Grand Traverse County to meet over disputed Twin Lakes Park transfer

Grand Traverse County is heading back into talks over Twin Lakes Park, a move that could decide who controls the park and whether the 2023 transfer to Long Lake Township stands. Commissioners agreed to meet with the plaintiffs challenging the deal and with township representatives after the dispute resurfaced at Wednesday’s county commission meeting.

The park has been part of county history since it was donated to Grand Traverse County in 1941, and that long-standing public connection is now at the center of a legal and ownership fight. Landowners and other parties have argued the transfer violated deed restrictions, turning what could have been a routine land-use question into a dispute over public trust, property rights and the county’s stewardship of a local asset.

The commission voted 6-1 to move forward with the meeting, with Commissioner Darryl Nelson opposed. Commissioners Rob Hentschel and Brian McCallister were absent. That vote signaled at least some support for trying to clarify the dispute through direct talks rather than letting it continue to deepen behind the scenes.

What happens next matters well beyond the meeting room. If county leaders can reach some kind of compromise with the plaintiffs and Long Lake Township, Grand Traverse County could reduce the risk of more litigation and the legal costs that come with it. If the talks fail, the transfer fight is likely to keep returning to commissioners, leaving the county to defend its position while residents continue to question who should hold the leverage over Twin Lakes Park and how much control the public should have over land that has been part of the county for more than 80 years.