Money Needed For Park Plans May Be More Than $1.5 Million

The future of Ann Arbor's park system can be painted a bright green. Plans for its future, as outlined by both the Parks and I Open S p a c e Plan and Park I Supt. Sheldon Sproull, are promI ising. I But to fulfill this promise, I the city will need funds, perI haps more than SI. 5 million to I meet the city's needs in 1980. I And this amount would be oniy I for the purchase of needed I parks and would not include I maintenance and development. The Parks and Open Space Plan calls for city ownership of 600 more acres of park land to meet its 1982 needs, this beM ing based on an estimated I 1982 population oi' about 110,000 I people. The plan calis for 10 I acres of parkland for each 1,000 1 1 population. : The parks plan estimate of I population in 1982 now seems I conservative, with most agenI cies predicting Ann Arbor will I have a populatin in excess of I 130.000 by that date. This would I mean, to keep pace with the I parks plan's recommendation, I that the city would have to acI quire some 800 additional acres I for parks rather than 600. Using a formula of $2,000 per I acre, this would amount to $1.6 I militan tor park land purchase. I But the sum will be even higher I if the city does not acquire land I in the near future. As the parks I plan pointed out, land prices in I Ann Arbor are increasing at a I rate of about 10 percent per I year. To partially offset this someI what staggering sum for the I purchase of park land, the city I could probably receive a grant I from the Federal government I amounting to 20 per cent of the I figure. But the remairiing 80 I per cent would doubtlessly have I to be raised through a bond I issue or be paid out of general I taxes. The ultímate answer will I probably be a combination of I both. Under consideraron by the I City Council at the present time I is a $270,000 bond issue for park I land purchase. Thus far there I has been no opposition to such I a bond issue, To help the city in its park I land acquisition, Sproull said F his department is following the I Parks and Open Space Plan as I a guide. Sproull pointed out that I there are other ways the city I can achieve its goal for 1980. "The city would always be reI ceptive to receiving park land I as a gift," Sproull said. "There is also the chance of buying land j o i n 1 1 y with the school board or by leasing it on a long-term basis," he added. The area of the city which is presently receiving careful and intense study by the Parks Department for a future park is that area in the Second Ward. Sproull said there are no parks there at the present time, but the city "will continue to investigate methods of filling a need there." One of the most pressing needs facing the department now is not the acquisition of land but the construction of a maintenance building and storage area. Next year, when the University takes over a portion of the Municipal Golf Course, the department will lose one of its storage areas. Present thinking in the department is to build a $120,000 structure on part of the remainder of the Municipal Course area which will be lost to play. To offset the loss of one-half of a golf course the city plans to build another 18-hole course on the Leslie property. "Our thinking has always been that we should prepare for the loss of nine holes and wind up with a net gain," Sproull said. When a course is completed on the Leslie property, Sproull said, "we feel it will meet our municipal needs for a long ;tim i." He added that private development of golf courses in the area will aid in filling the den and. 'V [fie needs will probably be j mei in that fashion," Sproull said, but added that the city "in future acquisitions might gain parcels of land large enough to meet the possible future needs of another golf course." i Besides a golf course, thereM is also a need in Ann ArboiH for other special use facilities I ISproull said. "There is a treno I toward swimming pools and a I number of neighborhoods have I them now. "There appears to be a need I for a public outdoor swimming I pool in Ann Arbor. If it is I vided and receives enough acceptance there would be a trend I to building others," he said. "There also appears to1 be a I need for an ice rink," he added. I Other local news on 3, 10, 12, 13 but said he did not believe the city requires a large arena. "Much of the needs for sporting eyents here are being met I by the University," he said. Present plans also cali for the construction of more tennis courts and shelters at various parks. "As the city expands we will have to obtain other major parks,'' Sproull said. "We have the opportunity now to make a major park along the H u r o n River by adding to present facilities." Sproull envisions the city's Huron River properties as being one long continuous park area and would have both areas of intense development and natural areas. I "We want to have detailed plans before we start on its development. The river areas are used now and are being enjoyed," Sproull said. "There is a surprising amount of recreation being provided by the river areas and in our studies we want to take this into consideration. "We want to establish the development of the river by priorities," Sproull added. Öne of :he priorities for development isted by Sproull is the 50-acre Darcel lying in the bend of :lie river west of N. Main St. and soutliwest of the New York Central Railroad tracks. The área has been referred to as Edison Park by some persons jut the Park Department is referring to it as Huron Park at present. The city is now thinking of slacing before the voters a 170,000 bond issue for development of Huron River properties. Vluch of this, as now. foreseen y the Parks Department, would )e for the development of 'Huron Park." This would i ;ail the construction of a bridge 'rom Main St. to allow access I o the property.
"This park could become the city's best known park." Sproull said. "Development will depend on the availability of funds but we feel here would be the opportunity for a park facility which would have an extremely wide variety and intensity of use. "There has been talk of a children's zoo being located there," Sproull said and added if the city does develop a children's zoo, there would be "no more logical place for it." Sproull said the department is thinking in terms of developing the land so that there is i "something for the whole family." Other items Usted as possibilities for "Huron Park" were a small par thrèe golf course, a small train for children, play áreas for children with unique play equipment and informal ball diamonds. "It would be the type deveiöpment I would propose but we would need funds," Sproull said.
Keeping in mind that the entire Hurón River propertiesl would be more or less a uni-1 fied park, Sproull said many ofl the áreas of the river would notl be developed but would be leftl in a natural state. "We would I attempt . to provide access tol some áreas," Sproull said, and I added that others would be leftl accessible only from the river. I Sproull emphasized that therel are no firm plans as yet forl development of t'he Hurón River properties. "We will be developing total plans for the area and these plans wil] bol ■ made public before M f ■ ment begins." he said. m "We should develop theseMp ■ plans in the near future, 1 p ■ though they may not be broughtff linto effect for a number ofM M lyears," he said. ffl Commenting on the overall ■ t; Ipark program of the city.H m ISproull said it novv services the I JÊ I needs of the city adequately M; Hand "if we continue to purchaseM I land as we have in the past I ' ■ few years we will meet the H I quirements outlined in the Parks H land Open Spaee Plan.'' Il Ann Arbor, imlike a largeM I city such as Detroit, has thejl lopportunity to expand its parks j.l Bsystem as the city expands.ji I.Most of the area suiToundingHv. Ithe city is undeveloped and Ut Iwhen areas are annexed fheBjj Icity can purchase park land f or píí; Ithe future needs Qf that area. 'Kp The city is not standing still I lin its parks and recreation iRp Igram. As Mayor Cecil O. Creal I m ■pointed out there are numerous X lboards and committees which fl lare studying ïhe needs of the I ÍK Icity and making periodic II Iports to the council. ■ H But for the city to follow J p Ithese recommendations fundsT 1 Imust be made available - notsB lonly for the purchase of land all Ibut for its development and I n Imaintenance as well, it is)l Ipointed out. As the city parks H Isystem grows the parks depart-n Iment must also grow to meet)M Idemands of development and 1 W. [maintenance Sproull says.