Park Purchase Budget OKd

Park Purchase Budget OKd

A capital improvement budget outlining more than $2.7 million in expenditures for parkland development was approved.

The adopted document sets forth the city’s priorities for parkland development between now and 1977. Besides a planning document, the budget also provides city administration with a policy statement on where council wants the development funds spent.

Major items in the budget include $496,500 for construction of a multipurpose center in the Model Cities area; $400,000 for the previously approved Mack Elementary School swimming pool; $391,000 for development of the Bird Hills Park; $300,000 for Geddes Park, $241,250 for Argo Park; $141,000 for parks and open space in the Garden Homes subdivision; $124,125 for Leslie Park; and $112,000 for construction of a Cultural Arts Building for Burns Park.

Council also directed administration to submit reports on possible inner-city parkland purchases. A six-month deadline was placed on preparing data and purchase prices for parks to be financed solely from the city’s 1971 park development bond issue funds, and a 30-day deadline was placed on parkland that will be purchased with the financial help of the government.

Council also directed administration to continue negotiations with the Ann Arbor School Board towards dedicating the Scarlett-Mitchell woods on the city’s southeast side as a natural parkland. The direction of these negotiations will be aimed at either purchasing the land outright, or at trading city-owned land for the parcel and then possibly purchasing privately owned land adjacent to the woods. A six-month deadline was placed on reaching this goal.

Administration was also formally authorized to begin negotiations towards purchase of the Kuebler property near the Huron River at Barton Pond for park purposes.