Parks commission seeking quotes for beach steps, fencing

The Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission is seeking quotes for new steps at a portion of the township beach park and to purchase fencing to protect the fragile dunes from damage caused by park users.

The commission on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, instructed staff to get cost estimates for two different potential construction projects: (1) wooden steps, and (2) adjustable aluminum stairs called EZ Beach Steps, for a portion of the beach known as “the bowl.”

The township had the 32-year-old wooden steps removed earlier this month after closing the stairs on March 26 for safety reasons.

The commission also asked staff to get fencing to help protect the dune grass along the path to the beach for not more than $15,000.

Despite the stair removal, the beach is accessible, although it is extremely difficult, if not dangerous, to climb up from the beach.

The stairs from the parking lot up the dune remain open though they are covered in sand. Please stay on the marked paths to protect the dune. Take the path through “the bowl,” a steep drop with a flat bottom. Stay off the edges and do not disturb the dune grass. Once at the bottom of “the bowl,” you’ll see another small hill. Go up and head to the lake.

Heed the no trespassing signs and follow other rules of the beach, including no fires.

To get back up the dune, stairs are no longer an option. Visitors must walk back up through “the bowl.” It is a difficult walk because of the soft sand. There are no handrails or any assistance to get back up.

In other business the commission:

• Asked staff to get quotes to place a gate at the entrance at Farview Park, 6257 138^th Ave. The former gate was removed several years ago. Sanctuary Woods Park, 4750 66^th St., and Wolters Woods Park, 6281 147^th Ave., have gates that are open in the morning and closed in the evening.
• Agreed to get estimates for venting the pit-toilets at Wolters Woods Park. The toilets have been closed since early April after trash was dumped into the underground tanks.
• Agreed to get three estimates to repair the roof and other sections as needed on the Interurban Waiting Station at Farview Park. The wooden building was used by passengers waiting for the Interurban electric train that ran between Holland and Saugatuck until 1926. Tracks ran through Laketown Township. The township purchased the station now at Farview Park in 1991 – it was moved from another location.
• Parks Chairperson Brad Laninga thanked Commissioner Mary Jo Bertolino and Community Development Director Michelle Sall for their work on Community Impact Day. Volunteers cleared sand from stairs at Laketown Beach and cleaned and painted at the Felt Estate.