Modifications proposed for an island in West Crooked Lake will be the topic of a public hearing on Wednesday.

The hearing is being conducted by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for a permit application that would allow for the construction of a boardwalk, docks and a beach area on what is known as Perri Island in West Crooked Lake. The applicant, Joe Perri of Brighton, is proposing to place approximately 141 cubic yards of clean sand fill to construct a 60-foot wide beach that would taper down to 40-feet where it impacts the wetland, and then use a pea stone and sand fill mix to extend the beach area onto bottomland of West Crooked Lake.

He also wants to construct a permanent 40-foot long by 6-foot wide elevated, open pile boardwalk through the wetland to facilitate access to a seasonal dock, while replacing an existing dock with a new permanent 56-foot long by 4-foot wide elevated, open pile dock. The proposal also calls for a small area of the wetland to be used as a landing area for boats and construction equipment.

According to a notice about the meeting circulated by area residents opposed to the project, the island has been used primarily as a rental unit that the past two summers including the use of a pontoon boat, which they claim has caused safety issues due to the lack of boating experience by renters. The notice further claims that the modifications would, “result in damage to the wetlands surrounding the island” while the boat docks could lead to an increase in “boat traffic through the fragile channel ecosystem.”

The meeting will be held at 7pm Wednesday at the Genoa Township hall on Dorr Road. (JK)