City Ready to Adopt New Parks Plan

Traverse City commissioners will hold a public hearing Monday on the city’s new Parks and Recreation Master Plan, potentially voting that same night to adopt the plan. The strategic document will guide improvements and developments in city parks over the next five years.

City Parks and Recreation Superintendent Michelle Hunt says the new plan is more “actionable” than past versions, with an emphasis on improving accessibility, trails, and waterfronts; spending up to $3 million approved by voters last fall from the Brown Bridge Trust Fund for park projects; and clearly delineating what types of uses/activities are allowed in each park.

Parks and Recreation commissioners have been working on the new master plan for almost two years. “You want to start well in advance of when the current plan expires,” explains Hunt of the lengthy process to update the document. Local governments in Michigan are required to keep an updated five-year plan on file with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to remain eligible for grant funding. A lengthy list of items must be addressed in the plan, from an inventory of local park facilities to identified community recreation needs to an action plan for the next five years – in this case, through 2030.

Consulting firm TowerPinkster was hired by the city to help guide the new plan’s creation. The draft – available online here, though Hunt notes the web version is still being tweaked and will be replaced by a final version approved by commissioners – states that Parks and Recreation manages more than 30 city park facilities. The department also operates Oakwood Cemetery and the city’s urban forest program, which maintains more than 16,000 street trees and plants approximately 10,000 seasonal flowers. Parks and Recreation also maintains two outdoor ice-skating rinks, the Union Street Dam/spillway (currently being upgraded to FishPass), and Hickory Hills Ski Area.

Parks and Recreation commissioners said early in the process they wanted to focus on accessibility in the new plan. The document rates each city park on a scale of 1 to 5 using DNR criteria for ADA accessibility, with 1 being “none of the facilities or park areas meet accessibility guidelines” and 5 being “the entire park was developed or renovated using principles of universal design.” No Traverse City parks are rated a 5, though several – including Clancy, Clinch Marina, Hull, and the J. Smith Walkway – are a 4. Several of the city’s most popular parks are a 3, including Bryant, Clinch, East Bay, and the Open Space. Two is the most common rating – with examples including Brown Bridge Quiet Area, F&M, Hannah, Hickory Hills, Senior Center/Sunset Park, and West End Beach – while several neighborhood parks are a 1, like Boon, Dutmers, Highland, and Huron Hills.

City voters last fall approved using up to $3 million from the city’s Brown Bridge Trust Fund (BBTF) over the next five years for park projects. The ballot proposal listed specific categories in which funds can be spent. One of those is improving park accessibility – specifically Boardman Lake Loop Trail access, Bryant Park access, and ADA improvements in city parks. Along with the ADA ratings, the master plan lists recommended improvements for each property to improve its accessibility. Examples include accessible paths, barrier-free picnic tables, bike racks, improved signage, and upgraded playground equipment or restrooms.

Other BBTF funds can be spent on categories including Lake Shore Stabilization; Brown Bridge Quiet Area; Hickory Hills Mountain Bike Trail Design & Development; Park Essentials; Park Experiences; Trees; and Pickleball & Tennis Court Reconstruction at Slabtown Corner. Hunt calls the funding infusion a “treasured opportunity to take care of parkland,” with the BBTF projects a “priority” since they’ve been determined and supported by voters. That includes waterfront and shoreline work, which was also a “pillar” championed in Parks and Recreation commission discussions, Hunt says. Examples include shoreline stabilization and erosion control, stormwater/green infrastructure upgrades, and barrier-free improvements at beaches.

TowerPinkster led a public process to gain community input for the master plan. That process included an online community survey – responded to by almost 500 participants – and public events and sessions that attracted almost 200 participants. “Renovation, reuse, and modernization of current facilities are considered high-priority initiatives,” the plan states. That includes expanding trail systems, which was “strongly supported” by residents, according to the plan. Hickory Hills, Brown Bridge Quiet Area, GT Commons, Hull, Hannah, and Fulton are among the parks with recommended trail improvements (including amenities like new lighting along pathways at some sites). Continued partnerships with TART Trails and other local groups and governments are recommended to “enhance a connected non-motorized trail system” throughout the region.

The master plan lists numerous other amenities desired by residents. Hunt points out that not everything can be accomplished by the city in just five years. The list ranges from bocce courts to a winter sports complex to a local rec center to a public swimming pool. However, including the wish list ensures that if a community group wants to pursue a particular project, or an opportunity becomes available for the city to bring an idea to life, the master plan reflects the community’s desire for that amenity.

The new plan also provides an updated list of permitted uses and activities in every city park – ranging from weddings and neighborhood gatherings to movies and concessions. That is a significant addition, because the city is in the process of updating its fee structure for parks and contemplating how programming partners – including festival/event planners, sports leagues, food vendors, equipment renters, class instructors, and tour operators – can operate on public parkland. Following the adoption of the master plan, Parks and Recreation is expected to continue working this summer on a fee schedule and programming guidelines to address such park activity in more detail.

“Parks usage is all over the place,” says Hunt. “It’s not one size fits all. (Programming partners) are providing a service that the city isn’t providing. But we need to find an equitable, policy-driven format that balances…the business use of city parkland with public recreational uses.”