Parks and Recreation committee recommends local firm for beach access restoration

The Casco Township Nature Preserve stairs were destroyed by erosion in 2020

The Casco Township Parks & Recreation Committee held a special meeting on Thursday, January 15, 2026 at 6:00 pm to receive presentations from three different engineering firms. The firms proposed a plan to restore public access to Lake Michigan at the Casco Township Nature Preserve.

The three firms included Prein & Newhof, with Matt Levandoski, PLA, presenting; Fleis & Vandenbrink, Matt Biolette, presenting; and Edgewater Resources, Mike Morphey, PE, LEED AP, Principal Senior Engineer, presenting.

After presentations and discussion the committee voted to recommend hiring Edgewater. The Committee will request the Board of Trustees to approve and fund this recommendation at the regular January meeting of the Township Board of Trustees slated for Tuesday January 20 at 7:00 pm (moved from Monday due to the Martin Luther King Federal Holiday).

The proposals were focused on creating a biddable plan to restore public access to the beach. The process is lengthy and complicated due to a variety of factors. Primarily, the bluff's composition of sand, clay and groundwater, located in a high risk erosion area, presents a geologically challenging site for long term beach access. Stairs built in approximately 2013 lasted just 6-7 years, with some repair, ultimately failing from wave action and bluff slumping following high water levels in 2020.

Restoration of access to the beach depends on funding from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF). MNRTF monies have been used to acquire and develop the Nature Preserve. Most recently, a development grant funded in part the construction of bathrooms, an expanded parking lot, and a turnaround driveway at the Preserve.

Funding decisions by the MNRTF are made just once annually, in December. Applications to the MNRTF are due April 1. The maximum an entity like Casco Township can be awarded is $400,000 per year. The pursuit of funding from the MNRTF likely means the Township faces a four year process for the restoration of beach access.

The engineering firm under contract will develop a plan to restore public access and, with the Township, prepare the MNRTF application. A rough timeline is as follows:

Engineering consultant hiring decision	January 2026
Proposed public access plan drafted	January - March 2026
Public engagement meeting	February or March 2026
Township Board resolution of support	March 2026
Application submitted to MNRTF	April 1, 2026
Scoring of application available for review	Summer 2026
Funding decision by MNRTF board	December 2026
Engineered plans developed and bid	Spring/Summer/Fall 2027
MNRTF grant agreement funded	Fall 2027
Construction phase	2028, 2029

If the Township needs to pursue funding in phases--by pursuing two $400,000 grants over two years-- the project has potential to stretch into 2030. MNRTF rules require that no project expenses are incurred prior to January 1 of 2027 (if the project is selected in December of 2026). The issuance of the grant agreement follows approval of the State of Michigan budget, and project reimbursements would not begin until Fall of 2028.

This lengthy timeline allows the Parks and Recreation committee time to bank millage funds for the required grant match. A voted .25 mill is collected annually for Parks and Recreation.

A fundraising effort is also under consideration by the Parks and Recreation committee.

At this point, the way the public will reach the beach from the 60' bluff is not clear. Options under consideration include a pathway, ramps on pilings, stairs, a chairlift, or some combination of these. Thorough engineering to establish what is possible or recommended would follow the award of the MNRTF grant.

Matt Levandoski of Prein & Newhof managed the expectations for the committee when he said, "We don't have time to do soil borings and geotechnical work, but engineers have enough understanding [of the site]. We're going to take an educated guess and you'll have to trust us."

Although Prein & Newhof was not the committee's first choice, his comments were informative. Levandoski felt the Township would score well on an MNRTF application. He also said the project would score points due to its place on the Lake Michigan water trail, and beach accessibility is a high priority for the MNRTF. "If the goal is to get accessibility to the Lake, they [the Department of Natural Resources] don't care that much about design," Levandoski said, emphasizing instead implementing a strategy for scoring high on the MNRTF application.

The selection of Edgewater for this initial conceptual plan was primarily based on the firm's extensive local experience. The firm was involved in repairing erosion to a beach pathway at Windcliff, a lakefront development in Casco Township. Morphey said that Edgewater has "a ton of Lake Michigan shoreline experience. We pursue the least invasive solutions first. We've done about 100 projects in ten years on the coastline of Lake Michigan."

He continued, "In the past ten years, we've raised $60M in grant funding for parks, marinas, shoreline stabilization, and coastal studies. We optimize costs without sacrificing resilience and do the right thing for the long term. We optimize the potential to get permits and grant funding. We pride ourselves on precise cost estimates."

In discussion, Kelly Hecker led with her gut reaction. "We interviewed 3 good candidates, and I am impressed by the knowledge of Edgewater."

Chair Andy Litts liked the fact that Edgewater intended to propose 3 concepts up front. "We're talking about all of these things--we want an expert to tell us what are the best approaches for this. That's what you will get with Edgewater--all they do is lakeshore things."

Debbie Weaver noted that the bid from Edgewater, at $31,000, was the highest of the three but was impressed with Edgewater's credibility and expertise. "If spending $30,000 saves us in the end, there's something to be said for that."

Mary Campbell also favored the 3 options offered by Edgewater. "If the public sees three options, the public might buy into it."

Andy Litts concurred. "Offering options may be better than one option rammed down the public's throat."

Paul Macyauski appreciated the level of expertise offered by Edgewater Resources. "Three concepts will make it easier for us to make a decision."

There was some concern that choosing the highest bid might not be well received by the general public. In attendance were two public members, Dave Campbell and Julie Cowie.

In public comment, Julie Cowie of 7376 101st Ave said, "Casco needs this expertise. We need somebody who knows more than we do and we all have thoughts and experiences with this shoreline. They need to be the smartest person in the room."

Dave Campbell of Ferndell in Glenn Shores concurred. "Edgewater has the expertise and it was good that they recognized the existing ravine as an option for accessing the beach."

The third consulting firm, Fleis and Vandenbrink, offered laudable local experiences with the city of South Haven (renovation of the Wastewater Treatment Plant) and Saugatuck (rebuilt Mount Baldhead) and provided strong references. Their bid was $15,600.

Prein & Newhof bid $10,500 if Casco took the lead on the grant narrative, and $11,500 if the firm did everything.

Macyauski motioned to recommend that the Township contract with Edgewater Resources according to their bid of $31,000, supported by Weaver. This motion was approved, with all committee members present.

The action taken at this meeting follows preliminary work focused on securing a wetlands study at the site, which occurred in 2025. The new Nature Preserve restroom, drinking fountain, and parking lot were also completed in 2025.

Note: Julie Cowie, founder of Casco Township News, spoke as a member of the public at this meeting.