Thunderbird Beach Property Owners Association

Thunderbird Beach Property Owners Association Joseph County, Michigan.

Our purpose is to promote the collective and individual property interests and rights of all individuals and entities owning property within the Thunderbird Beach subdivision of Lake Minnewaukan located in Sherman Township, St. The Thunderbird Beach Property Owners Association consists of any and all individuals or entities who own property within the Thunderbird Beach Subdivision of Minnewaukan Lake located within Sherman Township, St.

UPDATE REGARDING NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION AT 67893 OTTAWA DRAs many of you have doubtlessly seen, a new home build is curre...
06/11/2026

UPDATE REGARDING NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION AT 67893 OTTAWA DR

As many of you have doubtlessly seen, a new home build is currently underway within the subdivision at 67893 Ottawa Drive. Since this does not happen every day in our little community, we thought we would pass on some related information for those who may be curious!

When complete, this home will be a 3 bedroom, 2 bath single-story ranch with a floor plan totaling 1,176 sq. ft. Sample photos of the final planned appearance and design are available on the developer's website as well as Zillow:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/67893-Ottawa-Dr-Sturgis-MI-49091/443652095_zpid/

The home is being built by a real estate developer by the name of AHI Group, LLC (shorthand for Affordable Housing Initiative). You can learn more about AHI and what they do on their website:

https://new.ahigroup.org/

The HOA Board of Directors has been in communication with AHI Group, LLC regarding this project dating back to 2025, and have previously provided the firm with our standard New Construction form letter summarizing all relevant clauses of the HOA Covenants, Conditions, & Restrictions (CC&R) in an effort to ensure the build meets all community requirements.

We have confirmed that the build plan meets these requirements regarding home type, size, and construction, including setback and minimum square footage criteria. We are continuing to monitor additional elements such as construction timeline, commercial vehicle storage on site, and trash accumulation/disposal.

We recently became aware of an altercation which took place between a nearby resident and representatives of the developer which involved the Michigan State Police. The primary basis of the incident appeared to be a complaint regarding the morning start time of the concrete being poured for the home's foundation.

The developer informed us that the concrete was being poured by a subcontractor who had arrived quite early in the morning (approximately 5 AM) due to a scheduling snafu. AHI Group's COO apologized to us for the mix-up, and said they will continue to target a typical morning start time for their in-house construction crew of 7 AM out of consideration for nearby property owners.

This incident resulted in our fielding multiple inquiries from local regulatory bodies as well as the developer regarding whether we have a noise ordinance on file. For sake of clarification, neither we nor Sherman Township currently have a noise ordinance. For those seeking a general frame of reference the City of Sturgis does have such an ordinance, with quiet hours defined as 11 PM–6 AM.

We hope this new home build and its somewhat unique architectural style will add aesthetic appeal to the community when complete, as well as enhance nearby property values.

Should anyone have related questions or encounter any issues involving the ongoing construction, please let us know!

06/11/2026

STRONG WINDS CAUSE POWER OUTAGES IN SUBDIVISION

The strong, gusty winds which swept through this evening have caused storm debris to litter the streets as well as power outages within the subdivision, primarily along Thunderbird Drive. There is currently a broken branch suspended from powerlines along Thunderbird Dr that has been called into the City of Sturgis Electric Department.

Please check your trash bins and outdoor items positioned near the street to ensure that they have not blown into the road!

If the current power outage persists for some time and anyone is in need of portable power for cell phone charging or otherwise, please comment below so we can coordinate getting that to you!

BRUSH INTERFERING WITH INTERSECTION SIGHT LINES & STREET SIGN VISIBILITY REMOVEDThe Neighborhood Safety Committee recent...
06/09/2026

BRUSH INTERFERING WITH INTERSECTION SIGHT LINES & STREET SIGN VISIBILITY REMOVED

The Neighborhood Safety Committee recently received a report of a near-accident which took place at the intersection of Hiawatha Dr & Ottawa Dr due to the large overgrowth of brush surrounding the West-most stop sign on Hiawatha, which effectively blocked the sight line to the south of oncoming traffic entering the subdivision on Ottawa.

In response, committee volunteers cleared the problematic brush at this intersection yesterday, restoring the sight line toward potential oncoming traffic.

Volunteers then visited every intersection throughout the subdivision and cleared all brush and grass growth surrounding all street signs, traffic control signs, neighborhood watch signs, and nearby utilities in support of neighborhood safety to ensure this issue did not reoccur at a different location!

We rely on community feedback to alert us to safety issues such as this, so please continue to inform us of problems like these and we will do our best to rectify them!

DOWN TREE REMOVED FOR DISABLED RESIDENT BY AESTHETIC IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEEThe Aesthetic Improvement Committee recently c...
06/08/2026

DOWN TREE REMOVED FOR DISABLED RESIDENT BY AESTHETIC IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE

The Aesthetic Improvement Committee recently completed the removal of a fallen pine tree located in a fairly high visibility area along Thunderbird Drive in support of maintaining a clean, well-maintained, and visually appealing neighborhood.

The tree had come down in last year's March tornado and belonged to a disabled resident lacking a good means of removal.

Volunteers cut up the down tree and hauled two trailer loads of brush and leaves to the Sturgis compost site, while any usable wood was stacked on site per homeowner request for use as campfire fuel. The area was then string trimmed, mowed, and raked to ensure all remaining debris was collected and removed.

We would like to thank all of the volunteers who participated as well as the homeowner for allowing us access to clean up the area!

