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D. Natural Habitat/ Mixed used to accommodate a relocated Fish- facilities at the new location. While
Recreation Areas - erman's Landing. Of these, the river- pleasure craft do not require the same
mouth site just north of present day fa- water depths as larger commercial
(Muskegon River) cility (owned by CMS Energy) perhaps ships, they do need water depths in the
offers the most possibilities. At this lo- 8-12 foot range to accommodate larger
An added benefit of port facilities at the cation, it would serve as a better recreational vessels.
location suggested above, is the ab- neighbor to the presently isolated Rich-
sence of major land use conflicts ard's Park A potential problem
nearby. Presently both Fisherman's immedi- of a location near the
Landing and Richards park tenuously ately to Muskegon River, is
coexist with the scattered industrial ac- the east river-mouth sedi-
tivity surrounding them. Their awk- (and the mentation and the
wardness is exacerbated more by their latter to need for regular re-
isolation and poor access than by any it). The dredging. Therefore
conflicts posed by nearby salvage and connec- the boat launch itself
barge operations. (In fact in many tion of the may need to front on
cases, clean port operations have two parks the lake rather than
proven to be better neighbors to recrea- would the river unless a
tion and wildlife areas than other uses serve both maintenance plan is
which attract more human activity.) the inter- implemented, and
ests of monies budgeted, to
To make a port project work at the pro- recreational boaters, campers, nature address this recurrent problem.
posed location (present day Fisher- enthusiasts and wildlife itself by join-
man's Landing) requires the relocation ing together two highly compatible Regardless of its ultimate location, it is
of the existing boat launch and camping land uses. This arrangement would also important that Fisherman's Landing,
facilities in order to take better advan- provide for frontage on two separate along with all other waterfront recrea-
tage of the existing deep water berths. water bodies which would make it a tion facilities, be strongly tied into the
Such a project promises to be both popular location among fisherman and Lakeshore Trail project. Furthermore,
costly and time consuming. nature enthusiasts alike. care should be taken to limit the dis-
ruption of natural habitat at the new
Notwithstanding potential problems A particular area of concern surround- local
associated with acquisition, a number ing the relocation of Fisherman's Land-
of sites along Muskegon Lake could be ing, is the adequacy of boat launching
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 44
Left: Relocated Fisherman's Landing linked to
Richard's Park via the Muskegon River and na-
ture trail (below).
Right: Conceptual rendering of the
south branch of the Muskegon
River with elevated boardwalk to
Fisherman's Landing. In this
scene, the river is conceived as the
spine of a linear park containing
both active and passive recrea-
tional uses. *Drawing by Colette
Klukos.
Opposite page: The Muskegon
River at Richard's Park.
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 45
tion, as in all lakefront redevelopment Public Participation
projects. Finally, passive recreational Conclusion
areas and wetlands would be greatly As a sub-plan building on the ideas put
enhanced with interpretive nature trails The Future forth in the City's Master Plan adopted
and boardwalks. in 1997, the public participation com-
The plan outlined above is designed to ponent of this document can be traced
Funding Sources serve as the conceptual framework for directly back to the numerous surveys,
projects which may or may not ulti- interviews and questionnaires com-
Because Fisherman's Landing was de- mately resemble those presented in this pleted as part of the Master Planning
veloped using Federal grant monies, document. This is due to the knowledge process. It should be noted that the City
any relocation of the facility would that absent a port authority or other su- of Muskegon won the Michigan Soci-
have to take place pursuant to a cum- preme planning body, development ac- ety of Planning Officials (MSPO)
bersome and lengthy land conversion tivities will be carried out individually award for the public participation com-
process. Under this process, the exist- by private property owners. While ef- ponent of its Master Land Use Plan in
ing site could not be sold until a new, forts to involve individual property 1998.
comparable site was secured. In addi- owners in the planning process proved,
tion, an alternative funding source in most instances, to be effective, these The planning process resulting in this
would have to be used to rebuild the individuals may not always agree on specific document began in earnest in
permanent facilities existing on the pre- every aspect of the plan, or the means late summer of 1998. At that time, a
sent site (i.e. restrooms, docks etc.) necessary to carry it out. broad-based coalition of business and
community leaders known as the Lake-
Funding for the interpretive trails, and As Muskegon continues to experience front Development Task Force ap-
natural habitat enhancement measures the type of development pressure al- proached the City of Muskegon, and
could come from a variety of sources luded to in the introduction, it will be- requested that City staff join ranks with
previously mentioned, especially come apparent that the planning proc- them in creating a plan that would
Coastal Zone Management Grants, and ess will need to be fluid and adaptable serve as a rough blueprint for future
Great Lakes Fisheries Trust Funds to exigent and complex circumstances. waterfront development activities. Over
(CMS). Funding for the building of In short, the plan should be taken in its the ensuing months, City staff along
new facilities at a relocated Fisher- "spirit", and not its "letter". with the task-force, began to develop
man's Landing, could come from preliminary graphics that were subse-
agreements exacted from private devel- quently published in the Muskegon
opers in exchange for the sale of the Chronicle. Although initial comments
existing Fisherman's Landing site.
Waterfront Redevelopment Sub-Plan 46