Bingham Township’s parks and recreation committee want to expand the parking lots at Boughey Park, between M-22 and Grand Traverse Bay. But the township board is approaching the investment to the park slowly.
The township contracted the firm Gosling Czubak Engineering to propose a revised site plan for the park in September. Both the parks and recreation committee and the township board seem more interested in the less expensive of the two options proposed by the firm.
This option involves using the park’s existing asphalt driveway and paving to access a new parking area with 14 additional spaces, which will cost an estimated $89,000. The other option includes less parking spaces and would cost more but would also take up slightly less green space.
“Unless there’s a glaring reason that we can’t use the asphalt, I don’t see why we’d pay more money for less parking spots,” Grant said. “I feel like (the site plan) is modest and reasonable.”
But rather than accepting this option and requesting bids to complete the project at their Dec. 16 meeting, the township board did not act on this item. They wanted to wait and inquire about the costs of potentially adding more parking spaces in the future.
The board will likely move forward with requesting bids on the less expensive option next month, unless they have second thoughts about the project. Although parking at Boughey Park is “goal No. 1” on the township’s 2025-2029 parks and recreation plan, which was approved last month, some board members expressed doubts about the project for various reasons.
Among these reasons were the costs involved with the project, whether the township board even wants to invite greater usage and visitation by adding parking spots at Boughey Park, and the possible opportunity cost of using time and resources on Boughey Park instead of developing Groesser Park.
Although they took no action on this item, the township board: - Established new poverty exemption income guidelines and asset test policy, as provided by the state Department of Treasury.
- Approved their 2025 meeting dates, agreeing to continue meeting regularly at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the township hall on South Center Highway. The annual meeting, where the board sets salaries for elected positions and approves the budget for the next fiscal year, will be held June 16.
- Approved a township parks and recreation committee request to purchase three grills, one each for Bingham, Boughey, and Hendryx parks, at a cost not to exceed $1,500.
