Jean Klock Park | Benton Harbor | Map | Harbor Shores

Map Proposals

Save Jean Klock Park

Click on Photos

We felt it was important to make the map

proposals for the

Harbor

Shores

development available so

the public can see for themselves

that this

development

will not use a

small portion

(22 acres)

of JKP

for the golf

course

as claimed

but

more like 75% of the park

. As

you

will see

the tees,

fairways

and golf

holes

will

encompass th

entire

park from the

top of the

dunes

eas

t to

M-63

Proposed Site Plan

Visitors will not be welcomed

the entrance to Jean Klock

Park

but

the

"Harbor Shores

Experience Center.

" T

he new

park

entrance

will

located

the

ity

St. Joseph

, not the

ity of

Benton

Harbor

who owns

JKP

This

new

entrance would run along

the

north side of the water

treatment

plant

requiring a

huge portion

the

south end of the dune

removed

for the

new road.

Claims have been made that there will be little

impact to the dunes

which

are

blatantly false

as you have read above

. Not only will they

be grading

fairway

to the top of the north dune

, but also

tees for the

fairway

will

be located

along the ridge of the

north

dune.

Almost

every tree along that ridge will have to be

removed.

Some are

currently

bande

marked for removal.

The area between the north and south dune which is now the

entrance to

JKP

will

be filled to connect the north and

South Dunes

in order to

accommodate

the

th fairway

; i

ts hole

and

tees for the

fairway

are

located on top of the

South

Dune. This

is lost

access

the

public

trail and

the birdwatch tower will

remo

ved.

There has been a lot of crit

cism of the parking lot and there are no

arguments

from us

that it leaves a

lot to be desired

, however it

could

dramatically

improved. The proposal to replace the parking

lot

behind the

dunes with a new

one on the beach would be

aesthetically

far less desirable

than the existing

parking lot.

Do not believe for one

minute that this natural beach

and dune

area

will

not

negatively

impacted

because the

truth is, the natural

aesthetic

value

the

entire

park

will be sacrificed.

But you

can see

for yourself by clicking

the

link below.

Harbor Shores Map

The following map shows an overlay of various wetland conditions

through

out

the development indicating the sensitive nature of these

supposedly

protected

areas. This is where the question of whether

not Harbor

Shores can back up

their claims that boardwalks and

foot

paths as there is

a strong probability they

will not be able to

obtain the

permits required to

construct these amenities.

Another important issue is the fact that the proposed parking lot on

the

beach

located in what is called an intermittently flooded

wetland

area

which means

that

a rise in the lake level, combined

with strong

winds and

wave action would

cause

erosion from

beneath the parking

lot causing it to

be washed out. One of

the

many seriously flawed

components of the plan

use JKP as part of

the

golf

course

We have provided the

etland

ategory

finition"s

below for

you

reference

after viewing the

Wetland Descriptions

map at the

following

link:

Wetland Descriptions

Wetland Category Definitions

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wet;lands Inventory 1979-1994

Intermittently Exposed: Surface water is present throughout the year except
in years of extreme drought.

Semipermanently Flooded: Surface water persists througout the growing
season in most years. When surface water is absent, the water table is
usually at or very near the land's surface.

Seasonally Flooded: Surface water is present for extended periods of
especially early in the growing season, but is absent by the end of the
growing season in most years. The water table after flooding ceases is
variable, extended from saturated to the surface to a water table well below
the ground surface.

Temporarily Flooded: Surface water is present for brief periods during
growing season, but the water table usually lies well below the soil surface.
Plants that grow both in uplands and wetlands may be characteristic of this
water regime.

Intermittently Flooded: Substrate is usually exposed, but surface water is
present for variable periods without detectable seasonal periodicity. Weeks
or months or even years may intervene between periods of inundation. The
dominant plant communities under this regime may change as soil moisture
conditions change. Some areas exhibiting this regime do not fall within our
definition of wetland because they do not have hydric soils or support
hydrophytes. In areas mapped as intermittently flooded, refer to regional
guidelines for specific applications.

In the "Existing Conditions"aerial
photo above, the lakeside of the
south dune appears to barren of
any growth. That's because this
photo was taken in mid summer
of 2007 after a huge fire that took
place in the park in early May.
We ask that you notice the still
lush and healthy forested areas
above. Also, should we ask why
Harbor Shores chose to use the
fire to their photo-op advantage
and further their subterfuge? You
be the judge.

Misleading Representation!

Privately Owned Development!

Proof that this is not a "Park
Improvement", "Renovation" or
"Restoration." This is a "Golf
Course Development" which will
destroy the dunes by removing
their natural forest growth as
depicted above. With the support
of Michigan's Governor
Granholm, this is an attempted
takeover to place deeded public
land into the hands of privately
owned hands of corporate
interests. Please read: Saving a
Public Park