Sunday at the Marina

[XLFD]

T

 

Travelled down to the new marina today.  In spring they had removed most of a stand of pine trees at the entrance of the marina park.  Looks like they replaced it with a new parking lot.  Looks like it needs some cars.

 

After dodging the busted nails on the roadway going north, I noticed the Pere Marquette Memorial had been removed and replaced with a new plot of dirt.  Fort Daul pictures coated amateurly by paint, this long-standing memorial removed-- the Ludington Historical Preservation Committee is doing wonders.

 

Hey looks like they finally may be doing something about the misplaced stop sign at the corner of William and Loomis-- they are moving the sidewalk!  It's probably the best way to do it, kudos to the engineering team.

 

 

Oh no.  Are those open sidewalks, without concrete poured in, in the picture above?  Sure is, and nobody bothered to block it off with anything.  There is a hint of yellow tape near the one side, but not very safe in my opinion.  Here is another view below.

 

 

Here's the action just a little west from this.  I hope nobody walked or biked along this sidewalk this weekend.  For it seems like they would have got seriously injured due to the lack of safety exhibited by the construction team.  Oh well, they should be driving cars anyway!

 

 

After dodging more pitfalls, I checked out the new $830,000 transient docks that I'm sure would have been full if the weather wasn't so nice or it was later in the day.  I do hope so, because they really didn't have anybody there during the time I visitted.

 

 

Oh well, it was fun seeing the brand new empty parking lot, rather than those nasty trees.

It was educational checking out the absence of the PM Memorial. 

It was invigorating going between the sidewalk and the sand without having to deal with yellow tape or other obstacles. 

And it was a great opportunity to be able to view the new marina without having to deal with those ugly boats blocking my view.  I love my Municipal Marina!

[Dave]

Well, you'd hope that people would see there was no sidewalk but I think we all know that there are plenty of dumb people out in the world. Otherwise, we wouldn't need the numerous warning labels we have on assorted products like warning someone on drinking hot coffee or having to tell people that wearing a Superman cape will not make them able to fly or stop bullets. I would think that there would be some sort of law or at least regulation that would make construction companies have to block off any areas that are under construction... I could be wrong of course but with all the rules and regulations I see even in a store, a construction zone would seem a specially important area for added safety measures.

[XLFD]

Being that sand and dirt are traipsed across the sidewalk nearby, a non-observant or clumsy person could easily have a trip and fall type accident. The night before was Saturday, and we all know boaters and mariners are heavy drinkers (LOL)-- can you imagine a WWI (walking while intoxicated) person making it through here, as this area is not well lit.

Dave, I am on the understanding that this area should be blocked off by law and/or because of preventive liability. I'm not a true safety expert, however, so maybe I'll give my friends at MIOSHA another call.

Disarm, marina usage was/is on a downward trend and 5 full time city workers were laid off along with the loss of at least eight full time summer jobs. Add the yearly total of the 13 salaries for that and you'll have about a fourth of what this project cost. IMHO the transient docks are dead in the water; It just wasn't the right time to do this project.

[Edie Lindsey]

X, a point you haven't really touched on is that those who walk along the marina sidewalk have nothing preventing them from falling into the water. Remember, we got some dumb people around here (Google "Lakeshore Soup" if you doubt this).

I walked it with young tykes last week and they seemed fascinated with going to the edge of the water. One might have fallen in if she wasn't attached to an adult hand. Seems like a future source of liability here for the city, since John Q. has access. Of course, it's only a matter of time before the public is blocked off from that sidewalk.

[Sweater Cows!]

Boy X, I am glad your not out here to nitpick our neighborhood. Of course, we don't even have sidewalks. lol

But it is rather surprising not to see that stuff marked, if you were cruising along on your bike you would take quite the digger (of course bike should be on street not sidewalk), but still.

I hate tree killers. pave paradise to put up a parking lot, hello, what is wrong with a gravel lot, keeps the heat down.

I think the transient docks are cool, in another month that place will be packed.

[XLFD]

Sheila, if you don't pick up the nits they will grow into lice, and you know Ludington shares its hairbrush with Scottville and Custer. Eventually the whole area becomes lousey : p

I do have to disagree on the transient docks. I may be a traditionalist, a naturalist, and biased against the expensive boondoggle off Loomis Street, but I prefer the marina the way it was. The symmetry of the rugged rocks all around the marina where it interfaced with the local streets before has been replaced by an asymmetrical blend of rocks on the east and west, and now an unnatural, ugly (to me) metal barrier to the north. I'll keep checking on the "packed" aspect throughout the summer.

[AQUAMAN]

Wrong place, wrong timing, wrong idea, wrongly financed, your tax dollars hard at work again is all you can believe, and seeing is believing.

[AQUAMAN]

Btw X, you missed pics of the new refuse/garbage cannisters. They only cost about $800 each too, the red steel ones, matched with the same colored picnic tables that cost about $1500 each too. Gotta keep that budget tight you know, musn't waste money on jobs and lifeguards you know, cause we can't afford those luxuries nowadays you know.

[XLFD]

Aq, I missed those, and never heard about those purchases. Grab your camera, which hasn't been used lately, put in an SD card, take a stroll downtown, and give us your commentary on such things. Maybe catch any other possible safety hazards, like Edie mentioned, and put some up here.