A group of Ellison Bay property owners would like to know why they were excluded from discussions surrounding an expansion project at a nearby camp.

In September 2020, Camp Zion took Door County to court after it was denied twice the variance needed for the construction of a 12,000 square foot multipurpose building near Door Bluff Road. The handicap-accessible building was designed to allow all of its campers to have additional space to dine and hold fellowship sessions. The county had said no previously because plans for the building had it too close to the road, which would be against the zoning ordinance at the time.  A year later, the two sides settled their lawsuit, granting the necessary variance and conditional use permit to allow Camp Zion to begin construction on the building. Camp Zion broke ground on the project in early November.

Mike Bahrke is among the group of neighbors opposed to the project and filed their own lawsuit against the county last November. Bahrke and his neighbors believe they were not given due process when there was no public hearing to discuss the project in front of the Resource Planning Committee or the Board of Adjustment. The county and Camp Zion reached their agreement in closed session, which does not allow the public to witness the proceedings or provide feedback. Bahrke wants the county to enforce the laws they have on the books.

Since filing suit against the county, the case has seen attempts to move the case from circuit court to federal court, add others to the lawsuit, and dismiss it entirely. You can listen to our full interview with Bahrke on our Podcasts page. We will offer the same opportunity to Door County and Camp Zion officials.