About Us
Learn a little more about Woodland Shores through this short history.
Welcome to Woodland Shores, a small lakeside community in southwestern Michigan where residents revel in spectacular sunsets, a sandy Lake Michigan beach, winding private roads shaded by large trees, and woods full of wildflowers and wildlife.
Woodland Shores Beach Association, Inc. is a private homeowners association organized as a not-for-profit corporation in the state of Michigan but not a 501 C3 tax exempt corporation. A self-managed association, it has six volunteer directors who are elected by the membership to serve for three-year terms. To the south, Woodland Shores abuts Weko Beach, the city of Bridgman's public beach of 1000 feet, which is then followed on its south by Warren Dunes State Park's three miles of beach. To the north are 3 miles of other home owners associations Dunewood, Wildwood and Livingston Rd. beach until you reach the Cook nuclear plant. Because Woodland Shores is located in an area designated as critical dunes, building here is regulated by the DEQ to protect the uniqueness of the area.
About 30% of our members are full-time residents while the part-time owners reside in many other states. All members enjoy 1,300 feet of private beach along Lake Michigan, two miles of private roads, and the convenience of a beach parking area with viewing deck which allows beach access for those who do not own lakefront lots. Within the association boundaries are 69 lots ranging from one-third to five acres in size. Thirteen of the lots border the communal beach while eleven more are high in the dunes overlooking the lake. The remaining 45 lots are nestled in the wooded dune interior.
How did Woodland Shores come to be?
E.K. Warren who owned the Warren Featherbone Company in Three Oaks Michigan was the original property owner and he gave the land holdings to his daughter, Josephine Warren Hoffman in the 1930's. At that time only four homes existed on the property that is now Woodland Shores. Those four homes were owned by Josephine Warren Hoffman, The Stroud family, and cousins Craig and Harold Mathieu. The Beach lot next to Weko Beach had also been platted at that time but no home was built on it. The parcel, which contains approximately 84 acres, was purchased in 1958 by Craig and Jean Mathieu, Joseph and Helen D'Agostino, and Joseph and Lucille Hellmuth, later known as MDH Development Corporation. In the subsequent 30 years the development proceeded as follows:
In 1959, properties in the first development (the beachfront and the first dune to the east) were divided into hundred-foot lots and sold. The second development (properties along the north side of Hillside Drive) began in 1968, although after Woodland Shores #2 was complete a decision was made to divide the remaining parcels into lots of approximately one acre. In 1976 development of lots along East Kevin Drive (named for Kevin Mathieu son of Jean and Craig Mathieu), Jan Drive (named for Jan D'Agostino), and Craig Lane (named for Craig Mathieu) began. West Kevin Drive followed in 1980, and the subdivision was completed in the late 1980's with the development of lots on Concetta and Cynthia Drives (named for Concetta and Cynthia D'Agostino). The home owners association was formed in 1971 to take over management of the completed plats from the developers. It was organized just as a homeowners association with a Constitution, Bylaws and Rules and Regulations. Once the development was complete the association incorporated as a not for profit corporation in the state of Michigan in 1991 with Articles of Incorporation replacing the Constitution.