A Quick Tour Of Mullett Township

Mullett Township News & Views-Promoting Open Government in Mullett Township

There is also the Mullett Township Party Line or you make drink the Kool-Aid from the Topinabee Development Association "Artesian" Well

Mullett Township is a general law township in Cheboygan County, Michigan. The population was 1312 in the 2010 US census. The township and Mullett Lake are named for John Mullett, who with William Burt, surveyed much of the area between 1840 and 1843.

The commercial center of the Township is the quiet unincorporated Village of Topinabee located on the west shore of Mullett Lake on M27 highway. The village is a trailhead for the DNR Trail with off-street parking and restrooms.

The village has a Post Office, Convenience Store with gas pumps, Public Library with 24 hour outdoor WiFi, an artisan-owned woodwork shop, a breakfast cafe and a bar and grille. Township owned buildings include the Library, Township Hall and Fire Hall, and an unused former school building on Lea St.

Recreation needs are served with a beachfront park and covered picnic area, free public boat launch at the north end of the village, a small public access to Mullett Lake across from the Nokia Cafe and tennis court, ball-field, and playground equipment at a public park located up the hill on Lea St.

The east side of Mullett Township is largely rural, with no commercial development. Township services include a Fire Hall and volunteer East Mullett Lake Fire Department.


Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Does Topinabee need to become this to survive?




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This blog’s Mission is to promote open government in Mullett Township.  That mission continues to be frustrated by the Topinabee Development Association as they carry on their tradition of closed door meetings to plan the future development of the village of Topinabee.


On July 14, 2012, the Topinabee Development Association held their widely promoted "Ceremonial" Ground Breaking Ceremony for the MNRTF and Mullett taxpayer funded Topinabee Beach Front Park. This was not promoted as a Mullett Township event, but as the Topinabee Development Association Annual Meeting, followed by the "Ceremonial" Ground Breaking Ceremony with entertainment by Mike Ridley. At some time in the future, and maybe already, the Topinabee Development Association will promote this as an “open” public meeting where “everyone” was invited to participate. 


The only fault we can find with this is the vast majority of the people in Mullett Township neither supports the Topinabee Development Association nor attends Topinabee Development Association meetings. Mr Tom O’Hare, a Director of the Topinabee Development Association, apparently serves as the “spokesperson” for the Topinabee Development Association as his wife, Mary O’Hare serves as President of this non-profit. 


Here is what Topinabee Development Association spokesperson Tom O’Hare has to say about those who do not want to join his non-profit.  “The TDA has never said it has the “best” vision for Topinabee. But absent some other, I guess it is pretty good. Over the course of the past four years ago we have had several conversations with Township authorities asking them for their vision for the future of the Township. To quote one of them “We have no vision. It is whatever the people who live here want.” So, what do others or you want? I’m still waiting to hear it. We have also broadly publicized the annual meetings which are open to all. They have been attended by lots of people and we have solicited a lot of input. If someone wants to articulate some other vision for the community they can come to a TDA or TWP Board meeting and speak their mind. But do they?”­­­ 


Mr Tom O’Hare of the Topinabee Development Association continues, “Well, what do you and these “other residents” think it should look like? When these efforts first started back in 2008 and the MEDC first came to town, the rep that was here said to us, as she looked out onto the street from the windows of the Town Hall, “I can make a case for this town that there is definitely blight here. The buildings I see are in disrepair and definitely blighted”.


Well Mr O’Hare, I’m sorry, I don’t think any of us had the opportunity to attend that meeting.


 Was it another meeting attended by you, some select Topinabee Development Association members, and the rep from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation?


Was it another meeting conducted to discuss Topinabee Development Association planning for the village of Topinabee outside of public view?


At about the same time the Topinabee Development Association widely promoted their "Ceremonial" Ground Breaking Ceremony for the Topinabee Beach Front Park, another hush-hush “secret” Special Meeting occurred at the Mullett Township Hall on July 11, 2012. 


Judging by the vehicles parked in front of the Mullett Township Hall, the attendees apparently included Tom O’Hare and David Ogg of the Topinabee Development Association, several Mullett Township Board members, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). 

Was this a “private” meeting, organized by Tom O’Hare and the Topinabee Development Association? 

Or, was this a public meeting hiding behind the Topinabee Development Association’s closed door policy?

 As a private meeting, was the Topinabee Development Association charged Hall rental?


I would conjecture that if MDOT is involved it must concern M27, the entire village of Topinabee, and not simply an issue with Lakeshore Drive or Mr O’Hare’s driveway. 


Was this one of the Topinabee Development Association’s “broadly publicized….annual meetings which are open to all’ or was this another secret meeting of the Topinabee Development Association, by invitation only, held in Mullett Township Hall without paying a rental charge as any other private group or individual would be required to do?

Well Mr O’Hare, questions, questions. You widely self-promote the Topinabee Development Association as representing the residents of Topinabee and Mullett Township. 


Do you? Are you a representative of Mullett Township elected in a free and democratic election?


No, you are a self-appointed “visionary” who hired a Grand Rapids design firm to draft the Master planned community you feel Topinabee should be?


You clearly think Topinabee and its residents should meet your expectations of what a resort village should be. 


Perhaps the problem is you and not Topinabee. Perhaps you should have designed down a little bit when building your cottage. Perhaps then the rest of Topinabee would not look “blighted” by comparison. 


Development in Topinabee is fine. Controlled development in Topinabee is also fine. 


The Topinabee Development Association’s Master Plan Concept Design is not "fine" when it requires every commercial building on M27 to be redesigned to meet the Topinabee Development Association’s idea of an aesthetically beautiful village.

The Topinabee Development Association first critiques the commercial buildings and designs facades and remodels; the next step is your cottage or home until it meets Mr Tom O’Hare’s ideal. 

 The Topinabee Development Association and Mr Tom O'Hare want this....


 Not this.............