news-city of Sault, Michigan

Supplied by the City of Sault, Michigan…
Sault Ste. Marie, MI — Effective immediately the waterfront of Alford Park will be closed to public access.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie received a $30,000 Coastal Zone Management Grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Office of the Great Lakes to be used along with $30,000 of City funds to perform a Redevelopment Study for Alford Park, Carbide Dock and Harvey Marina. The City hired Engineering Consultant SmithgroupJJR to perform the grant tasks including a structural inspection and analysis of the Carbide Dock which also includes the waterfront portion of Alford Park.
The preliminary results of the structural analysis indicate that the area at the face of the dock is not safe for pedestrian or vessel mooring. The City has taken steps to secure the Alford Park waterfront area. Additionally, the City will be working with the various vessel operators to find alternate methods for using the Carbide Dock under the current conditions.
The City recognizes the popularity of the Alford Park waterfront for fishing and ship viewing and therefore is disappointed by the need to close this waterfront, however public safety is the City’s highest priority with taking this action. SmithgroupJJR will be performing additional analysis to determine if there are any areas within the Alford Park that can be reopened to pedestrian access. In the meantime, the City will continue with the completion of the Waterfront Redevelopment Study including seeking outside funding for the repair of the Carbide Dock and Alford Park waterfront.