Harbor Commission Meeting - 2022-05-11

Detailed briefing

Harbor Commission Joint Meeting with Parks Board — May 11, 2022 ATTENDEES: Harbor Commission and Parks Board members were called present; City Council member John Cuff was also acknowledged. • The boards met jointly to improve coordination on shared waterfront land. The chair said both bodies are advisory to City Council and do not set policy. • Marina Park was the main topic. Parks staff said the current working concept is to convert the existing public restrooms to laundry facilities and add a restroom building on the Marina Park side. However, the project has fallen behind skate park fundraising and boardwalk work and may be several years away. No construction plan, site, funding source, or final design was approved. • Discussion centered on protecting Marina Park’s flexible open space and views while meeting marina needs. Members raised options including an addition to the harbormaster building, a separate smaller shade/restroom structure, and revisiting earlier building and parking concepts. The earlier larger building plan was described as too expensive after state funding conditions changed. • Members said any future work should be coordinated as one broader effort where possible, because restroom placement, parking, sidewalks, traffic flow, utilities, and landscaping are connected. Staff noted aging electric, sewer, and storm infrastructure beneath the parking area, warning against installing a new parking lot without addressing underlying systems. • Parks staff reviewed waterfront priorities: goose-control efforts at the beach and Marina Park; completed restroom renovations at Ford Park and Zorn City Beach; planned lawn work at Marina Park; possible Ford Park ferry-waiting benches; and longer-term consideration of landscaping, shade, kayak storage, dog control, and a Soul Street restroom. Requests for more kayak storage were acknowledged, but no expansion was approved. • A possible Ford Park rain garden was discussed. Staff described a concept to filter runoff, including drainage from boats leaving the ramp. Members cautioned that rain gardens need sustained maintenance and should be coordinated with any future redesign of Ford Park traffic flow. No rain-garden installation was approved. Worth watching: • Parks Board members will review prior Marina Park plans at their next meeting; Harbor Commission assistance was offered to explain them. • Future Marina Park planning must resolve whether facilities belong in an addition to the harbormaster building or in a separate park structure. • Any parking-area work will need to account for aging utility infrastructure and safety/traffic concerns. Upcoming: Parks Board meeting Tuesday at 6 p.m.; prior Marina Park plans are expected to be available for review. Why it matters: The discussion frames how Harbor Springs can improve boater services and public amenities without sacrificing park space, views, safety, or infrastructure planning.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.