Aerial view of Bloch/Vreeland property in Superior Township. Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission approved the purchase of a conservation easement on this parcel. (Image from WCPARC board packet.)

Action included approving the purchase of a conservation easement on 129 acres in Superior Township – fronting Vreeland and Leforge roads – for $613,500. Purchase of another easement was authorized for $95,731 on the Rogers parcel, 157 acres in York Township.

Commissioners also heard an update on the proposed agreement between WCPARC and the city of Ypsilanti that would result in WCPARC building a new recreation center on 4.1 acres of land in the Water Street redevelopment area, next to the Huron River. Some of the changes in the draft agreement came at the request of the Ann Arbor YMCA, which is partnering on the project and would operate the center. The goal is to complete construction by late 2016.

Grant applications for WCPARC’s Connecting Communities initiative were reviewed. Requests from four townships and the village of Manchester totaled $1.35 million. That’s far greater than the $600,000 available for the grant program, which was created to build non-motorized trails across the county. Commissioners will decide at their March 11 meeting how to award the grants.

During public commentary, three residents spoke to the commission about the ill effects of over-abundant deer in the county, and urged WCPARC to address the situation.

The commission also welcomed its newest member to the group: Dan Ezekiel, a science teacher at Ann Arbor Public Schools and former chair of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission. One of the longest-serving commissioners – labor leader Fred Veigel, who has represented the county road commission on WCPARC – didn’t attend the meeting because of ill health. He died on March 2.

Natural Areas Preservation Program

The county’s natural areas preservation program (NAPP) is funded by a 10-year countywide millage of 0.2409 mills, which brings in about $3 million annually. Voters renewed the millage most recently in 2010, through 2020. The program enables WCPARC to purchase land worth preserving because of its natural features, and to purchase development rights on agricultural land.

The Natural Areas Technical Advisory Committee (NATAC) advises WCPARC on natural areas acquisitions. The Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Committee advises WCPARC on the purchase of development rights for agricultural land.

NAPP: Bloch/Vreeland Road Property

Tom Freeman, retired WCPARC deputy director who now serves as a consultant, presented a report to support his recommendation, and that of ALPAC, that WCPARC purchase a conservation easement on the Bloch property – 129 acres in Superior Township at the southeast corner of the LeForge and Vreeland Roads. [.pdf of staff memo]

At their meeting on Dec. 10, 2013, commissioners had authorized staff to prepare a purchase offer for the conservation easement.

Freeman highlighted what he and NATAC found as the most valuable features. First, although the land is primarily in active agricultural use, it holds a seasonal stream that flows into the nearby west section of WCPARC’s Meyer Preserve, and has wetlands along Vreeland Road on the north edge of the property. Second, preserving the agricultural use of the property will serve to buffer the Meyer Preserve. A farmer will, Freeman said, buy the property and continue to use it for agricultural purposes.

Freeman reported that Bosserd Appraisal Services had valued a conservation easement on the property at $613,500, or $4,750 per acre; that Mannik & Smith group had done a phase 1 environmental assessment and did not identify any significant environmental concerns; and that the county had a boundary survey, legal description, and sealed survey drawing.

NAPP: Bloch/Vreeland Rd. Property – Commission Discussion

Robert Marans, WCPARC  president, asked why this conservation easement was being purchased by NAPP when the land is agricultural. Freeman answered that the existence and importance of the stream justifies using some of the 25% of NAPP’s money that can be used to purchase conservation easements on agricultural land.

Commission member Evan Pratt, who also serves as Washtenaw County water resources commissioner, asked whether WCPARC could require buffers along the stream. Yes, Freeman replied – the easement gives WCPARC the right to work on a management plan using guidelines from the National Resources Conservation Service [formerly known as the U.S. Soil Conservation Service].

Outcome: Unanimous approval of the recommendation to purchase a conservation easement on the Bloch/Vreeland Road property in Superior Township for $613,500.

NAPP: Rogers Property

Freeman also made the presentation for this recommendation, supported by ALPAC, to contribute $95,731 toward the purchase of a conservation easement on the Rogers family property in York Township. The property consists of three parcels located along the east and west sides of Saline-Milan Road at Judd Road. Together, the parcels comprise 157 acres.

