NEW COMMUNITY VISION

NEW COMMUNITY VISION New Community VisionDonate The Latest...Updates from Donor Appreciation Event on June 25, 2025 Jun 29, 2025Leelanau Enterprise: New Community Vision Board receives awardMay 22, 2025Leelanau Ticker: New Community Vision, Grand Traverse Band Earn 'Environmentalist Of The Year' HonorsMay 21, 202512345View All About UsNew Community Vision (NCV) is a non-profit 501(c)3 established to acquire the former Timber Shores property in order to preserve the majority of the 200 plus acres - including 1,800 feet of valued lakeshore - as a public nature preserve for the community while utilizing upland sections to address some of the housing issues we face as a Township. Meet Our Board Progress UpdateNew Community Vision (NCV) has succeeded in its two-year effort to conserve a 214-acre property formerly known as Timber Shores that has been under threat of development for decades. ​ The acquisition, completed on December 24, 2024, was achieved through a strategic partnership developed between NCV and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) along with generous funds donated from individuals and foundations in the greater Leelanau community. The successful result is 189 acres earmarked for a nature preserve owned by the GTB Land Trust with a corner parcel of 25 acres held by NCV for attainable housing.Press Release Donate The PropertyThe 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. ​​ 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.Photos Video Maps 200+acres1,800+feet of prime shoreline10+acres of wetlandsThree PillarsConservation FirstWorking 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 HousingAs 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 InputNew 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 TouchDrop us a line at info@newcommunityvision.org or use the form. Check out our FAQs for fast answers:FAQ First NameLast NameEmailMessageSendThanks for submitting!