Background
​NCV was established as a 501c3 in 2023 to acquire 200-plus acres of the former Timber Shores campground as a nature preserve with a portion set aside for attainable housing. A successful fundraising campaign and partnership with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) achieved our goal of the permanent preservation of 188 acres of the land deeded to the GTB to be stewarded as a public nature preserve for the community and 25 acres retained by NCV to help with attainable housing in Leelanau. The acquisition was completed on December 24, 2024.
The Property
The property is a gem of the Grand Traverse Bay watershed and plays a key role in supporting important natural and aquatic habitat, native biodiversity and coastal resiliency in the beloved and renowned Leelanau peninsula.
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As of late 2024, the majority of the property has been permanently preserved as a nature preserve. The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) now owns 189 acres through the GTB Land Trust. The GTB’s Natural Resources Department will restore and steward it into the future. The preserved property, including 1,800 feet of shoreline that hosts critical native fishery habitat, also includes acres of important wetlands, streams, and woodlands that are home to myriad native plants, birds, and wildlife.
Nearly 25 acres in the northwestern upland portion of the property bordered by M-22 and Camp Haven Road is currently owned by New Community Vision. In collaboration with Peninsula Housing, a 501(c)3 community land trust, these acres are reserved for critically-needed workforce housing or other appropriately-sized uses that align with community priorities.
Developed as a campground called Timber Shores in the 1960s and 1970s, the property was popular with vacationing families, many Northport business owners and local workers. Although varied development ideas have been proposed over time, the land had remained idle for decades.
200+
acres
1,800+
feet of prime shoreline
10+
acres of wetlands
Three Pillars
Conservation First
Working with the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB), the property was permanently preserved in late 2024. The GTB Land Trust now owns 189 acres and the GTB’s Natural Resources Department will restore and steward it into the future. GTB will host tribal-led visioning sessions open to the community as part of the planning for the nature preserve, including 1,800 feet of shoreline that hosts critical native fishery habitat along with acres of important wetlands, streams, and woodlands that are home to native plants, birds, and wildlife.
Attainable Housing
As part of the December 2024 property purchase, NCV now owns the 25 acres in the northwest upland portion of the property along M-22 and Camp Haven Road. Our community is facing a well-documented shortage of workforce housing. Utilizing a hybrid conservation development model and working with local non-profit community land trust Peninsula Housing, the availability of this parcel to develop housing for those who live and work in Leelanau County will prove beneficial for the community. Conservation development means balancing the preservation of the natural resources on the site with housing that is right-sized and sustainable.
Community Input
New Community Vision has embraced an inclusive vision for the entire 200+ acre property to benefit our community. The culmination of a two-year effort which advanced to a key partnership with the GTB and the purchase of the property, includes community and stakeholder engagement and key partnerships to achieve uses that benefit the community as a whole.
Get in Touch
Drop us a line at info@newcommunityvision.org or use the form. Check out our FAQs for fast answers: