The Fruitland Township board continues to work towards addressing the concerns of road safety on Nestrom Road and the intersection of Riley-Thompson and Whitehall roads. Many residents of Fruitland Township have shared worries over the busy intersection next to Michigan’s Adventure, particularly during the summer months, and Nestrom, which currently has a speed limit of 45 miles per hour and has seen traffic accidents in the past.
The township has taken steps to lower the speed limit on Nestrom and insert a traffic light at the Riley-Thompson and Whitehall intersection, and the next steps are the request of a speed study and a traffic signal study, which are submitted to the Muskegon County Road Commission.
The hope is the result of the studies will mirror citizens' concerns, and a traffic light - which will operate as a standard, tri-color light in the summer and will transition to a single flashing stop/caution light for the off-season. Nestrom’s speed limit is a trickier subject, however. While Fruitland Township would like the 45 mph speed limit to be lowered to 35, the Road Commission wishes to raise it to 55. The board's bare minimum hope is to keep the limit as it is currently, or, ideally, lower it. The requests are on the agenda for the Road Commission’s next meeting, which supervisor Jeff Marcinkowski will attend to present the item.
Parks were another major topic for decision-making on the Township this week. First, the board approved a letter requesting the Parks Commission to transfer a piece of property to the board. The land in question is 3.5 acres and would be transferred from Neestrom Park, which would be used in the construction of a “future community center.”
The board unanimously approved this letter, which is simply to introduce the idea to the Parks Commission so it can discuss at its upcoming meeting in July. This topic was brought up again during closing public comment, as one resident voiced concerns many taxpayers might have about a new community center and the millage to pay for it, and wondered if an addition to the current township building would be preferable.
Also in consideration for Nestrom Park is a change to the five-year master plan of improvements. There are plans to add accessible pathways to the park, which was initially placed before the addition of extra parking spaces. After conferring with the contractor for the project, Marcinkowski was advised that the construction of pathways and parking happen concurrently, to ensure everything is at the same grade level. This is if the township is awarded the DNR Passport Grant, which would reimburse the cost of the project. The board unanimously decided that, should the grant go through, the accessible pathways and new parking projects shall happen together.
Finally, there is an upcoming informational meeting concerning the township’s drains. The board recommends residents make an effort to attend, even if they are not within the drainage district which requires improvements, as they should be informed on the costs of the project and following assessment. This meeting was originally scheduled for June 26, but was postponed due to scheduling conflicts. The rescheduled meeting is yet to be announced, but will likely take place in July.