Freeman explained the proposed arrangement. Because the Legacy Land Conservancy already holds easements on other nearby Rogers properties, the conservancy would hold this conservation easement too. The conservancy has obtained an award from the federal Farm and Ranchland Preservation Program (FRPP) for 39% ($88,734) of the price. The owner, Kendall Rogers, is willing to contribute another approximately 19% ($43,859), leaving $95,731, which Freeman recommends WCPARC provide. That amount works out to $1,449 per acre.

The justification for the purchase is to increase the total amount of protected acreage in the area to 725 acres. Freeman explained that WCPARC could set guidelines for the owner to ensure that the use of the land continues to be a positive influence on water quality.

NAPP: Rogers Property – Commission Discussion

Discussion focused on the details of the financial arrangement, and the question of why conservancy, which is not contributing anything to the proposed purchase, would hold the easement.

Freeman explained that WCPARC staff and ALPAC agreed to that arrangement because the Legacy Land Conservancy already holds easements on nearby properties, and because that nonprofit had obtained the FRPP grant, which would contribute toward the purchase price. Should the conservancy cease to exist, Freeman assured the commission, the easement would go to WCPARC.

Outcome: Unanimous approval of the recommendation that WCPARC contribute $95,731 toward the purchase of a conservation easement on the 157 acres of Rogers Property in York township, said conservation easement to be held by Legal Land Conservancy.

East County Recreation Center

A proposal to build a new recreation center on the east side of Washtenaw County, in downtown Ypsilanti, began over two years ago. It contemplates a partnership between the city of Ypsilanti and WCPARC in which the city would supply the property and WCPARC would provide the building. The Ann Arbor Y would then contract with WCPARC to manage the center, which would be located on part of the 38-acre Water Street redevelopment area. [For additional background, see Chronicle coverage from WCPARC's Dec. 10, 2013 meeting.]

Coy Vaughn, WCPARC’s deputy director, presented a summary of the proposed purchase and development agreement between the city of Ypsilanti and WCPARC. Commissioners had been briefed on the basic features of the agreement at their Dec. 10, 2013 meeting.

This was not an action item for WCPARC, but rather a review of the basic terms of the agreement and the changes under consideration. [.pdf of staff memo and draft agreement]

Vaughn reminded commissioners that there would be a second agreement, between WCPARC and the Ann Arbor YMCA, for the Y to manage the rec center after WCPARC builds it. Some of the proposed changes came at the request of the Y, he said.

Vaughn’s presentation reviewed what he had detailed in December:

• Exact location and size of the parcel: 4.1 acres on the northwest corner of Water Street site, adjacent to Michigan Avenue and the Huron River, plus a 100-foot greenway.
• Purchase price: $1, plus WCPARC’s contribution of infrastructure worth a total of about $900,000, including a border-to-border trail worth $650,000.
• Size and orientation of the building: 45,000-50,000 square feet on Michigan Avenue with no more than a 10 foot setback. Pedestrian access across the site to the river.
• The proposed site plan and building design: Building at least 35 feet tall; entrances from the parking lot, from Michigan Ave., and from the B2B trail.
• Timeline for approvals, permits, and construction: Allows 270 days to secure all governmental approvals and closing within 30 days of approvals; termination clause if WCPARC can’t secure approvals or is not satisfied with the condition of property. Construction to start within 6 months of closing and be complete within two years.
• Plan for infrastructure development beyond the parcel footprint: Vaughn stressed the flexibility to modify the parcel configuration and infrastructure, if opportunities arise to coordinate with a developer.
• Roles and responsibilities: the city of Ypsilanti will maintain the linear park and trail. WCPARC will build Parsons Street and Water Street.
• Terms of parcel transfer, and legal responsibilities for the development and opening of the recreation facility were also outlined.

Vaughn also briefly described the proposed changes to the agreement. Highlights included putting parking in the rear of the site; constructing all streets to city standards, including sidewalk and street trees; providing appropriate easements for pedestrian access across site; allowing flexibility for parking configuration and number of spaces; inserting language to prohibit future fitness centers on the site (a restrictive covenant); and adding a requirement to follow the local zoning ordinance.

East County Recreation Center – Commission Discussion

Discussion began with the proposed requirement to follow local zoning ordinances, with Vaughn saying that the county’s legal counsel had problems with it.

Dan Smith – a Republican who also serves as a county commissioner, representing District 2 – pointed out that the county doesn’t have to follow city zoning codes. These issues often relate back to costs, he said, because zoning compliance can add to the project’s costs. All taxpayers across the county will incur costs for this recreation center, he added, “and I’m not keen on it costing more to make Ypsi happy.” He was hesitant to agree that the county would unequivocally commit to following the city’s zoning.

