OTTAWA COUNTY — A massive Ottawa County projectis seeing progress.
After nearly a year, Apex Contractors has been picked to head the first phase of the Ottawa Sands project, turning a former sand mine into overnight campsites.
It didn't happen without some cuts, but on Tuesday the county put $3.5 million into making this park a destination for all.
On a snowy day, few people were willing to brave the trails except Nick Morrissey, a hiker who happened to enjoy the trails for the very first time on Tuesday.
His first impression was favorable.
"Just a little quiet and secluded, kinda just enjoy being outdoors," said Morrissey.
The former Ferrysburg sand mine will soon have a lot more to offer visitors than beautiful trails.
"We're trying to develop a camp area here for overnight stays. So, that will include in this initial phase, some tent sites and then also some interesting accommodation, some yurts, so these Mongolian style tents, for people to stay overnight and enjoy the site longer," Ottawa County Parks Coordinator of Park Planning and Development Curt TerHaar.
This is phase one of making this 340-acre site a spot for travelers worldwide to visit. TerHaar says the funding for this first step comes from the Bill and Bea Idema Foundation.
"So there are two elements, in particular, they liked the yurt idea. and they were also in the next phase will be doing tree houses. So, these raised cabins in the in the tree area," TerHaar added.
Nick Morrissey also liked the yurt idea.
"Every once in a while, it's nice to go to a place that's kind of established and set up like you said the yurts and everything and you just get to go there and you get to immerse yourself in the nature but have the comforts of being in a home kind of," Morrissey said.
Weather permitting, people could be staying overnight sometime next fall.
"We did take out a remodeling of a small building that's on the site that we would use for an office and a kayak launch, which we really would like to do," TerHaar said.
TeHaar says they hope to add those projects back when there's more funding. The parks department plans to continue and follow the 2020 Ottawa Sands master plan.
In the meantime, they're focusing on what makes the project special.
"Hopefully, this view will stay almost exactly the same. We were trying to make sure we don't mess up what people really like about this place. But we think there are other places that really makes sense to provide more access, get people there," TerHaar said.
