CLARKSTON – It will be a new site for recreation in Clarkston.

The Port of Clarkston has been working to get a new boat dock at Granite Lake Park, and on Thursday, the groundbreaking for the dock took place.

Port Manager Wanda Keefer said the project took a lot of effort, because the park is the site of a former landfill. She said having it on the water also made for a stricter permitting process.

She said regulations at former landfill sites are so strict and you're not allowed to move dirt without the oversight of an archaeologist.

So Thursday port officials and others were pleased to break the ground where the new pathway to the boat dock will be laid. They even used golden spoons.

Clarkston Mayor Donna Engle said the new dock and pathway will be a real asset for the Clarkston waterfront.

"It's going to assist with recreation and the businesses down here too. We have fine dining, we have hotels, we have motels, we have shopping, all those things will be within walking distance for anybody that comes here," said Engle.