A plan to build a private marina and nearly 40 home sites near Saugatuck Dunes State Park is drawing opposition from area residents and environmentalists. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality held a hearing Tuesday night at Saugatuck High School. The Grand Rapids Press reports that of the more than 45 people who spoke during the two-and-a-half-hour hearing only one spoke in favor of the project. The 300-acre property once belonged to oil tycoon Aubrey McClendon, who proposed large-scale development before his death last year. Its new owner is moving ahead with development plans. The DEQ’s public comment period ends Oct. 27th. DEQ and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits are required to remove sand and build the marina off the Kalamazoo River where it meets Lake Michigan.
