A plan to pave and otherwise improve popular Lake Michigan beaches at the
end of Co. Rds. 669 and 651 is not being embraced by all their users.

"It sounds like a good thing," said Susanne (Huey) McCracken, who resides in
North Carolina but grew up in Leland and Glen Arbor. "But my instinct right
away is anything that is paved would change how it feels being in the woods
or in the sand."

McCracken and other beach-goers were interviewed at the Co. Rd. 651 site on
a Monday morning when only a sprinkling of cars were found at the
turn-around. None of the visitors were enthused at impending changes for one
of their favorite places.

Tom UIrich, assistant superintendent at Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore, is hoping park patrons recognize that the projects will end up
benefiting the beach areas and their users.

"By their third visit, I hope they'll say, Œah, this isn't that bad,)" said
Ulrich.

While the projects will get underway this fall or early in the spring of
2008, Ulrich said permits assuring protection of "critical dunes" areas have
already been received from the state Department of Environmental Quality.
The National Park Service is starting the design process of the projects.
While the designs will include several improvements, Ulrich said two should
appeal to most users: Creation of "handicap" parking areas, and a better
traffic flow through the sites. Now, he said, those parking along the sides
of the sand and gravel road ends often have to back up, move forward, and
back up again just to leave.

And often, cars driving to the end of the road have to back up the length of
the parking area if they find no empty spot.

All that backing up and competition for the same piece of roadway can cause
safety problems, Ulrich said.

"Right now, when people are pulling out, they run the risk of banging into
each other. You can't back out and go. Almost every time, you have to do a
three-pointer," said Ulrich.

With defined parking spaces, Ulrich said, the same area will hold more cars,
meaning that visitors may walk shorter distances to get to Lake Michigan.
Drainage will be steered away from the lake.

There likely will be more improvements, notably picnic tables with cement
pads and a fresh water area for drinking and foot washing.

But some Lakeshore users, Ulrich conceded, will never consider paving an
improvement. Many expressed their thoughts through the process to update the
Lakeshore's General Management Plan, a process that is still not complete.

But Park Service officials believe high traffic at the access points
necessitated moving ahead with the improvements.

"There are places where people are parking ever farther out into the dunes.
This will prevent that encouragement," said Ulrich.

Lori Lautner, who resides in Grand Traverse County, was hauling her kayak
down the sandy trail to the water when asked how she felt about improving
the site.

"I think it¹s fine the way it is," said Lautner. "Maybe the less inviting it
is, the fewer people will come out. I don't see where they need to do
anything."

Added Allison Stupka, who was getting in a morning swim before heading to
Lake Street Studios, the Glen Arbor business she co-owns: "Do not pave. This
is northern Michigan; we don't need to change it."