SAVE LUDINGTON AVE. WEST END

[Willy]

The same numbskulls running the City who continue to defy the FIOA laws are again trying to alter the West end of Ludington Ave. They just won't give up. They continue to try and waste the taxpayers money. 

"A proposal to make major changes to the west end of Ludington Avenue is scheduled to come back to the Ludington City Council Monday and the council could set public hearings in March to learn reactions of residents to the idea of seeking grant money from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund to pay for those changes.

The council has discussed the issue many times in the past and has sought grant money for the work, with the hope this might be the year the work is funded.

One phase of the project that has been planned for several years is building a concrete walkway along the beach in front of the dune between the Ludington North Breakwater and the west end of Ludington Avenue, where the pavement ends, plus a portion of the promenade area where the avenue ends.

Another idea the council has discussed in the past would close off the westernmost block of the street to vehicles and pave it with bricks, add short shrubs and create a paved area where tents could be erected and parties held."

[Brad]

Meeting tonight at 6:30 for this!!

Online petition @-

https://www.change.org/p/michigan-city-council-citizens-and-taxpaye...

[XLFD]

Brad,

Thanks for joining and lending your enthusiasm!  The first 117 members names and comments in the petition are currently in the city's hands.  Please come to the city council meeting and note the faces of those councilors who would deface Stearn's Beach in voting to pass this application onto the state!

[Brad]

I'm reposting this here as it is what our resistance is based on... SAVE THE WEST END!

I hope someone who's following this discussion and hasn't seen the other WES discussions will see it, be inspired and sign the petition and also email Tamra and the Grant Board.

I urge someone to post this to Facebook, Twitter, etc.

I would hope someone would also pass this on to Deb D and any other supporters that don't visit The Torch.

This grant will not be voted on by the DNR Grant Board till December 7th 2016 in Lansing.

Everyone opposed the desecration of the West End NEED to send emails or letters to Tamara and the Trust board. The only way to stop this is to stop the grant. The city council, manager, employees will NOT listen.

Here again is Tamara’s last response… ”The City of Ludington did submit a grant application for the Stearns Beach Recreation Area at the dead end of Ludington Ave. Recommendations will be made by the Trust Fund Board December 7. There are other Trust Fund Board meetings prior to that meeting. All meetings are open to the public. Here is a link to the meeting schedule, http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-65134_65142-318972--,00.html. Let me know if you have any other questions.

The application number is TF16-0035. The Board does not make recommendations on projects until December 7 and it is open to the public. If you have items that you want to bring to our attention you can e-mail or send letters and I will include them with the grant application as part of our review. If you would like to bring things to the attention of the Board you may attend any of the meetings. I would recommend attending a meeting prior to December 7. I would recommend the October 19 meeting."

Grant Coordinator:

Tamara Jorkasky, (Region 2&4) Grants Mgmt

Section MDNR

Constitution Hall

525 W. Allegan St., P.O.Box 30425

Lansing, Mi. 48909

517-284-5948

[e-mail]

Trust Board:

Dr. William E. Moritz, Director
Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 30028
Lansing, MI 48909
517-284-6367
[e-mail]

Brad Canale
2028 Audubon
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-647-7038 - Business
[e-mail]

Steven Hamp
1520 Harding Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
313-961-0500 - Business
[e-mail]

Samuel Cummings, Chair
CWD Real Estate Investment
15 Ionia, SW, Suite 630
Grand Rapids, MI
616-726-1700 - Business
[e-mail]

Erin McDonough, President
Michigan Oil and Gas Association
124 W. Allegan Street, Suite 1610
Lansing, MI 48933
517-487-1092 – Business
[e-mail]

Or at: http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-65134_65142-39501--,00.html

Here's the online petition link: https://www.change.org/p/michigan-city-council-citizens-and-taxpaye...

Thank you to Shinblind and Aquaman for above contact info and thanks to everyone’s opposition.

WE MUST BE PERSISTENT AND RESILIENT.

SAVE THE WEST END!