WCPARC director Bob Tetens indicated that the entire Water Street site would probably be a planned unit development (PUD). [This type of zoning designation is in a sense customized, with zoning agreements developed specifically for a particular project. More information about Ypsilanti’s zoning map and ordinances is available on the city's website.]

Discussion then turned to timing. Tetens said he had talked to the YMCA, and it’s important to them to have a soft opening in December 2016 and the real opening in January 2017 for maximum membership. To achieve that, he continued, “We have to get going in the next two to three months.”

Commission member Jan Anschuetz asked whether WCPARC would put a proposal on the ballot this year for renewal of the county’s 10-year parks & rec operations millage. Tetens said yes, but that a proposal has not yet gone to the county board of commissioners. Any millage or bonding proposal must be put on the ballot by the county board.

The countywide parks & rec operations millage is a 10-year, quarter-mill tax that was first approved in November 1978, and subsequently renewed in 1984, 1994, and 2004. The current millage expires on Dec. 1, 2016. Typically, a renewal proposal is put on the ballot two years before the existing millage expires. Tetens indicated that it’s important to know if that millage funding will be available, prior to building the east county rec center.

As for the rec center, Tetens indicated there was no need to seek board approval until after bids for the project were in, likely next year. Waiting until next year also would “get it away from an election year, so it will not be a hot potato,” he said. Finally, he explained that the project needs hard numbers before being presented to the board.

Bob Marans – a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning – brought up the issue of architect selection for this major project. Vaughn said that staff were thinking of a national search. Tetens added that there would be multiple presentations from potential architects, and that there would probably be teams of architects with different specialties.

Tetens said the agreement with the YMCA had to be finalized, with the help of a person from the national Y who looks at the numbers and helps with the agreement. He hopes to have a memo of understanding with the Y before WCPARC’s March meeting. All of these items will come back to the March WCPARC meeting.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Connecting Communities

Commissioners received a separate packet consisting of a background memo on the Connecting Communities program, and copies of five applications for funding, which covered six proposed projects. [.pdf of staff memo] [.pdf of applications]

WCPARC members Dan Ezekiel and Bob Marans.

According to the staff memo, in May 2009 WCPARC authorized the Connecting Communities initiative, through which it would make up to $600,000 available annually from 2010 through 2014 – a total of $3 million – toward the cost of eligible trail projects. According to the memo, “eligible projects will be those that accomplish the Commission’s primary objective of providing valuable non-motorized connections between communities and activity centers, offering a healthy alternative for recreation, transportation, fitness, and energy conservation.” Grant recipients have two years to fulfill any contingencies, such as acquiring grants from other organizations.

By way of background specific to Ann Arbor, the city was granted $300,000 in 2013 (of total cost of $1 million) for 1,500 feet of trail, part of a project for the “development of pathways, storm water features to improve the quality of Allen Creek…on property which will serve as a trailhead for the proposed Allen Creek Greenway.” The site includes city property at 721 N. Main. Paths will connect Felch Street to both North Main and west Summit Street. The proposal stated that the city would also apply for a match from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund (MDNRTF), and that the city would consider using the adopt-a-park program to help maintain the facility. The grant required success with the MDNRTF, but the city’s application in 2013 failed. The city has another year to try again.

WCPARC developed criteria for selecting projects, which include 10 primary considerations. Among those considerations are projects that provide important links between communities, parks and other points of interest, that are adjacent to waterways, or that are major multi-jurisdictional efforts. There are 14 types of projects that generally are not eligible, such as trails solely within existing local parks.

Applicants must document a compelling need for a project, and there are six criteria that are used to evaluate the projects. For example, projects are evaluated based on whether they directly relate to the county’s important natural features, such as a river. The Huron River corridor is WCPARC’s highest priority. Five secondary criteria – such as land availability, or the likelihood of funding from other sources – are then applied to high-ranking projects.

The process for selecting projects to be funded involves a staff review of the applications. The projects are then presented to the Greenways Advisory Committee, which provides input that staff uses to prioritize the applications and make recommendations to WCPARC for final approval.

