Save Jean Klock Park
Nondisclosure!

    Why was the public not informed for 20 years?

    If the Friends of Jean Klock Park knew in 2003 what we know now we
    are certain that the first conversion of Jean Klock Park would never
    have taken place.

    In our opinion, Harbor Shore’s revelation that this golf course project
    has been in the planning stages for almost 20 years is an indication that
    the Grand Blvd. Development was the first step in weakening the park’s
    deed.

    1988 golf course proposal

    As this proposal has evolved the pieces of nondisclosure and
    manipulation are falling clearly into public light.

    It is without pleasure that we show you how the entire area was not
    included in the planning of its future development while powerful
    corporate executives, who came here from other parts of the country,
    laid out their own plans for our lake front community that we were
    completely unaware of.

    Edgewater Presentation Board

    During the 2003 litigation, some of us wondered if Cornerstone Alliance
    and Whirlpool were involved in the Grand Boulevard Development in
    Jean Klock Park. Then a presentation board was discovered that was
    left behind in a local art gallery from a meeting the Chamber of
    Commerce (Cornerstone Alliance) had held the night before. This
    presentation clearly showed the Grand Blvd. Development and
    ominously indicated “recreational development" in the park leaving us to
    wonder what that could have possibly been, now we know. The board
    also appears to indicate that Whirlpool and Cornerstone Alliance were
    involved with the then undisclosed Grand Blvd. Development.

    View photo board

    Canoe Livery

    Grand Boulevard Renaissance Inc., stated throughout litigation, and
    published on their website, that the City of Benton Harbor would
    “replace each and every acre of property developed along Grand
    Boulevard with acreage on the Paw Paw River” for a canoe and small
    boat livery. The closest possible exchange of land of equal or greater
    value is required for mitigation properties and the riverfront was the only
    property similar to lake-front property that was available in the city.

    The purpose of mitigation is to create new parkland for that which was
    lost. Instead, the mitigated land that was swapped for the park was
    scattered “green spaces” throughout the downtown area, one that’s
    contaminated with lead. Another, which is located along the St. Joe
    River, is the only parcel that’s marginally acceptable as replacement land
    for Jean Klock Park but along with two others are existing parks. In all
    cases no “new” parkland has been created. The citizens of Benton
    Harbor did not recieve anything other than what they already had.

    And the riverfront property that was promised in 2003? That would be
    used for a boat launch and canoe livery but for Harbor Shores mitigation
    instead.

    Grand Boulevard Renaissance Proposed Mitigation, 2003
    What was swapped instead

    River Run

    On December 19, 2004, just 11 months after the Consent Judgment was
    handed down, the Herald Palladium announced plans for a 500 acre
    development called ‘River Run.’ The article titled ‘Road map to the
    future?’ said nothing about Jean Klock Park and included a map
    showing the project boundaries. Jean Klock Park did not appear within
    the indicated boundaries and is behind the caption box on the map. Soon
    after we learned there were plans to use the park for a golf course and
    the following spring obtained a brownfield document that included an
    outdated map showing 2 holes of a golf course in Jean Klock Park.

    ‘Road map to the future?’

    Then on May 8, 2005 the Herald Palladium ran another article titled
    ‘River Run project aims for balance’. This article went into more detail
    about the golf course but still no mention of using the park. The article
    ended with a quote from Jeff Noel, Whirlpool’s vice president of
    communications and public affairs that, “There are no commitments or
    preconceived notions”…..to the current plan. Again, the map was
    included that showed JKP was outside of the boundaries of the proposed
    project.

    River Run project aims for balance

    'River Run' Changes name to 'Harbor Shores'
    When the Truth is Exposed

    By this time word was getting out about the threat to the park and the
    public began writing letters to the Editor. The Herald Palladium would
    not publish them saying they were “based on rumor.” The Friends of
    Jean Klock Park went to the paper with the outdated map and insisted
    that they publish the truth, which they did on July 3, 2005 in an article
    titled ‘Fight for Klock.’ In this article ‘River Run’ became ‘Harbor
    Shores’ and a map of the park as a golf course appeared for the first
    time.

