In the 1960s, we fought and won in Washington, DC to protect landowners. Today, we’re fighting to keep our communities whole. History of the Sleeping Bear Gateways Council (SBGC) (1960s – 2026) SBGC has evolved from a citizen advocacy group into a community-focused nonprofit working to preserve and strengthen the future of Sleeping Bear’s […]
“This will decrease my property value?” Not True – Well-designed, owner-occupied housing—especially with a Community Land Trust—helps stabilize and protect property values. Homes and Communities are designed to fit in our northern woods character. The Community will maintain year-round residents, schools, and civic life, keeping our community vibrant, sustainable, and safe. “Funding for the […]
We chose this area because of its natural beauty, open space, and small-town identity. A place where most of us have either lived or been coming up here all of our lives. Preserving that character is not an option, but cannot be achieved by resisting all change, but by guiding change responsibly. This isn’t about […]
Judy Cheney was born in Syracuse, NY, and spent her formative years in upstate NY and Ohio. She graduated from Hobart/William Smith College in 1976 with a BS in Psychology. She spent 35 years in the reinsurance business in New York City and Chicago, specializing in the casualty lines (workers’ compensation, general liability, trucking insurance, […]
Many of you have asked what other resort communities are doing to address the attainable workforce housing challenge. In addition to activity across Northern Michigan (including Traverse City, Benzie County, Leelanau County, Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs), we looked closely at established resort markets. What we found is that two primary models have emerged: Government-Mandated […]