Suttons Bay: 10 Key Facts Taxpayers Should Know
About the Sale of 9½ Acres of School Property
- Public school land (9.5 acres of student fields) was sold with little public notice.
- Superintendent Casey Petz had sole authority — no committee or competitive bids.
- Deal framed as an $800 K “emergency,” later contradicted by the Board Chair.
- Buyer Peninsula Housing (PH) used undisclosed private investors.
- County Administrator Jim Dyer sits on PH’s board and voted as a Land Bank member.
- SBSD now pays PH $30 K per year to use its own fields — rent goes to investors.
- Property was barely marketed; PH was the only bidder.
- PH plans to stack PILOT, AHFE & Brownfield tax breaks, cutting local tax revenue.
- PH can resell for profit if zoning fails; County can only match a future offer.
- PH has no development track record — the Township Zoning Board is the last check.
WHY IT MATTERS
This deal was sold as “attainable housing,” but it appears to be an insider-driven transaction with tax deferrals favoring the buyer and minimal oversight. Suttons Bay deserves transparency, accountability, and fair value for its public land.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
✅ Attend the next Suttons Bay Township Zoning Board meeting.
✅ Ask for disclosure of Peninsula Housing’s investors and funding sources.
✅ Urge an independent audit of the school land sale.
✅ Share this information with your neighbors.
Prepared by concerned residents of the Suttons Bay School District — please share with your neighbors.
