Tiscornia Park is the relatively small, city-owned and maintained beach park along the north side of the channel where the St. Joseph River meets Lake Michigan. Tiscornia is named for the family who directed a substantial portion of the property be transferred to the city of St. Joseph in 1965 for $1. The transfer came with few stipulations except that the city ensure the park bears the name of the family and that it stays as natural as possible, limiting improvements to those necessary for public access.
When locals think of Tiscornia Park, they often refer to it as a family beach and the area’s last remaining hidden gem of beach access whose character hasn’t changed significantly since the 1970s. Tiscornia’s 16-acres of natural dunes and wildlife are an attractive resting place for migrating birds, butterflies, and the occasional family of deer. It doesn’t include the same traits that come with the large crowds regularly seen at Silver Beach and it offers easy access to the North Pier Lighthouse.
Tiscornia has a relatively modest parking area (130 spaces), a humble picnic venue with a million-dollar view of the lake (the structure was donated by the local Lions Club), and park visitors are just a dune’s climb away from the beach.
Except for a few Saturdays during the peak of summer, beachgoers will often find easy parking and access to the beach and pier and little in the way of raucous activity.
Concerns Over Change
The qualities of what Tiscornia Park is today and what people will find in the future are up for debate. What’s there now could change when a new Tiscornia Master Plan recommendation is presented to the members of the St. Joseph City Commission, as early as late August/early September. With the approval of the city commission, the Parks Advisory Board has been developing a master plan for Tiscornia and proposed recommendations call on the city to budget for a larger parking lot; a new, higher capacity gathering pavilion; a maintenance shed; a paved nature path; boundary markers; and an area for food trucks.
One indication of the negative response to the draft plan, lapel buttons have started proliferating around town with green letters on a white background that simply state Keep Tiscornia Natural. Area residents are upset that the character of the park would change significantly under the Parks Advisory Board proposal and they’re wondering what’s driving the city to consider the projects. Further, they’re wondering who will pay for the costly additions.
Public Testimony
A special public meeting to take testimony on the matter was held June 8. Dozens of people turned out from the greater St. Joe area. While there is broad support for minor updates like providing Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant access and hiding the beach-cleanup dumpster, every person testifying expressed opposition to the rest of the draft plans.
Among those testifying was Thomas Steele of Shoreham, who said he speaks for hundreds of bird watchers.
“Birders throughout Berrien County and St. Joseph treasure Tiscornia. It’s probably well-known throughout the country as a hotspot for migratory birds. Any disruption of the natural environment there, it’s going to cause (that to) diminish the migratory use,” said Steele.
“No one wants this. I haven’t talked to anyone that said, ‘I can’t wait till they redo the pavilion,’” said St. Joseph resident Mike Wilson. “The only woman that I talked to in depth (about the proposal) said, ‘If they want to spend some money, fix the bathrooms. The bathrooms were horrible in the eighties.’”
Leading much of the Tiscornia neighborhood opposition effort is Carol Vondale. Vondale and her husband are retired attorneys who live next to the park.
“Many of the things they’re proposing really aren’t necessary,” said Vondale. “Why are we spending these extraordinary amounts of money, why are we hiring all these consultants to change a park where there’s high satisfaction?”
The city hired O’Boyle, Cowell, Blalock & Associates, Inc. (OCBA) out of Kalamazoo to design the master plans for Tiscornia and Paddler parks for $22,500.
Vondale also raised the question of whether the parks board was sincerely taking citizen concerns into consideration for the plan.
“The city, I think, believes that it can do pretty much whatever it wants to do and I don’t believe that it’s really listening to the public on this.”
Mapping a Plan for the Future
As part of the effort to outline the vision for what Tiscornia should evolve to in the coming years and decades, the City of St. Joseph’s Parks Advisory Board, a seven-member volunteer body, has taken inputs from city staff, the landscape consultant (OCBA), and the general public. The outlined improvements have changed from their inception. No longer part of the plan is adding a playground area. Another change is reducing the size of the proposed new pavilion. Still in question are the other recommendations, including the nature path, whether to demolish the existing pavilion, and the location of the maintenance structures.
Parks Advisory Board Chairperson Jeanne Strine said the plan is still in the “tweaking process” and a proposal is expected to be finalized as early as August and submitted to the city commission for approval.
“I’ve always liked Tiscornia because it is quiet, it is peaceful, it is a place you can put your feet in the sand. I don’t see the changes being made changing that element of this peaceful space in any way, shape, or form,” said Strine. “These changes are meant to enhance the property as it exists today and keep it fresh and hopefully maintained well with a vision for the future.”
Asked about those who say the Parks Advisory Board is not listening to public input, Strine said the Board is doing all it can to let people know they’re being heard.
“I sense that there’s many people who would feel they’ve been heard if we completely walked away from this at this point in time, but because it’s something that we’ve been tasked with doing through the city commission’s approval, we’re doing our job (by) moving forward,” said Strine.
Strine said the plan has evolved from the original consultant’s recommendation and that it was public input that drove the changes.
“If you could go back and see the (master plan recommendation) boards that were presented in January, the concepts that we’re working through now, to make a final recommendation to the consultant to create the final concept, you can see how it has evolved over time.”
Master Plan Components Under Consideration
- Seasonal accessible mat to the beach
- Refresh of restroom; addition of railing on rooftop to match existing railing
- Defined nature path highlighting ecosystem components such as native plants, butterflies, and migratory birds; proposed path follows primary existing path, with ~4’ width cleared trail with occasional logs and boulders for resting
- Learning pockets with native plants, interpretive sign, and cluster of logs and/or boulders for informal play and climbing
- Local hardwood boundary posts, approx. 2’ height at 20’ intervals to subtly demarcate park property bounds without disturbing habitat or becoming an aesthetic distraction
- Two additional picnic areas with (2) picnic tables and (1) grill
- Regrade swale to improve parking lot drainage
- Enlargement 1A: Picnic Pavilion
- Enlargement 2A: Maintenance area and potential parking
- River Overlook; remove existing pavilion and portions of concrete pad, install benches, interpretive sign, and bat house
- Food truck location; 20’x20’ pad for food trucks, with electrical pedestal
When All Else Is Said, Quote the Beatles
Jim Jeschke, a well-known and well-regarded resident of St. Joseph for 77 years, summed up his views by saying the issue was important enough for him to attend and testify just six weeks after he had open-heart surgery. His testimony echoed those who spoke before him asking the Board to reconsider the changes.
“The Beatles even made a song about Tiscornia Beach, ‘Let It Be, Let It Be, Let It Be.’” With that, Jeschke walked away from the podium to a round of extended applause.
The next meeting of the Parks Advisory Board is scheduled for this Thursday at 8:00 am in the St. Joseph City Commission Chambers at 700 Broad Street in St. Joseph.
NOTE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified a 1924 land transfer as part of the donation directed by the Tiscornia family. The 1924 land transfer was executed by William E. Hatch, selling the property that is now part of Tiscornia Park for $5,379.41 to the city of St. Joseph.
