Commission approves Crandall Park improvements but denies adding office, cabanas and campground now

The Eaton County Planning Commission voted to approve a change of conditions for Crandall Park (CU‑2‑17‑2) that clears the way for a new western driveway from Flanders Road, construction of a beachhouse and concessions building, two large pavilions, a pier and boardwalk, an inflatable water course, a peninsula dog park and other trail amenities.

The motion to support the application passed by roll call with Commissioners Scott Hanson, Lisa Lewitski, Ray Whitaker, Ed Kemp, Tim Catron, Frank Holmes and Ryan Ross voting yes. The approval was explicitly limited to items described in the submitted application; commissioners declined to include an office building, cabana structures, or a campground in the approval and said those features would require separate applications.

County staff presented the application noting Crandall Park encompasses approximately 432.77 acres, including an existing roughly 160‑acre lake and existing park features. The parks department said the improvements were part of a strategic plan adopted by the Eaton County Board of Commissioners in February 2025 and that the department's goal is to make Crandall Park a more heavily used county amenity. The application requests an approximate 8,000‑square‑foot (80 by 100) beach house for restrooms, concessions and watercraft rentals, two 40 by 60 pavilions (each about 2,400 square feet), a 24‑foot‑by‑300‑foot pier/boardwalk, several 10‑by‑12 pavilions, benches and exercise equipment along trails, a peninsula dog park, and an "inflatable water course" area. Staff estimated beach‑area improvements could be completed in two to three years; the eastern primary access improvements on Stewart Road were projected at six to seven years.

The Eaton County Road Commission reviewed the proposed Flanders Road driveway location and raised requirements: vegetation in the right of way must be trimmed to provide sight distance, boulevard plantings must begin outside the right of way, and the driveway must meet commercial driveway standards (tapers, turn lanes, surfacing, curb and gutter) as warranted. Staff told the commission the parks department is prepared to contract with an engineer and comply with road commission standards, but that engineering and permitting would follow the planning approval. The Charlotte Fire Department and Barry‑Eaton District Health Department offered no objections in their reviews.

Public commenters expressed support and concerns. Diana Crittendon, owner of a nearby property on South Stewart Road, said she and her husband "love the park" but urged improved security, lighting and staffing, citing past vandalism and recent break‑ins. She also said she preferred locating future campground facilities nearer tree cover and suggested returning to earlier road layouts that routed campground traffic away from properties on Stewart Road. In response, a parks representative said increased development would result in more on‑site staffing over time, cameras had reduced trespassing incidents, and the parks department will comply with road commission requirements for driveway construction.

Commissioners discussed fencing around sensitive areas, the visibility of small structures on the conceptual site plan, and whether the office building should be included in the current approval. The commission's motion specified approval "as written in the application"; the planning commission recorded that no campground or additional buildings beyond the application were approved. Staff and the parks department noted that if the department later wishes to add the office building or cabanas they would submit separate conditional use/site plan applications and (as one parks representative said) pay the applicable application fee.

The vote allows the parks department to proceed with the items in its application, subject to engineering, site plan review and permits required by the Eaton County Road Commission and other agencies before construction begins.