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Park Registration
Fee
Water Meters
Add-hoc
Committee
Contact Sylvan
Lake City
Hall Address 1820
Inverness Sylvan
Lake, MI 48320 City
Hall Phone: 248-682-1440 Email
City Hall |
|
Welcome To The Sylvan Lake
Spotlight
Forward this E-Newsletter to your
friends! WELCOME
TO OUR SPOTLIGHT
ON THE COMMUNITY!
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 Memorial
Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those
who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to
its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim
to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. Traditional
observance of Memorial Day has diminished over the years as many
Americans have forgotten its real meaning and traditions. The
graves of the fallen at many cemeteries are increasingly ignored and
neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette
for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold
Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades.
Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, not just those
fallen in service to our country. To read more about the history of
Memorial Day, click
here. (David
Merchant, Memorial Day History) *The
History Channel has much information about the history timeline of
American wars, battle maps and other facts.
Interested? Click
here. *This link has not only photos and
facts, but music and speeches written and spoken long ago that you can
take a look at. *A
large aspect of remembering those who fought for our freedom is
understanding the tradition at the Tomb of the Unknown. Click here to
find out the history of the tomb of the unknown and view several
photos. To
celebrate Memorial Day in Sylvan Lake, please see the information
below. News/Announcements Planning
Commission On
the regular Planning Commission meeting agenda, they will continue to
discuss the Master Plan and the Orchard Lake Road Corridor overlay.
They will also return to the discussion of the installation of City
entrance signs. Master
Plan Please
respond via Email or letter on this topic if you have any suggestions or
concerns. We have received a couple of Emails so far and we
appreciate it. Anyone
interested in the future of the City should come to the Planning
Commission meetings to discuss the Master Plan. The Planning
Commission needs a real view of the population and how you feel.
Some topics that are being discussed are keeping the small town atmosphere
and how tall commercial buildings should be in order
to create a downtown atmosphere. They also discussed
closing one or two street entrances to Orchard Lake Road (Lakeland and
Woodland). We encourage everyone to come to Planning Commission
meetings while they are discussing the Master Plan. Ask your friends
and neighbors to come as well. Master
Plan and the Orchard Lake Road Corridor
The
Zoning Board of Appeals hearing will follow the budget public hearing
and will begin at 7:15 p.m. There will be two petitioners seeking
variances: 1426
Glenwood is seeking approval to construct a new patio. The zoning
ordinance limits total lot coverage to 25% of the lot. The proposal
is to cover 28% of the lot, requiring a variance of 3% (approximately 250
sq. feet). 1420
Glenwood is seeking approval to construct a new handicap-accessible,
ranch-style home. The zoning ordinance limits total lot coverage to
25% of the lot. The proposal is to cover up to 35% of the lot,
requiring a variance of 10% (approximately 809 sq. feet). What is a variance? The
regular City Council meeting will immediately follow the ZBA
hearings. Tentatively on the agenda will be discussion of the
anti-blight ordinance, Right-Of-Way (ROW) policy, fence installation,
community center air test results, community center construction fact
finding reports,* and approval of the 2006/2007 budget and millage
rates. *
Two independent contractors surveyed the building to come up with the
least cost to re-open it and make it ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)
compliant. Taxes At
the April City Council meeting, City Council voted to approve the City
Manager's recommendation to lower the sewer rates. The base fee was
lowered from $49 per quarter to $35 per quarter and the user fee
from $5.15 to $4.85 per 1,000 gallons used. All of the water
that enters our sewer system is treated by the City of Pontiac at a cost
per gallon charge to us. So we have done a lot of work on
the sewer mains and manholes to keep clean water out of our
system. When we began this project a few years ago, we promised
to review the rates after the work was done with the intent
to lower the sewer rates. This is the
second reductuion in sewer rates since we began this
project. Our work has paid
off! 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. Watch next month's newsletter for
information on Sylvan Lake's Phase II Stormwater Management
Plan! School
Election Remeber
to vote tomorrow Tuesday, May 2nd to elect candidates for
the West Bloomfield and Pontiac school boards on. Voting
takes place at the DPW building behind City Hall. The polls are open
from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Park
Registration Fee Dock
Space Holders 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. Park
and Sports Tags Tags
to use the park and recreation areas are now on sale. Only one of
each tag will be sold per household. Along with the purchase of any
tags, the resident must pay a one-time park registration fee of $30.
