Elmwood Township’s 20-yearlong, multi-phase marina improvement project will finally be completed this year. And at the township board’s regular meeting Monday, officials began discussing what they should do next.
Harbormaster Dan Jenuwine presented at least three options. They could stop here, with a cumulative $6 million in improvements. Or they could add more docks to meet the high demand in the area. Jenuwine says there are 1,500 people on waiting lists across Grand Traverse Bay’s six marinas, and the costs of expansion would be earned back in just four to four-and-a-half years.
And finally, Jenuwine suggested they could even sell the marina to an outside entity. He noted that most slip holders don’t reside in the township, and the board may want to “redeploy their money to better service the needs of township residents.”
Township Supervisor Jeff Shaw said these are tough questions, but ones that the township needs to ask itself as they move forward. Before going any further, however, the board agreed to find a third party to visit the site and conduct “exploratory work” on the viability of these three possibilities.
But the township board took other action related to the marina, including repairing the “finger” piers at the A-Dock at a cost not to exceed $16,500, and allowing the harbormaster to purchase a self-serve cooler where marina users can buy drinks, at a cost not to exceed $2,500.
Jenuwine also mentioned that Skyweb Networks, a Saginawbased company that specializes in internet and Wi-Fi services for marinas and campgrounds, is going to visit the site next week and provide a quote. He said the township might contract them instead of their current provider, Michigan Broadband Services.
The board approved a six-year capital improvement plan (CIP) by their planning commission, which lists upcoming projects costing more than $10,000 and will last more than a year. Most of this year’s projects have already been approved, including phase III of marina improvements, the Timberlee water tank replacements, and the purchase of a new ambulance.
More distant projects include Cherry Bend Road sidewalk replacements to be completed in 2026, with three options estimated between $445,000-$2,089,000, and the marina A-Dock replacement in 2027, estimated between $1.25 million and $1.5 million. These projects have not been approved yet, and as Clerk Connie Preston said, the CIP is a living document and can be amended.
The township board also approved:
• The purchase of a new ATV for the township fire and rescue department for “wildlands response and rescue.” According to Fire Chief Keith Tampa, his department has an ATV that was purchased in 2001, and the township has been planning to replace it since at least 2019. The ATV itself cost about $25,000, and a mountable skid unit cost about $11,500.
• Training for Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals members, with members to receive the equivalent of one meeting’s pay for attending.
• A poverty exemption guidelines resolution. Clerk Connie Preston said this resolution is updated annually to reflect the new federal poverty level guidelines.
