A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, January 18, at 7pm as Elmwood Charter Township planning commissioners consider a special use permit request by West Shore Partners LLC for a private marina at 13380 S. West Bay Shore Drive (M-22).

The current application outlines a plan for a 64-slip marina just south of Discovery Pier, renovation of an on-premises house into an office and bathhouse, and development of marina parking across M-22.

The marina design also takes into account 12 existing boat slips that are already on the property. Those were installed decades ago for use by the Zephyr Oil Company and would remain under the proposed development. This would bring the total number of boat slips at the site to 76. Project developer Pat Johnson said with remodeling the existing bayside structure, they are keeping everything the same except for the interiors and adding windows and doors.

A predecesor to the marina proposal — an original West Shore Hotel & Marina project — first emerged in 2017 and was approved by the township in 2019, but hit delays due to COVID. As neither the hotel nor marina came to fruition (and the approvals have since expired), Elmwood’s Planner/Zoning Administrator Sarah Clarren says that the commissioners need to treat the project as a new filing. This revised site plan focuses solely on the West Shore Marina part of the development.

The marina plans are contingent upon approvals from the township, from the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) — both of which must approve any work along the Lake Michigan shoreline — and from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which must approve the design for the M-22 pedestrian crossing that will allow marina users to reach the parking lot and vice versa.

The developer indicated that upon approval from all governing entities, they would to begin construction of the marina in spring 2022 and complete it this summer.