A new five-year master plan for the Oxford Township Parks and Recreation Department was approved last week by township officials.
‘It’s an excellent plan,? said Parks/Rec. Director Ron Davis. ‘I think it’s very thorough and pretty straightforward as far as what the residents want us to continue to do with our parks.?
The master plan allows the department to continue pursuing additional funds from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
‘You’ve got to have an up-to-date master plan on file with the DNR to apply for grants,? Davis said
Objectives of the plan include maintaining and upgrading existing parks, developing new recreational facilities, acquiring and/or dedicating additional park land and participating in the establishment of a township-wide safety path/trail system.
To meet the master plan’s objectives, the department intends to do the following, some of which had cost estimates included:
n Seymour Lake Park ? remove four tennis courts ($30,000 per court); add shade trees; add a picnic shelter by the soccer field concession building; flood the baseball infield for use as a skating area; consider constructing an office building for the department; add walking paths along the park’s perimeter
n Powell Lake Park ? develop fishing dock and observation deck; add a picnic shelter and amphitheater area ($40,000-$50,000); add landscape buffer along the adjacent residences? backyards ($3,000); develop stewardship plan for park ($3,000)
n Oakwood Lake Park ? develop fishing dock and observation tower/deck; continue developing nature trails and picnic areas; develop stewardship plan for park ($5,000); create an ice fishing winter event
n Stony Lake Park ? upgrade playground equipment; continue tree maintenance and care; continue to provide barrier-free access to activity areas
According to the master plan, the above items, which are a mix of short, medium and long-term goals, would be paid for using combinations of general budget funds, grants and donations.
Davis admitted the plan includes ‘a lot of pie in the sky stuff in there, just in case an opportunity arises.? Having the project included in the master plan ‘scores high points with the DNR? if a grant is needed.
‘They put some stuff in there that you may never accomplish, but they put it in there because it might have been a suggestion from a community member or something,? he said. ‘It’s just a template for us to work off of. You do what you can and use it as a template for the next four or five years.?
In an online survey of residents conducted in March on the parks/rec. department website, of the 204 responses collected, 85 percent answered ‘yes? to the question, ‘Should existing parks be improved in your community??
However, in that same survey, 58 percent of the respondents answered ‘no? to the question, ‘Should land be acquired for new parks in your community.?
Currently, the township department operates four parks that total 446 acres of land, which does not include the village’s two parks that amount to more than 40 acres.
The master plan also calls for considering the feasibility of constructing a community center and a nature center.
‘A community center is still on the front-burner,? Davis said. ‘A lot of people still want us to do that, but with the economy the way it is, there’s just no way.?