New canoe/kayak launch at Horizon Park to be dedicated Aug. 20

The final touches are being put on the new canoe/kayak launch at Horizon Park in the city of Belleville and the launch is expected to be dedicated with fanfare during the Aug. 20 Bridge Walk/Taste of Belleville events.
The Belleville Downtown Development Authority will pay for people to try kayaks without charge in the early afternoon on Aug. 20 before the Bridge Walk begins at 5:30 p.m.
At the regular July 15 meeting of the Belleville Downtown Development Authority, Spicer engineer David Vallier reported on the construction work by low-bidder Blue Ribbon, which he said was doing an “awesome job.”
Vallier said the railing is up, the dock is up, the timber stairway is up, along with lakeshore seating and the kayak slide.
He said among the “real minor” things to do were the cement slab for the picnic table, which was due to be poured the next day, and the milling, paving, and striping of the parking lot planned for the week of July 27.
He said everything is scheduled to be done by Aug. 1.
Vallier said $4,000 worth of expenses have been added to the project, which includes repairing and raising up the catch basin in the parking lot, addition of two-inch “egg rock” (river rock) underneath the slide which will be easier to maintain than vegetation, fixing a broken 4×4 post on the existing stairway, and replacing the kiosk glass with a higher-quality acrylic.
“For a $104,000 project, this is small,” Vallier said, adding, “I was out there today taking pictures and people are anxious to use it.”
He said Blue Ribbon broke three flags of concrete when their trucks went over them and they will fix that at their own expense.
DDA coordinator Carol Thompson said the Department of Natural Resources, which gave a $120,700 grant for the work, wants 30 days’ notice for the grand opening and they want to see their plaques.
The DDA members discussed just what the signs at the site should say, although they all agreed they should match the design of the way-finding signs on Main Street. There needs to be signs that say no swimming, no fishing, no skateboards or bikes, for liability issues, Thompson said.
Also, Thompson said Elk Rapids has signs that say “courtesy dock” which was a suggestion on what to call this setup. Or, “community access docks.”
The entire system is handicapped accessible, so “ADA” also needs to be posted somewhere, said DDA chairperson Rosemary Loria.
Thompson will propose some wording for the signs to the city council, which will make the final decisions.
They will want to decide how long the boats will be allowed to tie up at the 10-foot fingers of docks, from 1 to 3 hours or more.
Vallier said there could be another 10-foot section of dock added on without a problem in the future.
Thompson said she talked to Heavener Canoe and Kayak Livery in Milford and they said for from $800 to $1,000 they would bring out 12 to 18 kayaks, plus life jackets and paddles, so people can try out the kayak launch with short rides on Aug. 20.
Thompson said there would be some three or four spotters on the lake to keep watch on the novice kayakers. She suggested this be done at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, instead of when everything else is going on that day, including the rubber ducky race.
Thompson said she doesn’t know the total cost for the dedication, but she will want to get word out with advertising and printing.
In other business at the 34-minute meeting July 15, the DDA:
• Heard City Manager Diana Kollmeyer say that the Playscape at Village Park is being torn down and 6-8” of compost taken out. Installation of the new structure was scheduled for the next week; and
• Heard Thompson point out that among the items to be approved on the July accounts payable list was a quarterly payment to the city of $75,499 and a check for $2,000 to the Belleville Area Historical Society. Accounts payable for June included $7,000 to the National Strawberry Festival and two checks of $3,000 each ($6,000 total) to the Belleville Area Council for the Arts.