Brandon Twp.- Recreation is poised to move forward again after stalls and stumbles over the past few years.
The township board approved 6-0 at their Nov. 10 meeting a motion to write a joint parks and recreation master plan with the Village of Ortonville. Trustee Ron Lapp was absent.
‘I think it is going to enhance the entire community,? said Clerk Candee Allen, noting that Recreation Director Fred Waybrant will get more support. ‘Why not work together (with the village)? We both have to have master plans.?
The motion included the township board accepting a proposal from Carlisle Wortman to write the plan at a total cost of $5,650, with the township splitting the cost evenly with the village.
Village Manager John Lyons said he hopes the village council will approve the plan at their next meeting, set for 7 p.m., Nov. 24, at the township offices, 395 Mill St.
‘There’s no reason to think we wouldn’t,? he said. ‘We did a lot of preliminary work and are on track to get this done… The master plan will go to DNR for approval and has to be submitted by April 1. Once the master plan is accepted by the DNR, we want to try for a non-motorized trail grant right away.?
The township’s 5-year recreation master plan expires this year and needs to be renewed. The village wants to add information to the plan in order to obtain grants.
Controversy has surrounded recreation, particularly in the last few months, with questions arising regarding recreation budget shortfalls, and management of the department by Waybrant.
The joint recreation master plan will include upgraded playground equipment and possible additions to the park system itself, including paths and trails. It will also include a community profile, a recreation inventory describing facilities, the components of what is in the existing recreation plan, public participation and needs assessment, as well as the township master plan. New to the plan will be eight acres of land acquired by the township across from the Brandon Township Community Park, 1414 N. Hadley Road.
‘There will be different grants we can apply for through the year, but if we don’t have a plan, we can’t even apply,? said Lyons. ‘It’s a good sign, despite everything we’ve gone through, we’re willing to get together and do this.?