Park Township is requesting Republican State Representative Nancy DeBoer allocate $600,000 to purchase the former U.S. Coast Guard facility on Ottawa Beach Road from the federal government.
The station closed in 2022 when operations were consolidated in Grand Haven. Park Township Manager Howard Fink:
“Around the same time, the township was beginning a concerted effort to improve our water safety functions as a result of some of the drownings and near-drowning experiences that were happening at the state park.”
The station would join the township’s two fire stations on the north and south sides of Lake Macatawa, serving as a base for the fire department’s water rescue operations. Supervisor Steve Spoelhof says while Park Township would own the facility, he envisions partnerships with other public safety agencies.
“We would continue to offer up its docks and its facilities to other safety organizations like the Ottawa County Sheriff Department, the DNR or EGLE.”
The location offers a 5-minute emergency response time to Holland State Park. It’s one of the state’s top tourist destinations with upwards of 2 million visitors annually.
