The floating docks put into Grand Haven's Municipal Marina last year are too close together and need to be reinstalled, city officials say. That would be part of an estimated $2 million project to completely renovate the 71-slip marina along the Grand River channel at Chinook Pier.

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City Council looked over the plan, recommended by city staff and the city's Harbor Board, during a special work session Monday night. That plan calls for nearly $1 million to reinstall the new floating docks on the marina's east end to meet the wider standards required by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

"What we're finding is that the boats are getting longer and they're getting (wider), and the state has published standards for that sort of thing," said city Facilities Manager Julie Beaton.

The docks installed last year — at an around $240,000 cost to the city — will be reused, City Manager Pat McGinnis told council.

Another reason for the project is to replace the docks' old stone rip-rap revetment, which city staff said is becoming a hazard as it shifts into the navigational channel. Replacing the revetment with new sheet piling would mean the new docks would be closer to land, and therefore could be extended by five to eight feet.

The plan also calls for extending the floating docks' main walkway by approximately 170 feet, which would allow the addition of four 38-foot boat slips, as well as dredging the marina to provide a minimum 6 feet below the low water datum.

Sixteen of the floating docks are dedicated to the Chinook Pier charter boat fishing association.

The project would provide a net gain of six boat slips, Beaton said.

The marina dock long used for the Harbor Steamer, which was recently sold with plans to move it south, will remain in place — although city staff is uncertain of potential uses for the dock space, Beaton said.

The work should be done next year, urged city staff and engineers from Abonmarche Consultants Inc., which is overseeing the proposed project for the city. The city has already been awarded a grant from the DNR that would pay half of the estimated $991,200 project during the state's 2007 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

The second phase of the marina project would be to replace the 31 fixed docks along the marina's west section. They are at least 35 years old, city staff said, and are quickly deteriorating to an unusable point.

The second phase is recommended to happen in 2008, assuming the DNR awards the city another matching grant that would fund half of the estimated $994,125 project. The work would include removing the existing docks and support piles, construct five 60-foot docks and eight 45-foot docks, update utilities to the docks, and build a new concrete sidewalk.

That project would produce a net loss of six boat slips, Beaton said.

Councilman John Naser asked if the city could avoid doing the work during the boating season, but Beaton said it was not possible to schedule it that way.

The docks will likely be installed during an historical low water level. Should the lake level rise, Beaton said, the floating docks will simply rise with the water, and the grade of the gangway to them from Chinook Pier will then be leveled. The fixed docks could be installed in a compromise position between low and high water marks, Abonmarche engineers said.

The anticipated life span of the fixed docks is 30 years and the floating docks should be good for another 25 years, engineers said.

City harbor master Chuck Vonesh told council the proposed $2 million marina improvement project would be "a marketing opportunity for our city."

"We have one of the best locations for this side of Lake Michigan," he said. "The nicer we make (the marina), the better."

City Finance Director James Bonamy believes the city's half of the project's costs can be made available, but the city may have to juggle some funds around and make some timing decisions on other projects to make it happen.

Mayor Roger Bergman encouraged the rest of council to mull the issue over in preparation for an expected decision on the project at their July 17 meeting. However, all five members of council appeared to support the two-phase project at Monday's work session.