Park Township says 'yea' to one water access project, but Quincy Street stalls

PARK TWP. — Things are looking up for one waterfront access point in Park Township, but not so much for another.

During a meeting of the Park Township Board of Trustees last week, representatives touched briefly on the problematic access point at the end of Quincy Street.

The 12-foot wide, 600-foot long parcel runs north of Camp Geneva's property, and has a small trail currently used by locals as public access to Lake Michigan.

But that hasn't been going so well for Camp Geneva, whose executive director Kevin VanderKlok told officials last year there's been evidence of alcohol use, limited parking and possible erosion problems.

The community rallied around the access point, signing a petition and advocating to the Park Township Board of Trustees. In October, Township Manager Howard Fink highlighted how positive the process had become, working alongside Camp Geneva leadership and locals.

The township brought a contractor to the access site to discuss improvements, followed by quotes of $8,500 to bring sand to the trail, $3,575 for tree removal and an estimated $9,000 to install posts along the northern property line. Officials and all parties involved agreed making improvements was the best path forward.

But in May, during a workshop meeting, Township Supervisor Jim Gerard admitted plans to renovate the property are more involved than expected.

In conversations with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, officials learned many of the planned improvements — adding signage, cutting down a tree at the base of the dune, installing posts and rope along the property line and creating stairs — do not require a permit. Adding sand, however, would.

Adding infrastructure to the property would also create more liability for the township, according to insurance representatives.

“The more improvements the township makes, the greater the liability,” said Township Manager Howard Fink. “When we move to putting in stairs, those stairs are going to have to be ADA accessible."

Fink said the question then becomes whether the entire path must be ADA accessible, which would force the township to cut into the dune — adding even more to the project cost, which Fink puts between $35,000 and $50,000 on the low end.

Dune stabilization is more intricate and involved than just adding sand, Fink said. EGLE would most likely require the township to vegetate the dune with grass or something else.

Gerard asked to discuss at least adding steps to the property Thursday.

“I think to be an appropriate neighbor not only to Camp Geneva but also to the neighbors to the north, I would like to see some stairs put in,” Gerard said. “... If the board so agrees, then we’ll look for a motion for the manager to start pursuing stairs.”

Clerk Skip Keeter wasn't interested.

“This is a strip of land that has come before this board repeatedly in my 16 years here,” Keeter said. “I’ve tried always to be diplomatic about what I say about that particular water access. I want to be clear tonight that I will never vote to spend a dime on that property.”

Keeter wondered if perhaps it's time to get rid of it.

“It’s an albatross,” he said. “The money we would have to spend to make that really reasonably accessible would be horrendous, and again would have people pouring down and being even more of a nuisance to the neighbors. It’s an orphaned piece of property and I don’t think it should be on our books."

In the end, trustees voiced no interest in adding stairs — but an improvement agreement for another piece of lakefront property was received positively.

The board voted Thursday to approve a deal with Tiara Yachts to improve an access point at the end of Jenison Avenue on the south side of Lake Macatawa. The company indicated it'll pay to make the space a public park with water access, and will pay to maintain the area for a decade. After that, the township will take over.

The property sits where Jenison Avenue and Lakeway Drive meet, and plans show updates like a walking path to the water, benches, a dock, and a spot to launch kayaks.

Subscribe:Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage

“I know Tiara Yachts is excited about the project,” said Steven Rypma of Honigman Business Law Firm. “It’s a beautification project. No transfer of ownership. … It’s really just improving what’s been a dormant area and beautification and activation for pedestrian use, kayak launch and some nice features.”

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.