Board approves new adjustable EZ Beach Steps

Installation at beach will likely occur after Labor Day.

The area set for stairs at Laketown Township Beach, 6710 142nd Ave., on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, is to the left between the orange fencing. The old steps, removed last year, were located on the dune on the right.

The Laketown Township Board of Trustees gave the go-ahead for new stairs to be installed at Laketown Beach, though that most likely won’t happen until after September.

The board on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, authorized Manager Stephanie Fox to sign a contract with Lakeshore Concepts LLC of Holland to install adjustable aluminum stairs known as EZ Beach Steps through the area called “The Bowl” for no more than $210,255.

EZ Beach Steps can be raised or lowered as the dune changes.

The board wants the stairs to be installed as soon as possible, but Lakeshore Concepts said installation, which will take about three weeks, will most likely be after Labor Day and before Nov. 25.

The township has been discussing new steps for more than a year.

The previous set of wooden steps, built 32 years ago, was closed in March 2025 due to safety concerns. The steps were removed in May of that year and new fencing added in June to keep visitors off the dunes to prevent further erosion at the beach, 6710 142nd Ave.

The parks and recreation commission received bids in September ranging from $117,000 to $372,000 for the new steps.

In December, the township board tabled the recommendation from the parks commission to use Lakeshore Concepts over cost concerns.

The parks commission on March 18, 2026, again asked the township board to fund the EZ Beach Steps from the top of the dune down an area called “The Bowl” to the Lake Michigan shore.

On April 8, the board chose Lakeshore Concepts for, at the time, $196,500 to install adjustable aluminum beach stairs. The cost has increased since the bid was submitted last year.

The board hoped to have them installed by Memorial Day, but the timeline was not possible.

The township has plans for other improvements in three phases throughout the park using state grants, if approved.

The grants

The township applied for two grants from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:

One application is for a $150,000 Passport Grant. The grant would help fund steps at the top of the dune and a 10-foot-by-32-foot viewing platform, benches and signage. It also would pay for dune restoration plantings of grass, trees and shrubs.

The stairs, platform and plantings are Phase 2 of a three-phase project.

The other application is for a $371,200 Trust Fund Grant. The money would help fund Phase 2 except the platform area. It would also include steps from the parking lot up the dune and timber barrier fencing in the parking area and entrance. This is Phase 3.

The township will be notified by the end of the year if it receives the grants.