Fort Gratiot Township is in the early stages of creating a new campground and is accepting site plans for the project off Parker Road.
Fort Gratiot Community Development Coordinator Sharon Wilton said there are no solid plans for the campground yet, but water infrastructure implemented in the area for it could be helpful for future development and the campground would give people another way to stay in the township.
“It would make us a destination,” she said.
In late September, the Michigan Legislature approved funding to support three projects in Sanilac and St. Clair counties in the state budget, including allocating $50,000 to a Fort Gratiot campground to install additional water and electrical infrastructure.
The infrastructure would support new sites for use by campers and other recreational vehicles, and increased tourism would further support the small businesses in the community, according to a Michigan House Republicans press release.
“The new budget will benefit our community by providing useful resources for specific local projects, and I was proud to support these items in the budget process,” state Rep. Andrew Beeler of Port Huron said.
The legislature also approved $50,000 to assist Port Huron’s Mid City Nutrition soup kitchen and a $20,000 appropriation to help Sanilac County Parks comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer approved the budget, ensuring funding for the 2022 fiscal year which began Oct. 1.
Wilton said the $50,000 will not cover the entire cost of the project but helps in the event additional project dollars are approved.
She didn’t have an estimate for when people might see activity on the Parker Road site as it still must be approved by the township planning commission and get other approvals.
She said it seems as if campgrounds in the county are always full and a Fort Gratiot campground could help. There are baseball tournaments in the area and those families often look for a place to camp. The project would bring more people to the township to visit local businesses.
“It would help enhance our retail revenues in the township,” Wilton said.
Wing Thiele, Fort Gratiot Business Association treasurer, said the campground could be great for Fort Gratiot residents and the whole county.
“I just think it’d be good for residents and tourism all around,” she said.
Another benefit is that getting water infrastructure in the area would also provide water for the nearby Fort Gratiot Canine Commons-PetSafe Dog Park, which opened in 2016.
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Thiele, a dog owner herself, said people have wanted a water supply there for years for their dogs. Water is important for dogs when they’ve been running. People make do by bringing jugs of water, but sometimes they forget, she said.
“It’ll be nice when they don’t have to do that anymore,” she…
Read More: Fort Gratiot Township accepting site plans for a future campground