Parks commission sets special meeting

The Laketown Township Parks and Recreation Commission set a special meeting for 6 p.m. Monday, March 17, 2025, to hear three presentations about options to repair or remove the stairs at Laketown Beach and ways to control erosion.

The meeting is at the township hall, 4338 Beeline Road.

The three presenters are:

6 p.m.: Josiah Genzink, Lakeshore Concepts.

6:30 p.m.: David Disher, Lakeshore Customs.

7 p.m.: Curtis Bergman.

At the February 19 meeting, Nick Lantinga of DRS (Dune Restoration Service) made his proposal.

The parks commission has been studying what to do about the steps and erosion at the beach, setting up a task force in March 2024. A special Beach Access Task Force led by Commissioner Mary Jo Bertolino submitted a report to the parks group in December. In the report, the group cited the continuing erosion on the north side of the park with a deeper bowl being formed and dune grass being lost.

“The sand deposited from the wind has covered the top of the stairs, the stairway from the boardwalk to the top of the stairs and the boardwalk,” the report says. “Because of the sand covering the top of the stairs, people have been exiting from the last usable steps toward the top and descending through the dune to the ‘official path.’ This is creating wide paths where the plantings have been displaced in multiple areas.”

The stairs are also identified as being in disrepair.

The report recommends repair and replacement of the current stairs and restoration of vegetation on the dune as well as the addition of fencing to keep visitors on the trails and off the sensitive dune areas.

The township board approved the parks commission budget on March 12. It includes $10,600 for engineering for stair repair and/or replacement at Laketown Beach and $20,000 for possible beach stair repairs. It also includes $35,000 for dune grass planting.