The signs are up and the dirt is moving in projects to pave parking lots for Lake Michigan beaches off road-ends to County Roads 651 and 669, though not everyone is happy with the project.

HEAVY EQUIPMENT operators begin work at
the County 651 road end last week.

County Road Commission manager/supervisor Herb Cradduck said the National Park Service awarded the bid last fall and let him know work would start two weeks ago. The county Road Commission has set aside $25,000 to pave 651 from M-22 to where the Park Service improvement project begins. Cradduck said Tuesday that after talking with Park Service project coordinator Lee Jameson, commission workers could start work on preparing the existing 651 road bed for paving as soon as next week.

Both the road-end parking area and the remainder of 651 will be paved at the same time, and both should be done well before Memorial Day weekend.

Road Commission chairman Lee A. Bowen said the commission has funds available for the project and never believed there was any doubt the road would be paved as part of the improvement. Vice-chairman John Popa said there was a concern on his part about having enough money for other, more important county road improvements this year, and added he is concerned that people will be upset by the changes paving all of 651 and most of the road ends will bring.

One of the people who is already upset is Barb Merica of Lake Leelanau, a longtime county resident.

“It pains me to see what they are doing down there,” she said, reflecting on using the 651 road end to take her children swimming or go for a walk on the beach. She said she there seems to be a “disconnect” between Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s policy of wanting to preserve the natural resources of the area, and the project.

“I’m disappointed at what is happening down there. We are catering to the visitors and leaving the locals behind,” she added.

Jameson said the Park Service wanted to improve the two popular road-end beaches in the Lakeshore to accommodate the high levels of travel both areas receive each summer. The $240,000 project will pave both road ends, creating 25 standard parking spaces for 651 and 23 for 669, as well as two parking spaces for over-sized vehicles. Jameson said the new parking areas will have a drop-off at the trail that leads to the beach at both road ends, and handicap parking spots. In addition to the better defined parking areas, the improvements include picnic areas and a foot-washing station.

General contractor for the project is Rock Industries of Pontiac. Jameson said Rock is using Rieth Riley Construction for most of the work.

“The weather we’ve had put us about one day behind schedule, but we’re still on target to get both road ends done before Memorial Day weekend,” he said.

Bowen said permits issued by the road commission include language that vehicles parked within the county road right-of-way at either road-end are not to be ticketed if they don’t have a Park Service pass.

The Park Service requires the purchase of a park pass for people who use any part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Passes may be purchased at the Lakeshore visitor center in Empire and at different locations around the Lakeshore.

Jameson said as part of the road-end improvement project, the Park Service will install machines outside of the road right-of-way at each beach so people may purchase a park passes on site.