WALKER, Mich. — The Lincoln Country Club in the city of Walker sits on 105 acres just off Lake Michigan Drive. It's a landmark in the community. But now the city of Walker has a preliminary site plan and rezoning proposal that could change the familiar golf course into something new.
Walker Assistant City Manager and Community Development Director Frank Wash recognizes that while Lincoln Country Club is a large vacant piece of land, it has been an institution for the neighborhood for decades. Wash confirmed that the property is privately owned and is for sale. He also said that a project called "Waterford Village" has proposed a development for the property.
"There is an application to rezone the property and do something called mixed use development," said Wash. "That zoning allows a mixture of land uses on a property but the trade off is that the whole property has to be designed essentially as one unit. So roads, utilities, sidewalks, trails, the different uses, they all need to fit together."
People who live near Lincoln Country Club have expressed their concerns about the possible rezoning project on Facebook. A main concern among residents is traffic congestion along Lake Michigan Drive. In response, the City of Walker reminds residents that the Michigan Department of Transportation has jurisdiction over Lake Michigan Drive and that MDOT will partner with the city to scope a traffic study once the rezoning proposal moves forward.
Right now the rezoning proposal is in its preliminary stage, and is being called the 'Waterford Village' project. And while the city does not get involved with the sale of privately owned property, it is vetting the potential developer.
"The developer is out of a suburb on the north side of Chicago and he does have a local engineering firm," Wash said. "So part of the process with planning and development is vetting out who the developer is, the developers interest in the property, commitment to the property, properties that they may have developed in the past that are similar so we have examples."
13 ON YOUR SIDE reached out to the general manger of Lincoln Country Club for a statement.
Walker residents are encouraged to attend the public hearing on Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. at Walker City Hall. Residents will also be invited to attend a community meeting with the developer before the public hearing, but a date has not yet been set. Residents will receive information about the community meeting through the mail.
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