Alexander Sinn, Grand Haven Tribune
April 10, 2019
The plan would carve a 50-foot-wide, 7-foot-deep, 22.5-mile stretch of the river between Fulton Street in Grand Rapids and the Bass River inlet in Eastmanville.
WEST OLIVE, Mich. (GRAND HAVEN TRIBUNE) – “Are there any positives?”
It was a serious question from Ottawa County Commissioner Francisco Garcia during Tuesday’s public hearing about a proposed dredging project on the Grand River.
The hearing before the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners took place at the county’s Fillmore Street Complex.
Dan Hibma, a property owner spearheading the Grand River Waterway project, defended an initiative he said would generate $5.7 million annually from increased visitor spending. Proponents say the investment would bring opportunities for development along the river, increase property values for residents and tax revenues for municipalities.
The state Legislature in December’s lame-duck session allocated $3.25 million to the dredging endeavor, supported by then-Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive.
In the wake of studies on dredging feasibility and economic impacts, municipal authorities in downriver communities have said project proponents made too many assumptions about the benefits, and did not consider the repercussions.