MUSKEGON, Mich. — What began as a simple expansion project of The Deck Restaurant in Muskegon, led to a state audit, which has now been resolved, according to documents seen by 13 ON YOUR SIDE.
The issue went public in March of 2022 when several viewers alerted us to a recently completed construction project regulators worried may have dodged state law.
State regulators thought that the expansion of the The Deck Restaurant had encroached on the dunes at Pere Marquette Beach.
The City of Muskegon, on the other hand, said an outside firm had secured the correct permits and that the property had been grandfathered in under existing use.
The owners of the Deck Restaurant lease the land from the city and were confident in the legality of the expansion.
After talks between regulators and the city, the issue was resolved, according to email communications between EGLE and city officials.
"We work with a lot of great people as far as our architects, who are really good with zoning and DEQ and dealing with the state. So, I really wasn't too worried because we do have a good team behind us that always is making sure everything is how we're supposed to do it," said Michelle Harris, owner of The Deck Restaurant.
The city also voluntarily returned enforcement of critical dune areas back to the state, independent of the audit process.
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