The Third Coast Surf Shop will be setting up shop at Jean Klock Park in Benton Harbor following action Monday by the Benton Harbor City Commission.
Commissioners approved a vendor agreement for the shop to rent out kayaks and paddleboards at both the park and at the city boat launch on Graham Avenue.
Commissioner Juanita Henry, always protective of Jean Klock Park, took issue with the idea of the shop setting up signs at the park, saying that would violate its consent judgement. However, City Attorney Sara Senica said there won’t be any permanent signs.
“We can get a copy of the consent judgment and work with this company to make sure that their signs are in compliance with the court judgment,” Senica said. “I don’t think that should be any problem. I know a lot of businesses have what I call a sandwich sign, where they fold it and they move it if they’re not in the same exact location every single day. So we’ll make sure that whatever signage they have is in compliance with that judgment.”
Henry said she didn’t want Jean Klock Park’s identity as a Benton Harbor attraction to be overshadowed. With Senica’s reassurance, she voted with the rest of the commissioners to approve the agreement.
The agreement is for five years and will have 18% of Third Coast’s gross sales go to the city with a 2% increase per year throughout the contract.
