August 27, 7:00pm: It was a sight—the Glenn Community Center in Ganges Township filled its first parcel of seats facing the five commissioners.

The township is characterized as a rural, quaint lakeshore community. Its residents take pride in their land and quiet surroundings.

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But… then came a campground.

It’s said that the noise emitting from this campground can be heard from miles away.

Or that the water quality has quickly diminished. One resident recalled moving to the area nearly eight years ago. The water? Crystal clear. But as soon as this campground doubled its size in 2004, the water quality worsened, causing a need for installation of in-home water filtration systems.

The culprit: Campit Outdoor Resort, owned by Michael O’Connor.

This campground functions as a haven for LGBTQ+ “individuals, their friends and allies.” It provides cabin, tent, vintage trailer, glamping, RV space, and multi-person bunkhouse experiences as well as outdoor pools, a “toy store” for adults, and scheduled entertainment events.

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Their website states, “We are committed to being a safe, kind, generous, all-affirming and socially progressive community where LGBTQ+ people thrive and can pursue happy lives through social connections and creating families of their own making.”

At the town hall meeting, a resident who lives adjacent to the camp depicted a sight he witnessed while driving home from work around 1am—a man in or near the road in nothing but his underwear. Not only was this a safety concern, but he also mentioned how he wished this wasn’t a reality when raising his little girl just across the street from such an establishment.‍

The Proposal
The proposed project, submitted by applicant Bobbi Jo Beyersdorf, detailed a Special Land Use request for Saugatuck Meadows Campground. The establishment would include 25 acres of land be used for RV camping, and involve a partnership with Michael O’Connor, owner of the neighboring campground, Campit Outdoor Resort.

Though the campgrounds would operate separately and on their own accounts, there are indeed connections. Beyersdorf mentioned that Saugatuck Meadows visitors would be able to purchase day passes to access its neighbor, Campit.

Saugatuck Meadows Campground would include 89 RV sites, a pool, bathhouse, office, and store, as well as a check-in shed. The submitted proposal also insists it will ensure the aesthetics of the expansion by providing a “healthy buffer of existing trees around the perimeter of the site.”

The heated debate amongst residents does not focus necessarily on the contents of Saugatuck Meadows itself, but more so on its contributions to complaints already attributed to Campit.

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‍The “What If?” Concerns
While Saugatuck Meadows Campground does not draw in the same demographic as Campit, residents worry that it will. And on top of this, they also worry it would contribute to a surge in noise, traffic, and other issues.

Again, Ganges Township is a quiet, rural community. The influx of outside visitors is far from preferred.

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Add in another campground and you get twice the amount of seasonal traffic, noise, and pressure on local residents—all of which are changes that residents feel chip away at the township’s peaceful character.

During the township meeting, commissioners battled with one another’s conflicting views over their interpretations of the law, more particularly their differing views on zoning ordinances, land-use regulations, and how state statutes should be applied at the local level.

It was a fiery scene as residents snickered, muttered under their breath, and let out collective laughs at one commissioner in particular: Jackie DeZwaan, who attempted to mitigate these reactions by harshly banging her gavel on the table.

Here, DeZwaan made a statement, “Facts are facts. Misinformation is misinformation.”

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At this point tensions were high.

One resident seated near the back of the room rose to his feet. Raising his voice, he declared, “Here’s a fact—I’m leaving.” He muttered a few other inaudible remarks before storming out, the door slamming shut behind him.

The Vote
After a few long remarks by commissioners, a fiery debate, and multiple interjections by the public, Commissioner Pierson suggested the board signal a motion.

With a 3-2 vote, the board denied the proposal for Saugatuck Meadows Campground to expand.