Historic Commission approves extra elements for Village Square Park
SAUGATUCK — The drama wasn't quite over for Saugatuck's Village Square Park; but now, the issue may finally be laid to rest.
The playground in the park was again discussed during a special meeting of the Saugatuck Historic District Commission on Tuesday. The meeting came after Saugatuck City Council and Maplewood Hotel owner Catherine Simon reached a settlement agreement.
Simon, whose hotel neighbors the park, agreed to drop a lawsuit she'd filed after the city expanded its plans beyond the playground's initial footprint. Both sides agreed to final plans, layouts and specifications — and the city agreed not to remove additional trees during construction.
Both parties also agreed to leave certain expansion elements of the project up to the Historic District Commission.
The topic was discussed at length Tuesday, including a three-minute presentation during public comment from Simon. Additional elements include a "Mini-Jeepster," "Mountain Climber," "Track Ride" and "Net Wall."
Following the decision, Simon told The Sentinel she has options, but will take time to explore them before making any decisions.
Disagreement over the playground dates back to October, when Saugatuck City Council voted in favor of completely replacing equipment at the park. The city also planned a supervised community build for installation — a move that would save over $35,000 — with a projected opening in the spring.
On April 2, in an email to council and other representatives, resident Gary Medler issued a complaint.
In the email, Medler laid out his concerns and those of Simon, arguing the project wasn't utilizing the existing footprint and consumed more space than expected. Simon was unhappy with how close the playground would come to her business.
More: Saugatuck reaches settlement with hotel owner over playground
In her lawsuit, Simon argued she “would suffer irreparable harm and loss if defendants are permitted to continue the work at Village Square and install playground equipment that would negatively impact the use and enjoyment of (her) property.”
Many residents voiced their thoughts Tuesday. Lavinia Oancea wrote about the disappointment her children felt after seeing a cease and desist sign on the property.
“We’re completely perplexed by this,” Oancea wrote. “... We and our families are super disappointed by this hold on (the) build. The playground is not only a benefit for locals, visitors love it, too.”
Christian Kindel, meanwhile, voiced support for both the playground and the hotel. Kindel said it's important to remember to maintain scale in a historical area.
Kindel said Simon and Maplewood Hotel offer more than a place to sleep — they offer a unique customer service and guest experience. His fear is the playground will impose on that.
“I fear the proposed expansion of the playground, with its audible features, could disturb guests and deter them from returning,” Kindel wrote. “The playground is too close to the hotel’s bedrooms.”
Some members of the commission were disappointed the matter reached such a level of disagreement.
“Unfortunately, we had a citizen who felt aggrieved, for better or worse,” said Laura Godfrey. “(A citizen) who felt she had to bring litigation, and that is certainly not a position I would hope the city would be in in the future with any similar project.”
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The community build is now complete. Following the commission’s decision Tuesday, Mayor Pro-Tem Helen Baldwin told The Sentinel final elements will be installed by professionals.
"We got the vote that we were hoping for and so now things are moving forward," Baldwin said. "... I'm grateful to be moving forward and good to have all this behind us."
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Historic Commission approves extra elements for Village Square Park
