Brandon Twp. – Brandon Township adopted a five- year recreation plan with goals to accommodate growth, thanks to the efforts of Fred Waybrant and Tom Stowell.
Brandon Recreation Director Waybrant joined forces with Stowell, a board trustee with extensive grant- writing success in order to build a recreation plan that focuses eventual funding to lead toward development of greater park site availability, as well as the acquisition of the Casselman property adjacent to Brandon High School.
Currently a grant is being written by both the township and the North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy to acquire funding for the purchase of 80 acres adjacent to Brandon High School.
The purpose in acquiring the property is to retain and preserve a section of Kearsley Creek that is lined with dense forests and wetlands, which would be incorporated into walking trails, bird watching, and wildlife viewing.
One action within the 2005 ‘Rec Plan? is to research and apply for funding to construct environmentally sound access trails for wildlife viewing areas within the preserve.
In addition to supporting the new five year recreational plan, Waybrant appealed to the board by stating that Brandon Recreation has run out of field space and is now placing players on waiting lists for leagues.
‘With the programs we have now, the only expansion can be done to indoor facilities, but those are limited also,? said Waybrant.
Before the plan is fully adopted, the board instructed Stowell and Waybrant to include a more thorough description of potential township park activities including handicap-accessible programs, and adding the Phase III plan for the skate park.
Waybrant says Phase III is the final leg of completing The Village Skate Park, scheduled for the Third Annual Skatefest, Aug. 7.
The final phase of the park is the $35,000 half-pipe equipment which Waybrant calls the most important park of the whole concept.
‘It’s the main attraction because this is what the kids have wanted since the beginning,? said Waybrant.
‘It’s the highlight of the whole park and once that’s done we can run day camps with trainers for kids to learn the fundamentals of boarding,? said Waybrant.
Although funds must still be raised, Waybrant is confident the community will come through with continued donations and sports boosters support.
Waybrant said he will continue to work for the funds with the proceeds from the girls basketball tournaments and a bottle collection station that will be set up at Fire Station 1 parking lot.
‘The Recreation Plan will be a very good working document for the next few years,? said Ron Lapp, Brandon Township supervisor.
‘Fred Waybrant has put in a masterful effort to do what he does with these programs and with what he has to work with.?
‘As a township we need to continue to explore recreational opportunities,? said Lapp, while addressing the lack of playing space in the township.
‘The Seymour Lake property is not the answer and we need to make a decision on that because we can not hold that and purchase more property too,? he said.