Created in the late 1960's, The Port of St. James Association (PSJA) started as a summer residential subdivision consisting of slightly over 1,000 individual properties, located on Beaver Island, an island in Northern Lake Michigan near the Straits of Mackinac. Over the years the character of PSJA has not changed greatly. While some island residents have become members and have built year round homes in the Association (and recently more and more formerly summer only members have chosen to "retire" here and become permanent Island residents as well), many members are still simply summer residents. The common thread among all these groups is a love of nature, Lake Michigan, and the island itself, one of the truly magical places to be found anywhere in the Great Lakes.
PSJA is a community in which the use of property is controlled by a protective covenant which runs with the land and sets forth the uses to which property may be put, including the type of buildings that may be erected on a lot. In addition the PSJA has several large areas of common property set aside for the use of the property owners. These areas include beaches, a campground, and several large tracts of land with hiking trails.
The affairs of PSJA are managed by a board of directors elected by the membership. In conducting the Association's business, the Board is guided by this mission statement:
The PSJA Board of Directors Mission Statement
It is the mission of the PSJA Board of Directors:
To conduct and administer the business and oversight of PSJA in the best interest of its members.
To maintain the integrity of the association through the consistent application and enforcement of the
Protective Covenant.
To protect and safeguard the tranquil beauty of the environment, natural resources and real property
value to the long term benefit of the association.
All actions initiated by the Board should be governed by this mission statement.