VBT to restore VB Park beach with cleanup and 250 tons of new sand

The Van Buren Township Board of Trustees selected Premier Group Associates, LC of Detroit to restore the beach at Van Buren Park at a cost of $18,300, which includes putting about 250 tons of sand on the beach.
At its June 18 regular meeting, the board approved the recommendation by Parks Director Jason Locke to select the lowest of the six bidders, whose bids ranged from $18,300 to $107,195.
Director Locke said that Premier’s bid was so low, he checked their references and the references were outstanding, several from the City of Detroit.
He said Premier is able to keep the price down because they do not use vendors, but they will do all the work themselves.
He said he is confident they can restore one of the most popular places in the township.
Director Locke said most of the sand on the beach has washed away and it is mostly stone now. The township is restoring 4,721 square feet of beach and after clearing all the concrete, debris, and stones away, they will put in 10 inches of sand – which is about 250 tons of 2ns sand.
He said the two catch basins at the beach area are covered over and full from water runoff from the top of the beach peninsula. The storm sewer and catch basins will be cleaned out and the beach area will be cleared up with new sand installed in the entire area from the bottom path of the walking ramp to the water line.
He expected them to start within 15 days and there will be five days of work, during which the beach will be closed to the public. There will be two days of sewer cleaning. The schedule is barring disruptions by the weather, he said.
Director Locke said the six bids were publicly opened on May 23 and were: Premier Group Assoc., $18,300; Schlicht Ponds, $27,500; Forte Contracting, $27,750; Davenport Brothers, $28,800; Precision Pro Construction, $104,356; and Decima LLC, $107,195.
Township Supervisor Kevin McNamara said the beach has been crowded with the hot days this area has had and people are walking down the hill to use it.
In other business at the 50-minute meeting, the board:
• Heard a financial audit report by Plante Moran and approved the audits of all township funds. The auditors gave the township an unmodified opinion – the highest – and said it was a “pretty plain report, which is what you want. Nothing alarming.” He said there was just one finding related to a journal entry and it’s been adjusted and had zero effect on the audit report;
• Approved the reappointments of Walter Rochowiak and Eileen Parent to the Water and Sewer Commission with terms to expire June 1, 2026;
• Approved the second reading and adoption of ordinance 06-04-24 (1) to amend the zoning ordinance to provide language signage provisions for the Belleville and Sumpter Road Mixed-Use Districts;
• Approved the second reading and adoption of Ordinance 06-04-24 (2) to rezone just over 5 acres of property at the southeast corner of Sumpter and Hull roads from AG-Agricultural and Estate to SRMU-Sumpter Road Mixed Use District. This is for Tractor Supply, which Dan Power, director of planning and economic development, said is a lynchpin project for the new Sumpter Road Corridor plan; and
• Heard Teresa Patton of Van Buren Township introduce herself as a candidate for the seat to be vacated by the retirement of 34th District Court Judge Tina Brooks Green.