for pesticides. What plants are native to Michigan? Black-eyed Susan, Coral bells, Purple coneflower, and Columbine; blueberry and raspberry bushes; Christmas, Lady, and Maidenhair ferns; Black walnut, Hickory, Douglas fir, and White pine trees are some examples. All are easy to find in most local nurseries and greenhouses. Remember that lawns need about one inch of water per week. Over-watering results in plants that are less tolerant of heat and drought, and more prone to disease. Avoid raking leaves into storm drains or roadside ditches because they use up water’s oxygen and harm fish. Mow leaves into your lawn — they make a good fertilizer! Finally, make your lawn cheaper and easier to maintain by mowing high — three inches is the rule. Tall grass promotes root growth and shades out weeds. For more easy steps on protecting our lakes and
rivers, visit the "Ours to Protect" site at www.semcog.org.
The project is coming to a
close. There are a few areas that still
need repair, but the majority of the
project is complete. With the last large
rain events, the drainage system worked fantastically. I am sure for many of you, the
restoration done in front of your yard is not as nice as you would have
done. Please remember that the
contractor is moving through the city and trying to make things uniform,
create proper drainage, etc. As the grass
grows in, please feel free to spruce up the
area, just do not fill in the ditch or place rocks or stones above the
ground. Most of you have been very
patient and it is appreciated.
For the 2007 Home and Garden
Tour, the tour committee would like to add more gardens. The
committee has no specific requirements for the gardens as long as they are
pleasant places to be. Residents who know of any gardens that would
be a good addition to the tour should call
248-681-2750.
Join the Garden Club - The
Sylvan Lake Garden Club was organized in 1939 and has been meeting ever
since. Activities include putting on the Ice Cream Social,
organizing the Plant Exchange, and working in Memorial Park. This
year, several members participated in the garlic mustard pull for the
Michigan Nature Association in Davisburg. The meetings feature field
trips, speakers, and idea exchanges among members. Some members are
very experienced gardeners and others are novices. The club meets on
the third Tuesday of every month, typically around 1:00 p.m. Members
who cannot attend the meetings can still take part in many
activities. Anyone interested in joining should call Helen
McAllister at 248-682-1082 or email her at helenmcallister@sbcglobal.net.
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
This library has been ranked one
of the top 100 public libraries in the United States. The main
branch is located at 4600 Walnut Lake Road. Another branch is
Westacres located at 7321 Commerce Road. Feel free to look at their
online programs and services, computer terminals, audio books, and
videos. There is no charge for this service. Just provide your
driver's license or state I.D. number.
Keego Harbor will be holding their
annual "skate night" on Wednesday, September 6th, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00
p.m. at Rose Sorter Park. This has been a great success for the past
few years. However, they are looking for a few more volunteers.
If you are willing to help, please contact the Keego Harbor Police
Department at 248-682-3030.
Community Service Directory
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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 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
Newsletter@Sylvanlake.org
248-682-1440
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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
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