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FOREST HOME TWP. - Shore Drive is a short, private dirt road that many in Antrim County have never seen or heard of, at least until recently.

At the last two township meetings, citizens have voiced concerns over some residents' intention to make the road public and possibly pave the road.

Jim Ferguson, one of the property owners, is leading the effort to make the road public, as many of the year-round residents live at the far end and are responsible for all maintenance.

But the Antrim County Road Commission has rejected it to be part of the county road system, because it doesn't meet requirements like having the proper width.

But, being rejected by the Road Commission doesn't mean there are no other options and Ferguson has filed a lawsuit to request an amendment to the plat of Dearborn Shores, where Shore Drive is located, to make the road open to the use of the public.

The Road Commission did not object to the plat being amended, but said it will not perform any maintenance.

"It is important to note that 'dedicated to the use of the public' and 'a public road maintained under the jurisdiction of a government agency' are two distinctly different matters," Road Commission Engineer-Manager Burt Thompson wrote to one concerned citizen.

Three property owners on the road are opposing changing it to a public road.

"I don't care as much about it getting paved as becoming a public road," said Lynn Bailey, whose family has been on Shore Drive for 50 years. "If it becomes a public road, the speed limit becomes 55 miles per hour, unless they do a speed study. There are people who have grandkids, dogs that go across that road all the time."

Besides the speed limit, Bailey is worried that perhaps a boat launch or public access to their park could occur if the road becomes public.

"We really like the rural nature of the place," she said. "It's a hidden gem back there. We love it; we've been there for a long time. We don't want it changed. Once you pave it it's going to have potential for development."

Another Forest Home Township citizen Tom Sheneman spoke at the last two township meetings with concern about the maintenance plan if indeed Shore Drive becomes public.

"Why put a road out there that you're not going to have any maintenance for?" Sheneman asked the board.

Sheneman wants reassurance that the burden of maintaining this non-conforming road and others like it in the future doesn't fall on the taxpayer's dollar.

Township Supervisor Terry Smith said at the March meeting that it was a reasonable request and he was going to research and report back at the next meeting.

The township has said the trustees cannot make any decisions on paving the road until they find out if the plat will be amended.

And even if it is amended to become public, township trustees said that doesn't mean they will agree to pave it, as they will have to look at zoning laws and if it meets the township's own requirements.

Bailey went to the township meeting in February to publicly state her and two other families opposition to the proposed amendment and to say there are better uses for taxpayers' money.

"I wanted the township to know they are trying to do something they can't do and that (Shore Drive) is not a law-conforming road and the county has not approved it," she said.

Hadley Robinson can be reached at hrobinson@michigannewspapers.com or by calling 231-533-8523.