Committee approves Ottawa Sands lake‑loop bid and $585,000 restroom project

The Ottawa County Planning & Policy Committee on Feb. 6 approved two contracts for upgrades at Ottawa Sands, moving a lake‑loop trail and a heated, accessible day‑use restroom closer to construction.

Aaron, speaking on behalf of the Parks Commission, described the lake as an 80‑acre former sand mine and said the project’s priorities are improving access and enhancing the site’s ecology. "With our Ottawa Sands Master Plan, we had two main goals, access and enhancing the ecology of the site," he said, describing a 10‑foot concrete pathway that the commission prefers for the sandy soils and noting the restroom will include two single‑sex restrooms, a family restroom and "an adult changing station." Aaron said roughly $8 million in trust funding supports these improvements and that wetland work and other permits remain outstanding.

The committee accepted a bid from McCormick Sand Incorporated for the lake loop after a motion was made; a roll‑call vote recorded affirmative responses from Commissioners Moss, Rodey, Niedema, Bergman and Balnack, and Chair Belknap declared the motion passed.

The committee also approved a motion to forward a $510,000 bid from Danny’s Excavating for the west day‑use restroom, and requested that Fiscal Services transfer $100,000 from CP‑2208 Ottawa Sands development phase 1 to CP‑2301 Ottawa Sands restroom to fully fund the project and contingency for a total project amount of $585,000. Vice Chair Minema/Roger moved the restroom motion; a roll call recorded yes votes and the committee forwarded the item to the Board of Commissioners for final action.

Why it matters: the lake loop and modern restroom are intended to make the park accessible to families and visitors with mobility challenges and to support expected increases in park use once other master‑plan improvements are completed. The agenda packet and presenters said accessibility and ecological restoration were central design goals.

What comes next: the restroom contract and the lake loop award were forwarded to the full Board of Commissioners for final approval; staff said permitting remains a gating factor and wetland and critical‑dune permits could affect the projected construction timeline.