The Saugatuck Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to remove the bond proposal during a special meeting last week. This was after the board voted two weeks ago to approve placing the measure on the November 5th general election ballot.
The ballot measure sought to raise $3.6 million to acquire the former faith-based Pine Trail Camp property and repurpose it as a community park. The camp, located on Dugout Road, closed in 2021 and is privately owned by Pine Trail LLC. It is currently listed by Five Star Real Estate for $4.4 million.
No reason was given as to why the proposal was withdrawn, but in a statement, Township Manager Daniel DeFranco said, “Our plans for the park would have secured public water access, preserved the natural shoreline and provided space for diverse recreational activities and programing for our residents and visitors – making this the community’s first dedicated water access point.”
The township hoped to purchase the parcel that includes 350 feet of waterfront access along the Kalamazoo River.
DeFranco continued, “While land acquisitions can sometimes be challenging, we remain committed to working with interested stakeholders to explore any and all options to acquire this property, in part or in whole, for future township parkland development and public river access.”
