Meetings, News, & Events

May 23, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. in the Campground.

 July 6, 2024, Annual Membership Meeting Minutes

July 4, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at the Pavilion in Anita’s Park. Hot dogs, burgers, beverages, and paper products will be supplied. Members and their guests are asked to bring a dish to share; or if you prefer, side dishes for your group. Lake Arrowhead T-Shirts & 50-50- Raffle tickets will be sold to support our Beautification Committee.

The Boat Launch Dock is normally scheduled to be installed as soon as the ice has melted (no later than May 1st) and is to be removed after Oct 15th. Other docks are scheduled to be installed by May 15th and removed after Sept 15th.

Update on 1/5/2025:

We know there’s been a lot of discussion and questions around deed restrictions, pole barns, and what the Board is working on right now. To help, the Deed Restrictions Review Committee put together an FAQ document that answers a lot of the questions we have been hearing or seeing here on Facebook from the membership.

This is a living document and will be updated as new questions arise.

Questions & Answers

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Updated on 12/29/2025:

Statement From LAPOA Board on Tonight’s Special Meeting:

During tonight’s meeting closed session, the Board carefully considered the perspectives and feedback shared by the membership. We recognize that our prior communication could have been handled more effectively, and we appreciate the candor and thoughtful input provided.

We also acknowledge that the decision to meet in closed session caused frustration for some members. That decision was made prior to the meeting beginning, in recognition that tensions within the membership were already high, and was intended to allow for focused, productive discussion without distractions or further escalation.

The Board further notes that the initial temporary pause on approving standalone garages and pole barns was implemented based on explicit guidance from LAPOA legal counsel. After weighing all voices, the Board has decided to temporarily halt the pause. Applications will continue to be reviewed and approved under the previous process until Jan 31st to ensure the membership is properly informed and engaged before the pause resumes on Feb 1st.

The motions that passed unanimously at the board meeting are as follows:

Motion to temporarily suspend the pause on stand-alone garage (pole barn) building application approvals until January 31, 2026, to better inform the membership of the pause details.

Further motion, beginning February 1, 2026, in order to be in compliance with the current Deed Restrictions, the pause will be reinstated until the membership approves the new Declaration of Restrictions.

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At the October 11, 2025 Board meeting, an Ad Hoc Bylaw Committee was formed, charged with reviewing the Deed Restrictions document written in the 1960s and to propose an updated document for Board approval and ultimately Membership approval.

“Stand-alone garage/pole barn lots” were identified as an area of concern in the community. The current Deed Restrictions do not allow for a garage (pole barn) to be constructed on a lot that does not also have a single-family dwelling. There are a growing number of these structures being erected and Members have shared their concerns that some restrictions
should be applied.

Our Building Chair has been instructed to temporarily pause on the approval of building permits for these types of structures until the Membership has the opportunity to decide the issue.
Note: this temporary pause only applies to lots that do not also have a single-family dwelling.

Questions regarding this temporary pause should be directed to the Building Control Chair, Troy Gahm at his email address troyg@laopa.com.

Question related to the Bylaw Committee’s work should be directed to the Bylaw Committee Chair, Cyn Huyghe at her email address cynh@lapoa.com.

Dear LAPOA Members,

With record-breaking snowfall exceeding 200 inches, a generational ice storm with hurricane-force winds that closed northern Michigan, our community has faced unheard of challenges these past few months. Was the association prepared? No, not in our wildest dreams did we anticipate such a season. However, we have learned valuable lessons and identified areas for improvement.

Review of Response and Disaster Planning:

The board held a special meeting to review our response and to begin work on a comprehensive disaster plan and emergency fund for the association. Here are some key areas we discussed:

Communication:

Traditional Methods: While we uttilized Facebook, then began using email to share news not everyone had access to internet and email, so we explored traditional methods of sharing information. Ideas included:
– Posting updates at the mailbox.
– Using the emergency bell at the pavilion.
– Appointing team lead volunteers for each subdivision to help spread the news.

Volunteers:

Expertise and Coordination: We considered compiling a list of members who are experts in their fields and willing to assist our maintenance personnel. Additionally, we appointed Tracey Duty as the point person in charge of coordinating these volunteers. We also explored whether a generator is needed for the office, maintenance building and compactor to ensure continuous operations during power outages.

Community Input:

Feedback and Improvement: Several ideas were brought to the table, and we need your input. What did we do well? Where can we improve? We also need a few community members to help work on the disaster plan.

Community Spirit and Support
This is an amazing community, and we are blessed with members who have reached out to neighbors, helping with: water deliveries, brush/tree removal, connecting generators, food for the National Guard, road grading, park cleanup, and so much more. Let’s take all we have learned and move forward, building an even stronger association. Your continued support and dedication are invaluable.

Thank you for being part of this incredible community.
LAPOA Board

We thank the following LAPOA members for stepping forward to serve our community. The following people will serve on the board as new or continuing board members:

Tracey Duty – President
Dave Johnston – Vice President – 3 Year Term
Dawnna Pavelka & Lori Lancaster – Co-Treasurers
Cyn Huyghe – Secretary
Dan Burroughs
Gary Smith
Katie Swank
Tracey Duty
Patti Brown
Katie Warner
Troy Gahm – 3 Year Term
Rachel Wheaton – 3 Year Term
Karoline Kinjorski – 3 Year Term
Cindy Smith – 3 Year Term

We thank outgoing members Paul Cutting, Judy Race, Dana Stubli and Tiffany Race for their years of dedicated service.
Happy 4th of July everyone!

Fireworks can be lots of fun once in a while. They are just tiresome when they are going off night after night, disturbing the peace of a whole community. Please be considerate of your neighbors who may have to get up for work in the morning. All of us need our rest. Although Lake Arrowhead is a private community, we are subject to Federal, State, and local laws. Fireworks are permitted:

-Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1

-The Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day until 11:45 p.m.

-June 29 – July 4 until 11:45 p.m.

-Also, July 5 ONLY if that day is a Friday or Saturday, until 11:45 p.m.

-The Saturday and Sunday before Labor Day until 11:45 p.m.

At a special meeting on September 21, 2019, the LAPOA Board of Directors voted to replace our trash compactor which is beyond repair. For information about the project see: Trash Compactor Project Q&A 10-11-2019 The project was completed despite rain and snow in December 2019. We thank all those who contributed to the project.

American Central Corporation was the original developer of the land that has become Lake Arrowhead. A gentleman by the name of Al Lancaster was here from the beginning of LAPOA. Mr. Lancaster served the Association well for many years as president, historian, and in other capacities. Connie Stubli,  came into possession of several boxes of documents that had been held by Mr. Lancaster. Connie spent many, many, hours over several months sorting through all the documents. For Connie, this was a labor of love. Her work resulted in eight binders of historic documents that are now organized and kept in the Office Building. Thank you Connie for all your hard work!

LAPOA members may browse through “The Al Lancaster Collection” of documents during regular Office Hours. These binders of original documents are precious to our Association and may not be borrowed or removed from the Office Building. Thank you again Connie! Many generations of our members will appreciate this wonderful gift.

Northern Michigan Snow Totals Snow amounts vary greatly. This graph is an average of snowfall measurements around Gaylord and other Northern MI cities. To get Snowfall results from the NWS Passenheim Rd. weather station (closest to Lake Arrowhead) go to: http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=apx and look for the Gaylord WSO weather station. Then choose Accumulation graphs, adjust the dates,  and choose Snowfall as the variable.