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BECAUSE OF YOUR HELP, WE HAVE GREAT NEWS TO REPORT.
AND NOW, WE NEED YOUR HELP AGAIN.
Dear OMP Neighbors,
On July 27th, the 6th circuit court of appeals in Cincinnati granted Protect The Peninsula (PTP) the right to intervene in the lawsuit brought by WOMP (Wineries of Old Mission Peninsula) against Peninsula Township. It has been a long haul to get to this point, with the wineries battling us every step of the way.
With intervenor status, PTP is now a full participant in the lawsuit. PTP will seek to preserve the validity of Peninsula Township’s ordinance, including evidence that thus far was not presented. Time is of the essence. The trial is tentatively scheduled to begin in Kalamazoo on August 16th. Though we are filing a motion to stay the trial date, WOMP will oppose that as well. Consistent with their work from the start, PTP’s legal and witness team is efficiently preparing a solid case to defend the validity of zoning ordinance to avoid nuisance to neighbors and prevent commercial spot zoning in the agricultural district. Simply stated, we need to fund our legal representatives and our legal position.
Over the past year, in addition to our efforts to intervene in the suit, PTP has spoken often before the town board and planning commission to ensure they understood the community’s interest in preserving the character of the peninsula. We wrote numerous opinion pieces for media to ensure our community was aware of this fight for the soul of our township. We provided print and digital communications to backers and organized an epic turnout of hundreds of citizens to demonstrate to the town board the public support for their fight in the lawsuit. Three PTP members participated in bi-weekly meetings of the Citizens’ Agriculture Ordinance Committee over the winter, resulting in the creation of a revised ordinance that will be voted on by the town board on Aug. 9. Additional PTP members have served the community with related work to these issues on other committees such as the Master Plan. All these efforts have been by volunteers. Your contributions have been solely directed to our legal defense team.
To be sure, our legal fight with the wineries will continue to be difficult and drawn out. Legal matters of this magnitude are complex. PTP has worked diligently to be efficient with our supporters’ donations. We must continue to raise money to defeat the wineries’ demands of no limits on hours, no limits on events, no limits on restaurants and alcohol, and no limits on outdoor music concerts. And we must continue to communicate with the community, keeping our collective vigilance on high.
Now is the time for PTP to ramp up, not the time to sit back. We ask for your continued generous support for this upcoming phase of the crucial work to protect the interests of this community.
Your tax-deductible donation may be made to: Preserve Old Mission Peninsula, POB 1529, Traverse City, Michigan 49685 --- You may also use the "Donate" Button below (please note that PTP has to pay a fee for on-line donations).
Thank you,
Your neighbors from Protect the Peninsula
P.S. We are happy to answer any of your questions about the lawsuit, PTP’s role in the fight, and to provide copies of court decisions. You can email us here.
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