Presque Isle County Development Commission working on possible new sink hole park in Rockport area

The Presque Isle County Development Commission (CDC) is pursuing the possibility of a sinkhole park in the southeast corner of the county. Commisoner Pete Pettalia provided information at the monthly meeting of the CDC concerning the Department of Natural Resources process for assigning a Natural Area designation to the Rockport property formerly owned by Consumers Energy. “I think it’s important for the county to stay involved in the process because it’s purely an economic development issue,” Pettalia said.

“We don’t want the state to take over this property and give it a designation that would then prevent us from using it to promote tourism in the county,” he continued. “I have people come into (my business) with their kids every summer wanting to know how they can get to the sinkholes and what do I tell them?” he asked. “I say ‘If you have an accurate compass and a good pair of shoes, you might make it back there on foot,'” Pettalia said.

THE CDC is currently working on an access plan for the property. Executive Director Mary Ann Heidemann pointed out, “If there is not an access plan developed before the property is designated as a natural area by the state, there will be no new access road or trails allowed, period.” Pettalia noted, “It’s just another jewel in our county that should be developed.” The CDC is proposing to conduct a Youth Entrepreneur Camp at the Ocqueoc Outdoor Camp next summer. According to Heidemann, the state still has block grants from the federal government that can be awarded to communities with more than 50 percent low- or moderate- income families.

Each state is allocated a certain amount by the federal government to fund community development programs and some money for this year remains to be given out. Heidemann said, “In Presque Isle we have the city of Onaway, the village of Millersburg, Posen Township and Metz Township that qualify to seek funds under this program.̶

1; Commission staff members will be meeting with representatives of these communities in the coming weeks to explore the possibility of applying for a block grant. Additional funding also may be available under the Rural Development program of the federal government. A current example of the Community Development Block Grant program is the high wire corridor construction project. The $480,000 project was obtained by the CDC in cooperation with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Heidemann noted at that the high wire corridor work is between halfway and two-thirds done with completion expected this fall.

When the project is finished it will allow large industrial components to be moved over land from Onaway to the deepwater port in Rogers City. Moran Iron Works estimates the project will add 50 new jobs in the company.