City May Place Parks Bond Proposal On April Ballot

Ann Arbor voters may be asked to pass on a parks bond issue in April - if a package can be put together for City Council consideration within the next two weeks. This possibility arose as the council was hearing status reports on rehabilitation of city-owned dams along the Huron River and plans for development of the Geddes Pond recreation area. During discussion of the Geddes Pond development, councilmen were told the remaining dollars from the 1966 park development bond issue not already committed would have to go toward this ject because state funds will not cover the necessary dredging work. Of that bond issue (which totaled $600,000) there are remaining commitments of $137,526, leaving $129,942 for dredging and filling work. Parks Department Director George Owers reported that using the funds for Geddes Pond would force deferment of a number of projects- including work at Burns Park, Dolph Park, Sugar Bush Park, Buhr Park, Riverside Park, Leslie Park and Marshall Park. First Ward Councilman John Kirscht said he would hope the affected projects would be covered by another bond issue, and Third Ward Councilman Nicholas D. Kazarinoff asked that this vote be held at the April council election. The deadline for placing a bond issue on the ballot is Feb. 16. Mayor Robert J. Harris said he would hope the next bond issue will include funds for the removal of the Lansky junkyard on Summit. The city is seeking a federal grant for this purpose, and Harris said if this isn't forthcoming it should be included in the bond issue. "If the bond issue doesn't pass, we could make some sort of commitment on moving it," he added. In his report on Geddes Pond improvements, Owers said plana cali ír development of a trail system along the entire southern length of the project with a linkage f rom Gallup Lake Park to the north side of the river in the vicinity of Geddes Rd. and Huron Parkway, and improvements for access, picnicking, nature study, viewing, boating, canoeing and fishing at the entranceway along the old Geddes bridge, improvements to the Ruthven property between the river and Geddes bridge, improvements of a segment of the "south Geddes Pond" area and the Geddes dam site, along with improvements to Gallup Lake Park. Utilities Department Supt. Wayne H. Abbott Jr., reporting on the dam work, said it is hoped water will be returned to all four of the city's ponds by summer of 1972 but added this would depend on having gates for the dams built in time to meet this date. He said it is hoped to ask bids on the projects by June 1 of this year with constructipn beginning at Argo and Geddes dams by July 1, at Barton dam by Sept. 6 and at Superior dam by spring of 1972. Estimated cost of the dam repairs is $633,418 for Barton, $577,629 for Argo, $829,822 for Geddes and $298,131 for Superior. The dam work and Geddes recreational work will be coordinated, as will construction of the Northside interceptor sewer. This coordination will alleviate the necessity for lowering the ponds once filled. The interceptor work is awaiting final federal approval, and Assistant City Administrator Donald J. Borut said last night that work in obtaining the necessary rights-of-way should be completed within two weeks.