[jfc123]

Thanks for your passion and persistence! Makes me realize that they need me to inform them of the issues in the Pere Marquette bayou and that they need to consider funding something that restricts the public while the city owned marinas thrive as a private owned is out of business due to the failure of the WWTP during a storm on June 8 2008! We just want to be like we were on June 7 2008 and have maintenance done on the Creamy Corners drain like they are supposed to do and why they charge extra in sewage discharge into it!

[Brad]

Reposting this so it stays on the forefront....

Please share this destruction with everyone you can, in all means possible; email, text, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, watercooler, etc.

Please, most important, communicate with the Grant Coordinator and Grant Board with your opposition.

And visit the West End to see and understand it's purpose. (Maybe let other visitors there know it may be taken away)

Thank you!

[AQUAMAN]

Thanks for the reminder again Brad, so true. I think it would be a good idea to let visitors and locals alike know more by posting a printed page at the stores around town, like grocery and box store bulletin boards. Also some parks and motels have poster boards. The more times and more flyers that go out locally, the more people may be involved. The project is slated to be on serious mtgs. on October 19, and Dec. 7, 2016.

[jfc123]

Yes a good idea! The old pictures posted of fisher people on the break wall on Vanished Ludington page on facebook is a thing of the past. A nice summer day and 60 less parking spots makes it much worse. The 30 or so signer friends of mine that are not residents but probably have more time in Ludington then Krauch have asked what was going on with the petition I have told the story about Krauch, their response was"why don't they want people to visit there, its beautiful as it is, that's why we go." Many more add the, "we need to find somewhere that wants us to visit I guess"

[Brad]

This morning they are taking down at least one swing-set at the West End beach playground....

...What else are they up to..?!

[XLFD]

Thanks for the intel, Brad, and the picture.  The 2016-2020 Recreation Plan (above on p. 6-7) had the replacement of playground equipment taking place.  Hopefully, these old swings will be replaced with newer swings or their equivalent.  I will assume that is the case for now, unless nothing is done between now and the next council meeting.

It is odd that both the Recreation Dept. and DPW gave their lengthy annual reports last night and neither included any talk of this taking place immediately.

[shinblind]

If they are clearing this area and moving the new playground equipment to the North, then they are following the Master Plan for the West End Scheme. It shows this area being vacant of any playground equipment to allow room for the half azzed roundabout and invasive specie planters. Will have to watch how this plays out.

[Brad]

There seems to be only one way now to SAVE THE WEST END, since the city has applied for the grant funds from the DNR to unnecessarily add this very non-beneficial park while removing easy access and needed parking and also changing the unobstructed beauty on the Ludington Avenue West End. The manager, CD director, and city council should be humiliated, exposed, and ousted for conning money from the DNR and tax payers, while they have an overwhelming and huge problem with the waste water treatment plant. This tied along with their misuse of state funds to clean up the Pere Marquette Bayou. The Grant Coordinator Tamara Jorkasky along with House Rep Franz and even Rep Bill Huizenga should be made aware of this along with your opposition to the West End Project.

DNR Grant Coordinator Tamara Jorkasky: [e-mail] or 517-284-5948

The DNR grant application number is TF16-0035.

The DNR Grant Trust Board does not make recommendations on projects until December 7 and it is open to the public so we have time to rally citizens.

To express your opposition to the West End Project (Scheme) to the attention of the Grant Board. You’ll need to e-mail your opposition to Tamara and she will include them with the grant application as part of the review.

You can also bring opposition to the attention of the Board by attending any of the meetings. (http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-65134_65142-318972--,00.html). Tamara recommends attending a meeting prior to December 7. Tamara recommends attending the October 19 meeting.

Rep Ray Franz: [e-mail] or 517-373-0825

Rep Bill Huizenga: http://huizenga.house.gov/contact/ or 202-225-4401

[XLFD]

Brad,

Thanks as always for your information on how to preserve the beauty of the West End.  We need a coordinated plan of defense to stave off this attack on perhaps our most beloved natural resource in town.  I will be around with a couple of more updates on some more interesting findings shortly, as time permits.