Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Commission tables Soccer in the Sand permit, sends event back to staff to resolve traffic and shuttle issues
Loading...
Summary
After lengthy discussion about parking, shuttle timing and emergency‑access concerns, the commission voted to table the Soccer in the Sand permit and asked staff to negotiate logistics with the organizer and return to the commission on April 14 with proposed mitigations.
The commission on March 10 referred the Soccer in the Sand permit back to staff after more than two hours of discussion about traffic, parking, public transportation and public safety. Scott and Holly LeMay, owners of Soccer in the Sand, described the event's 20‑year history and a steady increase in team count in Muskegon (from 75 teams in 2022 to 115 teams in the most recent year). The applicant said organizers had encouraged shuttle use and provided maps, but the city's circulator schedule did not always line up with match times.
Commissioners and staff reviewed prior experience: congestion at Pier Marquette in previous years, the existence of one main in/out route, shuttle frequency (town line hourly; beach circulator every 30 minutes), and limited extra buses. Commissioners recommended several mitigations including earlier shuttle service (applicant paying additional hours if required), clearer participant communication, optional caps on team numbers, coordination on parking alternatives, and active traffic enforcement during peak times. Staff and the applicant discussed timelines; the commission asked staff to return a revised permit recommendation on April 14. A motion to table and refer to staff passed by roll call.
