By Scott Sullivan
Editor
Work to improve Pier Cove Park will start March 24 thanks to state grants and local matching funds.
Ganges Township — with help from a $266,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant, its own $65,500 match plus $15,000 from Friend of Pier Cove Park, has hired Riverworks Construction to:
- Rebuild stairs at the 2290 Lakeshore Drive park to provide safer and more durable Lake Michigan beach access;
- Renovate parking in its adjacent road right-of-way,
- Create new terrace benches for public enjoyment,
- Improve fencing and park signage, and
- Improve Lake Michigan views and accessibility for all users.
Another DNR grant, this of $128,700, has allowed the township to acquire 0.64 acres with 120 feet of shoreline directly north of the current 66-foot-wide beach.
It encompasses the small creek, a favorite for children to splash in during summers and year-round for rock hunters, plus more beach north.
Work, said township supervisor John Hebert, will close the park from March 24 through Memorial Day, after which it will reopen to the public and a ribbon-cutting planned.
“We appreciate the community’s patience,” said Hebert, “as we complete these much-needed improvements.
“This project will enhance the beauty, safety, and accessibility of Pier Cove Park for years to come,” he said.
Users should note parking will still be limited to 10 spots and that cars parked illegally on private property can be towed. Allegan County’s West Side Park roughly a mile south offers more Lake Michigan beach and parking, plus free admission.
For more information, visit gangestownship.org.