This fee helps pay the property taxes to keep our parks
private. The
park tag is $20 ($15 for seniors) and will allow your family and
eight (8) guests to use our park facilities. You must have your park
tag with you at all times. The park ranger will be checking to make
sure residents have a tag. The
sports tag is $10 and will allow you and 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. Once again, the park ranger will
periodically check to make sure this rule is enforced. Boat
Launch Stickers These
stickers are required on all watercraft launched 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. Guest
Ramp Pass 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. Spring
Leaf Clean-up To
remind the Sylvan Lake residents, there will be no more Spring leaf
collection. Your leaves must be bagged for yard waste
collection. Yard
Waste Program 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:
Rubbish
Collection Allied
Waste is asking you to bag your garbage. This will help prevent the
collectors from missing any garbage not in a bag. If there are any
building materials you wish to dispose of, either call Allied Waste at
1-800-858-0089 or take the materials to the dump. The City's trash
contractor will pick up large items at the curb every week.
Concrete, however, will not be picked up by the contractors. Call
State Crushing Facility at 332-6210 (2260 Auburn Road) for more
information on the disposing of concrete. Bocce
Ball There
is a lot of interest to have another night for additional league
play. We are asking if there is anyone who is able to organize a
second night of the week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday are
available for additional league play. 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. Email
Campaign regarding School Districts Shelley
Taub is requesting that Sylvan Lake residents Email the members of the
House Education Committee and voice their support for House Bill
4085. If this bill passes, it gives Sylvan Lake the opportunity to
transfer out of the Pontiac School District. Please visit the Sylvan
Lake chat room: groups.msn.com/sylvanlake for Email addresses and for a
sample letter. Mail
Boxes at City Hall You
may have noticed there are now two mail boxes in the driveway
at City Hall. The mail box on the left is for your Comcast payments
only, and the other is for City Hall. Please continue
to use the mail slot next to the front door for your after-hours City
business. The
cost of water!!
SEMCOG 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! 1.
Refuel
in the evening and avoid spilling gasoline and topping while topping off
the tank. 2.
Limit
long periods of idling. Turn off the engine when a long wait is
expected. 3.
Keep
tires properly aligned and inflated. 4.
Receive
regular tune-ups to increase engine efficiency and follow the maintenance
schedule in the owner's manual of the vehicle. 5.
Avoid
using oil-based paint and household solvents. 6.
Consider
natural gas, propane, or electric grills for barbecuing. 7.
Try
transit or carpooling to work. If
you would like to be added to SEMCOG's notification list, please send an
email to ozoneaction@semcog.org. For
more information, please visit http://www.semcog.org/. 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. 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 West
Bloomfield Library 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 you driver's license or state I.D. number. Community
Events
Third
Annual City-Wide Garage Sale The
garage sale will take place on May 19th and May 20th from 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. Pick up your permit at Sylvan Lake City Hall.
Permits are $10 to benefit the community center. Please make checks
payable to City of Sylvan Lake. There will be signs and
advertising provided in the local newspaper. If anyone is interested
in helping or has any good ideas, please contact Molly Rozycki at
248-681-7630. Annual
Sylvan Lake Home and Garden Tour "A
March in Time. Sylvan Lake-Where Real People Live" is the slogan for
this years Home and Garden Tour. Sylvan Lake has some of the most
exquisite and unique homes in all of Oakland County. Differences
vary from early 1900's style to the most contemporary and sophisticated
most people have ever seen. Some examples of what to expect on the
tour are as follows:
The
Event The
Tour will take place on Saturday, June 17th, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. Tickets are available at Sylvan Lake City Hall, La Rosa Market,
Blossoms of Birmingham, and Detroit Garden Works. Ticket sales
are: 1.
10
dollars - groups of 10 or more 2.
12
dollars - prior to day of Tour 3.
15
dollars - day of Tour *If
you would like to be a docent (greeter), please call
248-738-1192. If
you have any questions, please call Debby Leh at 248-681-8624 or
Judy Schwanitz at 248-681-2750, or check out the new website, Sylvantour.com Plant
Exchange The
Sylvan Lake Garden Club is hosting a citywide plant exchange once again at
Memorial Park from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 10th, with a
rain date scheduled for Sunday, June 11th. anyone who brings a plant
that has not been exchanged may plant them at the park. As you
prepare for your garden this year, save your surplus perennials and trade
them with your neighbors. There will be no charge for this event
unless you come without a plant to exchange and want to purchase someone
else's perennial. The proceeds will be donated to Memorial
Park. If you have any questions, please contact Helen McAllister at
248-682-1082. Celebrate
Memorial Day! Attend
the annual Area Lakes Memorial Day Parade The
annual Memorial Day Parade will be held Monday, May 29th. The parade
will be begin in Keego Harbor at their Memorial Rock (Orchard Lake Road
and Cass Lake Road). It will come down Orchard Lake Road to
Inverness and end at our Memorial Park (Garland and Pontiac Drive).
