In a recent move that has shifted the community agenda, the Saugatuck Township Board of Trustees unanimously decided to pull a $3.6 million bond proposal from the November ballot which was intended for the purchase of the former Pine Trail Camp. This special meeting on Wednesday came unexpectedly as the camp, located at 3525 Dugout Road and spanning 20 acres with 350 feet of Kalamazoo River waterfront, was seen as a prospective community park that would provide the public its first dedicated water access point, as reported by WZZM13.
A swift alteration of plans was necessitated “Due to recent developments related to the purchase of the former Pine Trail Camp property, we must respectfully withdraw our bond proposal request from the Nov. 5 ballot,” Saugatuck Township Manager Daniel DeFranco explained in a statement obtained by Holland Sentinel. This came right after the property owner accepted an offer from another buyer, which precluded the township's purchase without an existing agreement in place. DeFranco signaled a commitment to continue engagements with stakeholders to explore all available means for the property's acquisition, either in part or fully, to develop township parkland and maintain public river access.
The township had designed the bond would be paid for via property taxes, at a rate not to exceed 0.7784 mills, averaging 0.7773 mills; this meant that the cost to property owners would have been assessed at roughly $78 per $100,000 of taxable value, which was disclosed by the Saugatuck Township manager in an email noted by Holland Sentinel. Though a public open house was intended to gather community feedback on the bond, it was supplanted by the special meeting to rescind the bond proposal.
Despite this obstacle, the community's desire to enhance public waterfront access and safeguard the natural environment remains undeterred, with DeFranco asserting, “We are always exploring ways to increase public access to the waterfront, expand outdoor recreation opportunities and preserve our most valuable natural resources for our community. Saugatuck Township remains rich with existing parks and scenic nature trails that residents and visitors can enjoy and take advantage of throughout the changing seasons,” as quoted by the township's official website. Saugatuck Township, notwithstanding the current setback, continues to offer a wealth of existing parks and picturesque nature trails that both locals and visitors can relish across the varied seasons.
