Ottawa County considers 3 plans for Rosy Mound expansion
ich. (WOOD) — Park patrons at the Rosy Mound Natural Area in Grand Haven Township are thrilled at the prospect of expanding the beloved natural resource.
"Fabulous," Meredith Jackson of Grand Haven said. "The more we can have access to the waterfront and undeveloped nature is a wonderful thing."
The Ottawa County Parks Department solicited public feedback on three versions of a master plan for the 127-acre expansion of the park into land north of the park, previously owned by a sand mining company.
Rosy Mound expansion one step closer to reality
The move comes 100 years after mining operations opened on the land in 1924.
All three versions of the master plan feature a new entrance in the expanded portion of the park including a parking area, modern bathroom and trailhead. The expanded trail network in all three plans includes a natural surface path that connects to the beach, as well as a crushed stone trail with timber steps that eventually connect to existing boardwalk near the water.
See the plans on Ottawa County's website
The plans differ in the level of amenities. They range from a 50-person picnic shelter to a three-season dune shelter and nature event center to a 150-person group picnic shelter, dune perch and extended paved drive.
People that News 8 spoke to at the park on Friday shared their thoughts.
"For the ratio of parking to trail, I'd say go right in the middle," Jackson said. "The more people that can enjoy it, the better — but at the same time, making sure we leave it as we found it as much as we can."
See information about the Rosy Mound Natural Area on Ottawa County's website
"I really hope they keep this kind of quality," Natalie Rodriguez, a Kent County resident, said. "I like that a lot of the trails over the dune haven't tampered with the dune itself."
The county released all three proposals and details on the land acquisition ahead of public input at this week's commission meeting.
If you missed the meeting but would still like to make your voice heard, you can participate in an online survey through Nov. 21.
