New designs presented for lakefront condo project

The lakefront condominium project on the site of the former Vogelheim Lumber Company has been redesigned. If the project moves forward with preliminary drawings which were introduced at Rogers City Hall Tuesday afternoon, the structures won?t be as large as previously proposed, and the area could look like a small New England sea village.

Developers did caution that the plans are ?not set in stone,? said investor Stewart Kaufman of Charlevoix, because there could be more changes. One of three drawings shows eight buildings, seven with four condo units, while the other building would have a single unit. There would be better views of the lake and more ?green space? than in the previous plan. When the project is finished there could be anywhere between 29 and 41 units on the site, but what the final complex looks like will depend on how much cooperation the developer gets from the city and its neighbors.

THE MEETING with city officials was set up primarily to discuss the new conceptual designs, and to receive feedback as to what issues need to be ironed out to make the project a success. ?Every time we do any of these projects, we like to involve the city as early as possible,? Kaufman told The Advance. ?We like to get as much feedback as possible.?

?I think the new design is substantially better,? said mayor Beach Hall. ?It?s not quite as dense. It makes better use of the waterfront. I think this could be extremely exciting for Rogers City.? The development group has constructed more than 150 units in the Charlevoix area. It has worked on single family subdivisions, single family homes, multiple structures, and buildings with many units. ?I?ve seen the work that these particular developers have done over on the west side of the state and I can tell you it?s high class, and it?s well done,? said Hall. ?We think we deliver a product that brings a lot of bang for the buck,? said Kaufman. ?We think if you were to go through any of our buildings, during the various stages of construction, you would see they are designed well, structurally.?

WHEN KAUFMAN became involved in the project there was an approved plan, but he didn?t like the design because he didn?t believe it was marketable. Vogelheim has received an easement from Rogers City to construct a 50-foot wide access road off First Street. Many council members preferred an access road into the complex from Huron Avenue, but approved the First Street side, as requested, on a 4-1 vote. At the meeting Tuesday, of the three members of development team present, there seemed to be uniform support for the Huron Avenue access proposal, and not an entrance on the treatment plant side. But further negotiations are needed with a neighbor for an easement, or possibly bringing them on board with the project. If that were to occur, the number of condo units would increase to more than 40.

THREE ISSUES need to be addressed with the city. One is a triangle-shaped piece of property jointly-owned by the city and Vog

elheim, while the second involves the proposed RV park at the wastewater treatment plant. Developer Craig Singer said having the RV park as a neighbor would be a ?disaster? for the condo project. The RV park went through a feasibility study, but not much else has happened with the proposal, and ?enthusiasm has waned,? Hall said.

The third issue which would need to be dealt with involves tax incremental financing for the developer. ?It would provide a way for the developer to get paid back for some of the infrastructure costs out of the increase on property taxes that are derived by the community,? said Singer.

?I don?t think there is any question that we can get it worked out,? said Kaufman. ?I think what we?re proposing to do is terrific for the city, so I think the city should be well-motivated to try and make it happen.? ?I think it?s going to bring people to town,? said Hall. ?It?s going to do a lot to develop the waterfront, which to some degree has been underutilized.?