On June 13 2022, Hayes Township resident LuAnne Kozma sued in Charlevoix County Circuit Court to prevent Scott and Debra Law from beginning any work on their proposed “boathouse”/dining/event facility, basin and channel project, including excavation. The suit seeks an injunction citing the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act, which provides that an appeal to the Zoning Board of Appeals “stays all proceedings in furtherance of the action appealed” (MCL 125.3604(3) and the Hayes Township Zoning Ordinance which also stays all actions while there is a ZBA appeal and any court challenges to a ZBA decision pending. Kozma’s appeal to the ZBA, filed on December 20, 2021, still has not had a public hearing due to the Township’s actions, including lack of quorum on for the scheduled Feb 2, 2022 hearing, and lack of required public notice for a hearing scheduled April 27, 2022.

A hearing date has been set for August 5, 2022, at 11:00 am at Charlevoix County Circuit Court.

To our knowledge, the Laws have not reapplied to the Township for new permits since earlier township approvals issued for boat basin in 2019 and boathouse in 2020 expired.