SJC SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HOSTING BOATER SAFETY CLASSES THIS WEEKENDThe SJC Sheriff's Department will be hosting some boa...
06/04/2026

SJC SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HOSTING BOATER SAFETY CLASSES THIS WEEKEND

The SJC Sheriff's Department will be hosting some boater safety classes this weekend on nearby Lake Templene and Klinger Lake. If you are a new boat owner, are new to boating in Michigan, or simply wish to ensure you are up to date on the latest boating regulations and safety protocol, you can find more specifics in the below media release!

FREE FISHING WEEKEND SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13TH-14THMichigan’s summer edition of free fishing weekend will take place next ...
06/03/2026

FREE FISHING WEEKEND SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 13TH-14TH

Michigan’s summer edition of free fishing weekend will take place next weekend! Saturday, June 13th and Sunday, June 14th anglers may take to the water without need of a fishing license.

This is a great opportunity to provide that friend or relative who fishes infrequently an opportunity to hit the water free of cost!

More info available at the link below, along with some neat printable “First Fish” and “Big Fish” certificates to help commemorate the occasion.

Shoreline fishing is available at the HOA Boat Launch, but is prohibited at the HOA Beach due to safety concerns regarding the potential for tackle to be left behind.

Good luck out there to all of our anglers — if anybody reels in a photo-worthy catch, share it with us in the comments!

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/things-to-do/fishing/free-fishing

The sun was doing some beautiful things over Lake Minnewaukan last evening! The sunset, clouds, and mirror-like effect o...
06/02/2026

The sun was doing some beautiful things over Lake Minnewaukan last evening! The sunset, clouds, and mirror-like effect of the water made for a sublime view that we wanted to share. Aren't we blessed to live in a community with a front row seat to such a picturesque setting?

MEMORIAL DAY NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY A SUCCESSThank you to all who stopped out to enjoy the Memorial Day neighborhood b...
05/28/2026

MEMORIAL DAY NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY A SUCCESS

Thank you to all who stopped out to enjoy the Memorial Day neighborhood block party, even with the rain date! We were treated to good fellowship, food, and fun:

— Front row seats to a turtle laying its eggs
— Pontoon rides around Lake Minnewaukan
— Rides around the neighborhood in a 1960's-era Willy's Army Jeep
— Stargazing and planetary viewing via telescope

No better way to kick off summer! We would like to thank community members Tom & Rose Jurewicz for hosting the pontoon rides, Don & Alisa Whisler for allowing us to enjoy their original Willy's Jeep, and Ray Majkrzak for the opportunity to view the four moons of Jupiter!

STREET SWEEPING AT MAIN SUBDIVISION ENTRANCE COMPLETEDLoose sand, gravel, and rock have littered the the main entrance t...
05/22/2026

STREET SWEEPING AT MAIN SUBDIVISION ENTRANCE COMPLETED

Loose sand, gravel, and rock have littered the the main entrance to the subdivision located at the intersection of Thunderbird Dr and Airline Rd for some time. Aside from being somewhat unsightly, this also posed a minor hazard for those on motorcycles or bicycles when entering the subdivision at speed from Airline Rd.

Aesthetic Improvement Committee volunteers recently swept the intersection with bristle brushes and paddle brooms to collect and remove this debris in order to eliminate the potential hazard while improving the appearance of the community. The sand, gravel, and rock collected was then used to fill potholes at the entrance of gravel driveways belonging to several local residents.

Additional street sweeping is planned for other intersections throughout the subdivision in the coming weeks for similar reasons. If you have potholes at the entrance of your gravel driveway that you would like to request be filled with any additional sand/gravel/rock collected, simply let us know and we will add you to the list!

HOA BEACH SAND RENEWED IN PREPARATION FOR SUMMERThe Beach Committee is happy to report that volunteers have tilled and d...
05/21/2026

HOA BEACH SAND RENEWED IN PREPARATION FOR SUMMER

The Beach Committee is happy to report that volunteers have tilled and dragged the sand at the HOA Beach to remove all w**ds and soften the surface in preparation for the summer lake season!

The multiple piles of ash and charcoal residue remaining on the sand from last year's tornado damage brush burns were also removed and hauled off-site.

The sand was tilled twice at opposing angles to break up the thicker w**ds that grow in some of the low-lying areas that hold more moisture. The tilling was performed now to avoid potential interference with turtle-nesting season in June/July.

Tilling is a labor-intensive task, requiring approximately 20,000 steps to trudge a total of 8 miles through the beach sand over the course of 4+ hours. As a result, it has historically been performed only once per season, with significant w**d growth between intervals detracting from the Beach's appearance and utility.

Over the course of the last year, the Beach Committee has been working on implementing a more efficient method of sand maintenance. A proof-of-concept test of the new system involving a lawn de-thatcher pulled behind a 4x4 Kawasaki Mule was employed after tilling, and appeared highly successful.

This new system should reduce the time it takes for sand maintenance from 4+ hours to just 10-15 minutes. This huge reduction in labor should enable us to maintain the sand on a weekly/bi-weekly basis instead of annually/semi-annually, keeping it soft and pristine throughout the summer months!

The Beach Committee wishes to thank the following members:

— Ray Majkrzak for again loaning us the use of his rototiller
— Ben & Eberle Myers for donating the lawn de-thatcher
— Scott McMillin for allowing us the use of his 4x4 Kawasaki Mule
— Scott McMillin & Devin Schwartz for their sweat equity during sand renewal

If it has been some time since you have visited the HOA Beach, we encourage you to make the trip down to check it out!

Address

67676 Thunderbird Drive
Sturgis, MI
49091

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