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Argo Plan Is Keystone For River Parks

Argo Plan Is Keystone For River Parks image Argo Plan Is Keystone For River Parks image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
March
Year
1971
Copyright
Copyright Protected
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Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

i COND IN A SERIES) In many ways the proposed development of Argo Pond and the surrounding area, for which funds are being sought in the $3.5 million bond issue, will be the keystone of the chain of Huron River parks. Not only is it an exciting concept as an individual park, but it will also provide a link to make an unbroken chain of parkland extending from one edge of Ann Arbor to the other along the Huron. The plan for Argo was developed within the Parks Department itself, and not by an outside consultant. And it is at once a compromise and at the same time a bold approach. Little by little, over the years, we have worked on our river parks in a piecemeal approach - a parcel here and a piece there, designed, purchased, proposed, and developed. The planning that has gone into this bond issue, though, has been a total approach, and is perhaps best seen in the plans for Argo jrfand surrounding area. fo Pond itself, for instance, and the Huron River below it, and some of the land surrounding it, was part of the Detroit Edison Purchase of 1963. That purchase included the pond, the dam, the land upstream of the dam along the river (including the hillside to the west of the pond between Longshore Drive and the river, which is now a nature trail), the river below the dam (which includes the "raceway", or the old waterway which shunted water from the pond down through the power-producing facility at Swift St. i and Broadway), and a little bit of land along the banks of the Huron, up to a certain I natural contour line. Immediately to the south of Ithe area (see map) we lalready owned a small play' ground - Summit playground i - a block-square, flat, innercity park. Below (downriver) from Argo along the Huron, across Broadway, was Riverside Park on the north bank of the river and "Hobo Park" onAfae south bank, and furwnriver - across Wall StP- was Island Park and the golf course. Upstream from the dam, along the shores of Argo Pond, was a partially-open, partially wooded sloping area called Longshore Park, and on the bank of the Huron in f that área was Wirth's Canoe Livery and the oíd municipal bathing beach, now a boat launching facility. Immediately across stream from that area was Lansky's junkyard, and upstream from that on the same side of the river was a large open area belonging to the JohnsonGreene Corp. Both pareéis have long been eyed by the city, the latter having been negotiated for a long time, and the former a subject of concern for the same amount of time. Gradually we have begun to fill in some of the pieces and develop a totality of ownership along the Huron in that area and near it. We purchased the Peters Sausage Company adjoining Summit Playground to add to that park. We bought the Wirth Canoe Livery and the land with it at the foot of Longshore. We are beginning to negotiate seriously for the whole of the Johnson-Greene property, and we have an application in for federal funds to buy out and relocate Lansky's- not just the portion along the Huron across from Wirth's and the boat launch park, but also the annex across Summit Street from Summit playground. The pieces are finally beginning to fit together, and the plan for total development of the area, which has been drawn up by the Parks Department and is part of the package submitted to the voters for approval on April 5, outlines what we hope to accomplish with the funds requested. As we noted, there is application in to the federal government for funds to purchase the land on which Lansky's (both sections) is located. Although this money is as assured as it can be, until the final check is given, Council has indicated that this purchase is so important that they want to assure that even if, by some remóte chance, the federal government does not particípate in it, that part of the money from the bond can be usel. The main Lansky's yard, on N. Main St, has only limited recreational potential, but it is a visual disturbance to the development of parkland in that area. The Summit St. branch, however, is vitally needed to expand the innercity park, Summit Playground, and make it into a real playground. From that park a walkway, with an overpass over the railroad tracks, would lead to the Argo Pond área. Between the river and the railroad -AnTthcrlTay ot rit üng bac i nul? I a_drwln of the Proposed development plan for Argo Pond and surrounding área downstream designed by Parks Department landscape cWtes' Joe Ruppert and Tom Raynes. Cost of this develoP! ment is estimated at $250,000, to come from the $3 5 Si í T?-1S?l ? be submitted to the voters on i Apr'1 N" mcluded in this sum are funds from the i Í ES'rS"4 fr ChaSe and reIocation of ava"labl f ? ho" mat1clung fun will probably be i i STJ ? !. í Ï C fed.eraI Svernment (and perhaps the state) for some phases of the development plan tracks is a small section of unused land owned by Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. (see map). This parcel is proposed to be purchased, and preliminary negotiations have indicated that there would be little objection to this plan. At that point, of course, is the Huron River below Argo Dam. A footbridge will have to be constructed across the river at that point to get to the "island" between the river and the old raceway. At one time it was seriously proposed to fill in the raceway and make additional parkland there. The reason for this was that with water no longer being flushed down the raceway, and through the power-house, there was danger of the raceway water i becoming stagnant. But because the value of the raceway, both aesthetically and as a fishing site, was vpaiied, another solution was sought. The Parks Department consulted engineers and came up with the idea that a small waterfaU, or cascade, could be developed at the end' of the raceway to allow water to flow through that stretch of water and remain fresh, bypassing the unused powerhouse completely. This is now part of the plan. To get access to the Canoe Livery upstream, a causeway will be built under the railroad. This will serve the doublé purpose of allowing pedestrian access under the railr o a d , and also allowing vehicular access for maintenance vehicles to service the dam. The canoe livery, now owned by the city, will probably be let out to a concessionaire who will run the operation. djacent to the livery is the lublic boat launching area, nd upstream from this is city land which incorporates a trail going all the way up to, and adjoining, Huron Bridge Park, which connects to the Barton Pond Development outlined last week. Downriver from the Argo Dam, a trail will connect up the island between the river and the raceway, go over the waterfall or cascade, and gal under the Broadway bridge tB connect to the upper end of Riverside Park. Following this downriver, of course, will allow the trail to go through Island Park. Another footbridge j u s t downstream from the Broadway bridge underpass will give access to the south side of the river- the old "Hobo Park" area now renamed "Broadway Park." Some stream dredging is also planned for the river just downstream from Broadway, between Broadway Park and the upper part of Riverside Park, to deepen the channel slightly for improved canoeing. This section of the Huron is extremely shallow at low water times in late July and August. The paths or trails in this area are proposed to be sufficient for bicycling, as well as pedestrians. Access from inner-city parks and people, as well as improved connecting links between existing parkland are the unusual features of the proposal for Argo Pond and surrounding area. The plan is an excellent one, as well as imaginative, and for the first time would allow people to use an area heretofor cut off from all but the most determined hiker. At the same time, it would preserve some of the interesting natural and historie features of the area. But it will take a certain amount of money to bring it to fruition. A "yes" vote on April 5 will assure it. É