Ferrysburg seeks state grants for 2 new parks

Tue, Mar 18, 2008    to del.icio.us

FERRYSBURG — City Council moved forward Monday with plans for two new parks in the city by approving the submission of state grant applications for both projects.

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Sunnyside Park is located on a 240-by-100-foot piece of property at the corner of West Spring Lake Road and Valley City Street. It will include swings, playground equipment, a drinking fountain, lawn play area, bathrooms and access to Spring Lake water, City Manager Craig Bessinger said.

The Pine Street Corridor Waterfront development project would spruce up the area, and lead to a significantly improved access to Spring Lake waterfront at that location. The $120,000 project includes a wood observation deck with seating, a 24-foot-wide roadway, concrete curbs and gutters, and landscaping.

The grant from the Department of Environmental Quality would pay $46,000 of the project.

The property for Sunnyside Park, which currently contains a house and six cabins, was originally foreclosed for tax reasons. The city purchased it last year for approximately $16,000, Bessinger said.

The grant application is due in April 1 for Sunnyside and March 26 for the Pine Street project.

"Both applications are going to be very competitive," Bessinger said.

Bessinger expects the state to make a decision on the Sunnyside Park grant by December. DEQ will decide on the Pine Street by the end of May, he added.

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