Diamond Lake Neighborhoods

Diamond Lake Neighborhood Map

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Colony Bay Condominium Association

The Colony Bay Condominium Association (CBCA) is a complex of 25 units.  There are 9 units in the middle, and 8 units on either side.  Why it was named as a condominium, I have never understood.  Each unit has three floors, (some 3rd floors are unused), and a front door and a lakeside door.  To me, they should be called townhomes.

The buildings were started sometime in the early 70’s.  The plan was to have another set of the same condos further into Turtle Bay.  At some point, the middle building was finished, and the builders went bankrupt.  The buildings on either side were framed, however each owner had to finish the insides.  Here’s a picture of how they looked sometime in the late 70’s or early 80’s.

CBCA is managed by a 5-person Board with 2-year terms.  Board Members are rotated so that the term for 2 members happens on one year, and then 3 members are up for renewal the next year.  The current Board has been in place for a few years with the members agreeing to stay on the Board each year.  Most of the condo owners are members of the DLA and many are also members of the DLYC. 

On the second Saturday of June, according to our By Laws, we have our annual meeting in the back of Unit 1 under one of the huge shade trees out there.  Owners get an update on what has gone on during the past year, and also vote on the budget for the upcoming year.  Some of the original owners used to make this meeting a little contentious, but the current mix of owners are all quite congenial!  There are no original owners living in the condos anymore, although there are children of these original owners who are living in what used to be their parent’s units.  The Secretary keeps a list of people who would like to live at the condos.  I believe there are 8 people on this list currently.

Sometime over the summer, CBCA has an adults- only cocktail party.  Traditionally, these are held on an owner’s patio, and everyone brings an appetizer and a drink, if they don’t want beer or wine, which the condo budget provides.  Many owners attend, and it’s a fun evening that often goes on after dark. 

Neighborhood Association Contact

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Top Photo compliments of Larry Aldrich

From this picture you can see the tennis court and the pool that are still behind the condos.  Many improvements have been made over the years, and here is a picture of them today.  I could not get an aerial view, so this picture is from the front.  If anyone has an aerial picture, please send it to me and I will add it to this article.

Bottom Photo taken by Marilyn Quackenbush

Diamond Island

Diamond Island is a 40-acre private island located in the middle of Diamond Lake. The island is home to 99 cottages and houses, which are accessible only to homeowners and their guests via a 6-car barge. In 1951, the Diamond Island Association was established to manage the operation of the private barge, which ferries the vehicles of residents, guests, and contractors to the island. Over the years, the barge's configuration has changed, and in 2019, it was replaced with a new 6-car barge to replace the old 4-car barge that had been in use for almost 70 years. The season's length has been extended over the decades, and the hours of barge operation have been modified to meet the changing needs of the residents.

For a more detailed history of the island's ownership, the Hotel Resort, Job Wright, and other information, please refer to pages 61-73 of the book "A Diamond Sparkles: The Facets of Diamond Lake" by Lois Webster Welch, originally published in 1970.

Neighborhood Association Contact

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Neighborhood Association President: Gary Gries

Diamond Shores

Diamond Shores Inc was established on June 12, 1926 as a corporation in Penn Township Millage to “buy, sell, and transfer real estate.”  The corporation invested in 61.8 acres along the southeast shores of Diamond Lake which was divided into 62 lots what is now Diamond Shores Drive.

Neighborhood Association Contact

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Neighborhood 2024 Events:

  • 4th of July parade to be held on Saturday, July 6, 2024. This is an annual event.

  • Annual Diamond Shores Block party to be held on Saturday, July 27, 2024. This year will be the 21st annual party and will be hosted by Sue and Chris Stoler this year.

Sail Bay

Sail Bay is located in the southernmost portion of Diamond Lake in Calvin Township.  It was originally a spring fed marshy area contingent to the main lake.  In 1968, it was dredged by the Army Corps of Engineers as part of a plan by land developer and realtor Karl Jones to create a bay with a first phase of 46 home sites for the west and south sides of the bay.  Future plans called for the dredging of a second bay of waterfront homes, however, this second bay development was canceled with the passing of The Shoreline Protection and Management Act of 1970 which forbid the alteration of natural shorelines.  This second marshy area remains as a natural animal refuge adjacent to the Hiler property.

            In 1970, Sail Harbor 1 Conditions, Restrictions and Reservations were created with the first 43 home sites.  The sites began to sell from a sales office on the south side of the bay.  The sales office still stands as a garage on property owned by Mike and Bev Myers.   Sail Harbor included two out lots; one waterfront for use by all Bay property owners with shore dedicated to non-waterfront owner boat docks.  The second outlot currently allows for Sail Bay owner trailer and boat storage, but original plans called for it to be the location of a member club house.

            In 1986, lot development continued around the bay as Sail Harbor two.  The entire bay area came to be known as Sail Bay.  Some early residents of Sail Bay still live here enjoying our unique community:  Leslie Paul, Marcia Malicki (parents John and Waneta Batten) and Mike and Rose Johns.

            In the early 1990's, a second dredging was undertaken by Bay residents to clear an overgrowth of water lilies.  This removed the entrenched lily roots and plants leaving the bay water clear and the bottom sandy as it remains today with the help of the annual weed control program.  The dredged materials from this dredging were pumped to the adjacent agricultural field owned by John Hiler.

            Sail Bay, as we know it today, has 71 lots encircling the bay, many of which are primary residences . We have a members' association governed by by-laws and hold an annual meeting .  Gone are the days when one could water ski out of the bay to the main lake.  In order to protect our waterfronts, the Bay is now strictly a NO WAKE zone; a wonderful spot for fishing or dropping anchor for the family to enjoy swimming in our calm, clear water. (Beverly Myers with many thanks to Mike Johns, Marcia Malicki and Leslie Paul)

Wade’s Addition/Leigh Ave.

Wade’s Addition, situated at the eastern perimeter of Diamond Lake, emerged as a later development, boasting splendid year-round sunsets. The filing of a plat for Wade’s Addition to Diamond Lake in 1946, attributed to Leigh Wade, Helen Moran Wade, Ethel W. Wood, and Bertha Francis, delineated Leigh Avenue as a secluded thoroughfare with 35 lakeside lots to its west and an equivalent number to its east. The Wade family, rooted in the area, maintained agricultural activities on surrounding lands, residing north of the junction of Leigh Avenue and Crooked Creek while also inhabiting homes within Wade’s Addition. Predominantly, summer homes for residents from Illinois and Indiana dotted the lakefront, with a handful opting for year-round residency. Anecdotes suggest that the sandy beach, cherished by Wade’s Beach inhabitants, may have initially been introduced to establish a shoreline for homes on Cara Avenue to the northwest, with subsequent shifts influenced by prevailing west winds over time.

Neighborhood Association Contact

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Neighborhood Association President: Marilyn Lamar