    Fight for Klock

    But just five days earlier, even though the Herald Palladium was aware
    of the plans to use the park, an article was published announcing that
    ‘River Run planning gets city’s approval’. In a grave injustice to the
    citizens they serve, the city leaders approved the plan without disclosing
    to the citizens that their park would be sacrificed for this project.

    River Run planning gets city’s approval

    No Opposition

    In March of 2006 it was learned that at the June 15, 2005 Michigan
    Natural Resources Trust Fund Board meeting that the board had been
    told by Geoff Fields, the attorney that was hired to represent Benton
    Harbor for the Grand Blvd. project and who also represented
    Cornerstone Alliance, that there was no opposition to the mitigation and
    conversion of the Grand Boulevard property.

    This statement was made nearly 14 months after the Consent Judgment
    was handed down and the controversy had quieted. But the discovery
    by some city residents that claims of no opposition to the mitigation were
    made, prompted those residents to go the April 19, 2006 Trust Fund
    Board meeting to go on record as being opposed to the previous
    conversion and the newly proposed one.

    June 15, 2005 MNRTF meeting minutes  [See pages 15-16 of PDF]
    April, 19 2006 MNRTF meeting minutes  [See pages 6-7 of PDF]

    90 Acres

    On February 22, 2006 Geoff Fields provided the Michigan Natural
    Resources Trust Fund Board with a preview of the proposal for a golf
    course within Jean Klock Park. In his statements he tells the Board that
    there are approximately 90 acres of parkland within the boundaries of
    Jean Klock Park. As the city’s attorney he knew full well that there are
    only 73 acres left to Jean Klock Park due to MDOT using approximately
    8 acres for the cloverleaf interchange for M-63 in the early '50’s, and the
    mitigation of 9 acres of parkland resulting from the Settlement
    Agreement and Consent Judgment. Using the original acreage of the
    parkland appeared as if less would be lost.

    Feb. 22, 2006 MNRTF meeting minutes [See pages 4-6 of PDF]

    Water View Rebuttal

    From the beginning the developers insisted that a water view was a
    requirement for a Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course therefore Harbor
    Shores would not go through with the project if they couldn't obtain the
    park. We called Nicklaus Design and discovered that was not true, that
    the requirement was acreage. At the August 16, 2006 Michigan Natural
    Resources Trust Fund Board meeting we exposed the truth to the board.

    On August 22, 2006 at a public comment hearing for the project, we
    shared the truth with the residents. But once again the spin changed
    when Mark Mitchell, CEO of the Alliance, agreed that we were correct
    but that Jack Nicklaus would not designate the course a 'Signature'
    course without the park. Then after the truth was revealed to the Trust
    Fund Board and the public, Harbor Shores used the water view
    requirement, again, with the Department of Environmental Quality in
    order to obtain that agency’s approval for the project.

    August 16, 2006 MNRTF meeting minutes [See pages 11-18 of PDF]

    Benton Harbor’s Legal Representation

    It was unknown to us that Geoff Fields, the attorney who was hired to
    represent the city for the Grand Boulevard development, also
    represented Cornerstone Alliance at the same time. Mr. Fields was party
    to writing the language for the 2003 Settlement Agreement, giving him
    full advantage when he later represented the city for the Harbor Shores
    project and the time came for him to construct the golf course and lease
    agreement for the park.

    Soon after the lease agreement was signed by city officials, John
    Cameron, a real estate attorney and founder of Harbor Shores
    Community Redevelopment Inc., joined Geoff Fields’ law firm. At that
    time, Geoff Fields resigned as the city’s legal representative for the
    Harbor Shores project citing “the Firm’s completion of its assigned task
    for the city of Benton Harbor on the Harbor Shores project.” Geoff
    Fields will still represent the city on any future litigation for the Grand
    Blvd. development in regards to the former lawsuit.

    Letter of Resignation