The Gezon Property, which is adjacent to the Barrier Dunes Sanctuary. The owners have applied for a permit to place a driveway through the sanctuary to access their

The Bro G Land Company (William, David and Timothy Gezon), which owns a landlocked piece of property adjacent to the Barrier Dune Sanctuary, has applied for a permit through the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to build a driveway to the property where it plans to build a house.

After White River Township created the dune sanctuary, it has tried to purchase the Gezon property multiple times through state grants. The township was denied grants through the Michigan Land Trust Grant multiple times, but it finally secured a grant in the amount of around $480,000 from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund in 2006.

The township made an offer to the land owners, but it was denied.

“They just weren’t willing sellers, and we couldn’t afford what they were asking,” White River Supervisor Mike Cockerill said.