There will be a brief ceremony at the Memorial Park. Partriotic
music will be presented by the Martin Brass. We
are looking for groups and organizations such as girl scouts, boy scouts,
cub scouts, etc. that are interested in marching in the parade.
Please contact Jim Bull at 681-3053 and we will have a spot for you and
your group. Also, we are looking for two volunteers to dress as
Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty. We will supply the costumes. And
we can always use help with traffic, judging, etc. Also,
we need people to man barricades along the parade route. If you are
interested in helping, please contact Jim Bull. Several
Streets and intersections throughout the City will be closed during the
parade. Closed roads are:
Access
to Orchard Lake Road will be closed at:
If
you need to get to Cass Lake Road, use Knowlson from Beverly.
In
order to get to Orchard Lake Road, use Pontiac Drive. Special
Thanks/Kudos Paul
Evans, Jim Cowper, and Sherwin Williams
for donating the painting materials for the Ferndale Beach
bathroom. Jo
Ondik
for sending in her recipe of her award-winning chili from the Optimist
Club. Click here for
recipe. Project
Updates Water
Meters Community
Programs Parks
and Recreation Community
Safety/Police As
the warmer weather approaches, the bicycle activity on our City streets
will begin to increase. I would like to remind all bicyclists that
while you are riding your bicycle on the roadway, you must obey all
traffic laws that pertain to motor vehicles (MVC 257.657 and
257.660). This includes stop signs, yield signs, and other
applicable laws. You should travel in the same direction as the
traffic and as far to the right hand side as possible. The Police
Department has received many complaints regarding this matter. If
officers observe any violations, citations will be issued.
Safety for all roadways will increase if the compliance by residents
increases. *Thank
you residents for being more concientious to obey traffic laws while
driving. No
open burning We
have had a few people question this law. No, they are not
allowed. These
are not allowed!!
No
vehicles on the grass!! DO
NOT drive your vehicles into any of the parks for any reason, including
installing or removing boat lifts or docks. This ruins the grass and
creates ruts, and it has been a continuous problem. Failure to
comply will result in being charged for park property repair and a
citation. No
dogs allowed in parks This
is a reminder to all residents that no dogs are allowed in the
parks. This is for the safety of children playing in the parks
throughout the day. There is an ordinance which requires dogs to be
on a leash at all times and the leash cannot exceed 6 feet in
length. Stormwater
Management April
was Pet Awareness Month: Clean up after your pet!!
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. Clubs
and Organizations Sylvan
Lake and Keego Harbor Walking Club Community Service
Directory
Classified
Advertising
|
Jo's Italian
Chili
·
1-1/2 lb.
Ground Beef
·
1/2 lb.
Ground Italian Sausage (mild or hot as you prefer)
·
1 cup
Chopped Onion
·
1 cup
Chopped Green Pepper
·
1 cup
Chopped Celery
·
2 (15-1/2
oz.) Red Kidney Beans
·
1 (28
oz.) can Crushed Tomatoes
·
1 (6 oz.)
can Tomato Paste
·
2 cloves
Garlic (minced)
·
2
teaspoons Salt
·
2
teaspoons Chili Powder (slightly more if you
prefer)
1.
In large
deep fry pan or Dutch oven, cook beef, sausage, and onion until meats are
brown.
2.
Drain off
excess fat.
3.
Transfer
to large pot.
4.
Add
kidney beans, green peppers, celery, tomatoes, tomato paste, minced garlic,
salt, and chili powder.
5.
Cover and
simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Makes 12
servings.
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:
1.
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.
2.
The
alleged practical difficulty must be more than a mere inconvenience or need for
financial gain or financial savings.
3.
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 qhich 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.
4.
The
variance is the minimum necessary to permit reasonable use of the land and
building for activities permitted in the zoning ordinance.
5.
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.
CITY OF SYLVAN
LAKE
APPLICATION FOR AN
APPEAL BEFORE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
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
Newsletter@Sylvanlake.org
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
12th of the month preceding the issue (For example, information for the December issue
would be due November 12th and so on.)
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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 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. |