Welcome to the electronic newsletter from
Grand Haven Charter Township!

Stay informed on what is happening in the township. This newsletter will deliver up-to-date information including upcoming meetings, development news, township services and more! You can always find more information on our website or Facebook .
Bike Rack Installed
Township residents who enjoy biking now have a place to park their bicycles when stopping in at the Township Offices.  

DPW staff finished the installation of a new bike rack outside of the Administrative Offices and have already had positive feedback from residents who have used the rack.

New 800 MHz Radios Delivered
The Fire/Rescue department took delivery of fifty-one (51) new portable radios and related appurtenances on Thursday … these new 800 MHz radios are valued at about $424,000. Ottawa County Central Dispatch Authority (OCCDA) purchased the equipment for local municipal fire and police departments.  

Chief Gerencer noted that Township′s firefighters will train with the new technology over the next 2 months and that the Ottawa County 800 MHz radio project is scheduled to “go live” on October 2nd.  

In addition to the personal radios that will be used by the Township Fire/Rescue crew, all the Township′s vehicles and apparatus will have 800 MHz mobile radios installed. 

The new radios will help with interoperability between police, fire, EMS, and other agencies involved during a mass casualty incident, like the recent water rescue at the Grand Haven State Park.

August Primary Elections
Deputy Clerk DeVerney provided the following voting numbers from the August primary election, which indicate that the voter turnout for the August primaries was high ( anything above 30% for a primary election is considered “good”):
Kudos are offered to the election staff that helped this primary election run smoothly.
August 20th Hearing
Community Development Director Fedewa notes that Grand Haven Professional Center ( sometimes referred to as Dykstra Dental) will have a hearing with the Planning Commission on August 20 th.

This development is located on the 1.7 acre lot immediately south of Timberview Drive.  It will be a 14,900 square foot, 2-story building consisting of two office suites. Dykstra Dental ( aka Grand Haven Smiles) is the developer and will occupy the west suite. The east suite is yet to be filled.

Construction of the project would commence this fall if possible; otherwise it will start in early spring and be completed in late 2019.

The following are some building elevations and site plan …
Updated Timetable for Sewer Authority Improvements
There are two issues that caused a delay in the Sewer Authority treatment plant improvements – both related to the Grand River crossing of a new force main for the North bank communities:

  • Easements: The Sewer Authority has a counteroffer from the owners of an island in the middle of the Grand River; hopefully the matter can be resolved without going to court. 
  • Soil Borings: King Company has completed additional borings along the river’s shore. After this information is reported to the engineering firm, they will forward that report to their drilling consultant to confirm the design and constructability.

Assuming the soil borings allow for a “deeper” boring of the force main to occur, the entire project will be bid on November 8 th. That will allow a long construction period for the river crossing, which will hopefully attract more of the national construction firms that do this type of specialized construction work.
Parks & Recreation Update
The Parks and Recreation Committee met in July and provided the following recommendations:

  • Mercury Park – The Committee recommended the razing and removal of the in-line rink. For the short-term, the rink will be replaced with a grass, multi-purpose field.
  • Pottawattomie Park – The Committee recommended a natural shore line protection program to mitigate the on-going erosion of the shoreline. (This should qualify for federal and/or state grant monies.)
  • Schmidt Heritage Park – The Committee took comments regarding the proposed park from home owners within the adjacent Cutter Park subdivision and recommended approval to the full Board.
  • Witteveen Farm Property – The Committee recommended a planting plan that will remove the non-native pines, thin the existing white pines and re-plant the property with vegetation that will duplicate a West Michigan natural habitat. (This should qualify for federal and/or state grant monies.) See map below.

All of the above will be incorporated into the Township’s portion of the Regional Recreation plan – which task will be completed by staff with the Township’s Community Development Department.

All of the above will be incorporated into the Township’s portion of the Regional Recreation plan – which task will be completed by staff with the Township’s Community Development Department.
Grand Haven Charter Township Facebook Page
Earlier this month, the Township’s Facebook page reached 1,000 likes, meaning approximately 1,000 people are receiving our updates in their Facebook news feed. 

This account has become a simple and quick way to update visitors and residents on important happenings in the Township. While the Township does not have the resources to respond to every question or comment on Facebook, we do have assigned staff monitoring accounts and responding when appropriate.

The Township’s Facebook page can be found at the following link:


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