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."

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In a May 22, 2016 organizational chart for the DEQ/DNR Water Resources Division, Jankowski has a couple of superiors you may go to if he seems deaf to your concerns and seems to have very acute hearing for John Shay.  Please contact them if you feel slighted by Jankowski: 

I think K. Fish is the current temporary Director, good luck contacting her too. Btw, I have also witnessed daily since the 4th, except for rain days, that the West End is continuing to be a very busy area, hardly a parking spot to be had all week long.

So just want to bring up this thorn in our sides... Hopefully people have or will still contact Tamara at the DNR Grant office, so we can make our opposition known.

Also, there's heavy use down on West End today for the weekend.  I don't think the raised tent will even fit in the proposed Scheme.  Wonder where they would need to put it if the the West End is destroyed by Shay, Council, and CDA?  In the marina parking lot?  Unbelievable.

I also see they're doing sidewalks in the park next to channel, south of marina lot.  I think weeks ago they had pulled out trees from that park too. (along with what seems to be a simple basic remodel of the mini-golf, why not make it more modern?)

Please Torchees and others contact Tamara DNR Grant Coordinator!

Well said Brad, and I also hope more will sign that change.org petition against the WEP. Final decision by Grants Div. is 12/7/16, but another important mtg. is early Oct.. That too must get written to, and attended by anyone close that will participate. Thanks. 

You know, I don't really down play the tourists, but since what I witnessed today and that the CM, CC, and CDD all want to do more for tourists then locals, I must VENT... (Warning: I'm writing this without a "cooldown" period)
I just left the grocery store, and I'm so f****** pissed off right now!
A guy at the store, at the register, I think was talking to an employee down an isle, asking him to grab an item for him.
He kept saying "on the right, on the right, ....on your other right", then said "what did you go to school in Scottville."
Everyone in the store went UGH!
His wife was mad at him, they started arguing in the store, and everybody's talking about him.
And here's the real part that I'm pissed about... I got outside and they're from f****** Illinois!
I started driving over to say something to him.... but didn't, as my son was in the car.
I know there are many decent tourists, but this points out how I'm appalled that our city cares so little for it's local residents!

I have received this as a "tourist" many times traveling back and fro. Most has been well east of Ludington, but the tourist hate is real. I, by no mean feel that this was reasonable at all!

We were at Family day at Ford Field Saturday. Went to American Coney after, was a big chore for me because Detroit is a tough area to be mobile in, and I live well north. We finally got in, one customer had a plate dropped on his foot, cut bad, pretty much left to fend for his self. So many people. The lack of care/concern for each other is multiplied in my area, way more than there!

I would like to somehow post your concern, your name left out, as a poll on concerned locals and ask for responses if it would be ok?

The influx of tourists into our area is a long standing tradition, and also, a long standing nuisance, for most of us locals. The new Millenium gen. now has far exceeded the norm of the tourists of yesterday. Driving like crazy, pushing and shoving us around, buying stores out of supplies, acting like they alone are more important than anyone else in line, calling most of us dumb hillbillies, and the list is even longer. Granted, we want and need some tourism, to a normal and reasonable degree, but of recent, I don't care for it one way or the other. I think if there was a tourist tax, say $10/day, that might increase our local revenues, fix many problems they create, and also fend off some of the less wanted bunch that stay here way too much. If for instance the Epworth/Hamlin/Ludington visitors stayed here 3 months, charge them accordingly, $900 a season, and so forth for the Hotel/Motel/Cottage visitors. 

I may have a thicker skin than most due to my years of dealing with the city council, but I didn't see much of a problem with the sarcastic phrase "What did you go to school in Scottville?"  And I went to school in Scottville (Does it show?) graduating Magna Cum Laude. 

I love the place and will defend its honor if needed, but when your city's secondary name is "Clown Town", you should not expect others to put it in the same esteem as Oxford.  One of my friends always tongue-in-cheek dismisses my opinions because I come from Clown Town, but that's just how he tries to get the better of an argument.  Not knowing the Illini's history and intent, I would give him benefit of the doubt and presume he had no ill intent towards Scottville or the employee.

I think this fudgie had no ill intent towards Scottville, but his comment WAS demeaning to the employee that was actually helping him. My true point of the post was to show that the city would rather take money from this ass then care about citizen's opinions.

See attached... Excerpts from DNR Guideline booklet on notifying the public.

So unfortunately I haven’t had enough time to go thru all this...
Does any one know if the city followed these guideline to apply and amend the West End Grant?  Just wondering if they followed required guidelines. (some are suggestions)  Especially wondering about "amendments" notices.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-58225_58301---,00.html

 

Attachments:

I am not totally sure of the first, I have not reviewed the original conveyance in that much detail.

For the second point, the city attorney has determined at a previous meeting that I brought this very section up that the modifications used at the West End of Ludington is not technically a diversion of public use of the park.  He then offered a parable of all the extra hullaballoo that would need to take place for minor alterations of a city park if it was interpreted the way you, I, and other reasonable people should interpret the wording of that section. 

In 2009 when they set aside a portion of Cartier Park for a private group to build a dog park, I brought that section up because it definitely applied then, even more than it does for the current plans on the West End, since the city effectively gave public parkland to a private entity (one ran by a city official, Joe Moloney).  I stated then that this would become a recurring theme as the City of Ludington would try to exploit our parklands using the same methods in order to satisfy either their own egos, the whims of special interest developers, and/or enrich their treasury.

It's sad when our elected officials see the law, and promptly ignore it

Verdad,  

To answer  your first question  US 10 formerly ended at the West End but a few years ago the  city petitioned the State to move its terminus down James Street ending at the fantail of the carferry Badger.

While praised at the time and is kind of a proper place to end it as US 10 again picks up at the carferry dock in Manitowoc in retrospect it was a short sighted idea. Let me explain.

By moving US 10 down James street the city has to play by State rules in regards  to the operation of the block of Ludington Avenue between Harrison and James. This means that the downtown area will never be properly developed. State rules dictate that the only allowable diagonal parking on a State named thorofare must be backed into instead of the more natural driving in head first 

Picture this, US 10 instead of US 10 traveling down James Street at the light, it turned south down Harrison at the stoplight to Loomis Street, then  traveled back to James and continued on. This would free up the downtown area to be developed correctly.

The stoplight at James could be pulled. The center of Ludington Avenue could have a narrow boulevard with diagonal  on both sides from a single lane of traffic going through the downtown.  Backing out of the diagonal spaces would be easy as traffic would be held up by the stoplights.  

James street south of the now removed stoplight could be closed off as a pedestrian area. Traffic would flow smoother through the downtown area with only 2 stoplights to contend with. The boulevard could continue to the one further to the West by House of Flavors if  desired. This would make the downtown area seem busier and more user friendly.  

Ideally instead of US10 going south on James it would have been moved further west on Loomis  to Rath  where 10 would become one way south. James Street could then be switched to one way north.You would then have US 10 divided which would lead to more maintenance funds from the State.  This would have made traffic flow even better. There would subsequently be more economic development in this area. The town would appear more vibrant and alive instead of  the current dull and insipid. 

But of course as usual,in exercising its options, the city chose poorly.

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