MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A development that includes 200 to 300 homes next to a historic dune-front neighborhood is being described as bringing the future of Muskegon.
But neighbors say the plans will destroy the ecology and the quality of life for this community with roots that go back more than 150 years. The little neighborhood named Bluffton is situated on a peninsula between Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan, built when the Sand Products company mined the surrounding dunes down.
The remaining dunes are referred to as Pigeon Hill.
The neighborhood has homes that date back to the mid-1800s and was a playground for silent film star Buster Keaton.
Now, the same company that mined sand out of the dunes is proposing a multi-use development that would include commercial, parks and as many as 300 housing units.
“It’s definitely not an easy one to develop but from our standpoint, it’s an important component of the future of Muskegon,” said Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson.
But neighbors have formed registered neighborhood association, which is working against this development that they say will wreck both the character of the neighborhood and the Pigeon Hill nature they cherish.
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