Grand Haven city officials have approved plans to convert a 48-foot-tall cross on city-owned property overlooking the Grand River into an anchor.

The Muskegon Chronicle reports that the Grand Haven City Council approved a resolution Monday on a 3-2 vote to limit access to the Dewey Hill property as well as change the cross, which had faced criticism from local residents and a religious organization.

The cross has been displayed off and on since 1964. City leaders recommended a policy to "limit intrusion on the dune, protect vegetation, limit erosion, reduce debris and litter and generally preserve the dune from adverse impacts."

Mayor Pro-tem Michael Fritz called Grand Haven a "diverse community" with many different religions and said that it's time City Council took that into consideration.

The cross sparked heated debate between the groups Keep The Grand Haven Cross and Remove The Grand Haven Cross on Facebook.

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