Twin Lakes Park neighbors urge county to reclaim disputed land

Neighbors around Twin Lakes Park are pressing Grand Traverse County to take the 176-acre property back from Long Lake Township, arguing that the county gave up control of land that was supposed to stay in public park use. The fight now runs through 13th Circuit Court, where a deed-restriction lawsuit will decide whether the transfer stands or gets undone.

The dispute reaches back to 1941, when retired Judge Parm Gilbert donated 73 acres to Grand Traverse County for what became Twin Lakes Park. County park history says additional land was donated later, growing the park to 175 acres, while other local records now describe it as 176 acres with Gilbert Lodge and frontage on both North and South Twin Lakes.

What began as a proposal in fall 2021 turned into a transfer that many nearby residents still say should never have happened. Long Lake Township proposed taking over the park, the Parks and Recreation Commission rejected the idea, and county commissioners later voted 4-2 in March 2022 to move the park to Long Lake Township. The transfer was finalized in September 2023.

By the end of December 2023, adjacent landowners had filed suit, arguing the county lacked the authority to hand over the park because of the deed restriction tied to Gilbert’s gift. A May 2024 settlement offer sought to return ownership to Grand Traverse County, but Long Lake Township trustees rejected that proposal unanimously.

The stakes are bigger than a title search. Long Lake Township’s park page says Twin Lakes Park is used for weddings, retreats, business meetings, scout activities and summer camps, including 4-H youth camps, which is why control of the site affects not just neighbors but public access and how the land is used. For residents around the lakes, the question is whether stewardship should remain with the local government body that maintains the park, or with the county that originally received it.

The case also tests how far Grand Traverse County is willing to go to defend its park decisions. County leaders purchased the northern 196 acres of former Camp Greilick in August 2024 and later advanced a master plan for that site in 2025, showing the county is still making big bets on parks even as Twin Lakes remains a political wound. Commissioner TJ Andrews summed up the damage in one meeting, saying Twin Lakes was “not a good story” for the county.

For now, the county’s options are limited to settlement, continued defense of the transfer, or a court ruling that could force a return to county ownership. However it ends, the case will shape more than one park: it will show whether Grand Traverse County treats old land promises as binding commitments or as decisions that can be reversed when politics change.