The Berrien County Board of Commissioners has approved the Berrien County Parks Department’s new five-year parks plan.
At a meeting this week, Parks Director Jill Adams went over the document with commissioners, saying it lays out goals for the county park system moving into the future. One item in the plan is wheelchair access at beaches. Adams said the county has limited beach wheelchair access.
“We have one at Rocky Gap County Park,” Adams said. “Our park staff applied and received a grant for that. And we have outlined three areas at Silver Beach that we would like to incorporate the ADA accessible maps to get down to the water’s edge.”
Other goals include improving restroom facilities at parks that have them and adding restrooms to parks that don’t.
Adams has been collecting public input on the county parks system for the past year.
“Throughout the process, park staff has had many discussions with the public. We’ve received online comments, phone calls, emails, and those comments have been incorporated in the plan.”
Adams says those comments will also be submitted to the state along with the parks plan. Other goals laid out in the parks plan include addressing dune erosion at Rocky Gap, the new playground being installed at Silver Beach, improving the visitors center at Madeline Bertrand, and expanding trails at Love Creek.
The county needs a regularly updated parks plan in order to qualify for grants. You can see the plan right here.
