Saugatuck reaches settlement with hotel owner over playground
SAUGATUCK — Saugatuck City Council and ownership for Maplewood Hotel have reached a settlement pertaining to the construction of a new playground at Village Square Park.
Maplewood Hotel owner Catherine Simon, under the terms of the agreement, will drop a lawsuit she's filed against Saugatuck after agreeing to final plans, layouts and specifications for the park — while the city has agreed not to remove additional trees during construction.
The agreement was discussed during a special meeting Wednesday, April 17 — not the first meeting held on the subject.
The agreement also says no further approvals are necessary prior to installation, and Simon will waive any rights to challenge the lawfulness of the city or Historic District Commission’s approval of the playground’s main features.
Disagreement over the playground dates back to October, when Saugatuck City Council voted in favor of completely replacing equipment for $450,000; a cost reduced after the construction company secured a $113,000 grant.
More: Village Square Park in Saugatuck will see $450K glow-up next spring
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.
But 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 that 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.
Despite complaints, the city planned to move forward with a community build April 15-16. Simon filed a lawsuit April 12, putting the project on hold.
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.”
According to Saugatuck Mayor Pro-Tem Helen Baldwin, the lawsuit jeopardized the entire project.
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“The professional installers that we need to complete the project are only available for a limited time, and if we miss that window, the project will have to be delayed until after the summer,” Baldwin said. “This will deny both residents and visitors the use of the playground for an entire tourist season and leave an excavated hole in the middle of Village Square Park in the meantime.”
Multiple closed sessions afterward led to the agreement.
With the settlement in place, Baldwin said the community build is tentatively planned for May 6-8.
— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Saugatuck reaches settlement with hotel owner over playground
