By Wall Street Journal
OLD MISSION PENINSULA, Mich.—This 19-mile stretch of rolling hills, cherry orchards and vineyards sweeping down to Grand Traverse Bay—gorgeous in summer, brutally cold in winter—has become an unlikely Midwestern winemaking mecca.
But it is also groun`d zero for a fierce standoff. On one side: wineries seeking alternative revenue streams. On the other: farmers and homeowners who fear rowdy weddings and brides gone wild will shatter their agricultural enclave.
For years, the factions have feuded over what events vintners can host—beyond Chardonnay tastings—and how big. Peninsula Township officials crafted intricate rules, including tying guest counts to grape purchases and dictating which music genres could grace vineyards.
Fed-up winemakers sued in 2020. Then came the bombshell. Last month, a federal judge in Kalamazoo ordered the tiny locale (pop. 6,000) to pay the wineries $49.3 million in lost revenue over zoning ordinances the court found unconstitutional and in violation of Michigan law.
Where will the money come from? Local leaders filed to appeal but Town Supervisor Maura Sanders has proposed that officials weigh a potential nuclear option: putting part of the community on the chopping block.
She wants to appraise properties like public parks (including two with beaches), a historic 1870 lighthouse and vacant lots for potential sale. She has floated ending maintenance of the local cemetery and closing the township hall.
One frustrated resident summed up his opinion of town leaders on a roadside sign: “$49 MIL. RESIGN.”