Connecting Communities: Summary of Applications

The applications for 2014 include:

• Ann Arbor Township: $300,000 (of total cost of $1.2 million) for two miles of pedestrian and bicycle trail connecting Parker Mill and Plymouth Road along Dixboro Road, to connect to the Parker Mill trail at Geddes and Dixboro on the south, and the proposed trail from Plymouth/Dixboro to Main Street/Cherry Hill on the north. The application states that other confirmed project funders include $600,000 in private donor matching funds; and potential project funders include the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Washtenaw County Road Commission, the Michigan Dept. of Transportation alternatives program, and additional private donors. The township has received no previous grants from the Connecting Communities program.
• Village of Manchester: $150,000 (of $225,000 total cost) to improve an existing rail bed owned by the village into a walking/biking trail traversing the entire community and linking several parks, businesses, schools, and neighborhoods. The 13.4 acres of village-owned land has a value of at least $200,000. The Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation will provide $100,000, and the Kiwanis Club of Manchester another $2,000. Potential additional funders include community fundraising and private donations; and grants such as the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21); Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) and Surface Transportation Program (STP), which are both programs of the Federal Highway Administration in the federal Dept. of Transportation; and the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The village has received no previous Connecting Communities grants.
• Northfield Township: $260,000 (of $600,000 total cost) for 2,925 feet of trail along Barker Road in Whitmore Lake, connecting Whitmore Lake’s downtown with the Northfield Township Library and Whitmore Lake Elementary School. This is the third phase of a project that received $120,000 in 2010 and $250,000 in 2011. Other confirmed project funders are $60,000 from Northfield Township, $60,000 from the Whitmore Lake Downtown Development Authority, $1,000 from the Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and $1,000 from the Kiwanis.
• Pittsfield Township: $400,000 (of total cost of $1.9 million) for 1.8 miles of trail, phase 2 of the Lohr-Textile greenway, extending it east from the corner of Lohr and Textile, on Textile, to the Marshview Meadow Park and the Pittsfield Preserve. Grants from WCPARC’s Connecting Communities project to the township were $300,000 in 2010; $290,000 in 2011; and $150,000 in 2013. Other potential project funders include MDNRTF ($300,000) and MDOT/SEMCOG ($1,064,708). Other confirmed funding is from Pittsfield Township (up to $400,000); and MDOT/SEMCOG ($1,064,708).
• Ypsilanti Township: $240,000 for two projects totaling 3,032 feet (total cost of $240,000). One project (2,032 feet) would run along the east side of Tuttle Hill Road from Textile Road north across South Huron River Drive and into Ford Lake Park. The other (1,000 feet) would run on the south side of Textile from just east of South Huron River Drive to the entrance of Lakeview mobile homes. The township received $100,000 in 2010 and $250,000 in 2011, and has pledged $80,000 for project engineering.

Connecting Communities – Commission Discussion

Commissioner Jan Anschuetz commented on how difficult it would be to decide which projects get funded. She noted the popularity of new trails in Dexter, and asked whether WCPARC should authorize an extension to the Connecting Communities program.

WCPARC director Bob Tetens replied that all surveys show an 80% approval for trails. He said it would be worth discussing whether to continue the program, but noted that there are many elements to consider, such as the millage renewal and the retirement of debt on the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center proposed east county recreation center.

Outcome: There was no vote. WCPARC staff expects to make recommendations to the commission at the March 11, 2014 meeting.

Communications & Commentary

Each WCPARC meeting includes opportunities for public commentary, as well as various communications from staff and commissioners. Here are some highlights.

Communications & Commentary: Deer Damage

There is seldom public commentary at WCPARC meetings, although time is set aside at the start of each meeting for that purpose. Three people attended the February meeting, giving a coordinated presentation to call WCPARC’s attention to the great damage being done by white tailed deer to the natural environment – flora, fauna, and water quality – which it is WCPARC’s mission to protect.

From left: Maurita Holland and Andrea Matthies.

The first speaker was Toni Spears of Webster Township, making a second visit to talk to WCPARC about deer management in natural areas. She reminded the commission that its mission is to manage its land for the benefit of all native species and to maintain a diverse native plant population in the whole complex ecosystem. The Leonard Preserve, she said, had a deer population of over 200 per square mile, and the area from which deer are excluded has significantly more diverse life than the rest. [The Leonard Preserve is the county’s largest natural area, with 259 acres and a mile of the Raisin River.]

Outside of the deer exclosure, deer browsing on native plants has allowed invasives to thrive, frustrating WCPARC’s ability to eliminate invasives. Noting that the Huron-Clinton Metro Parks have protocols for deer management, Spears asked WCPARC to develop a long-term sustainable deer management program. She suggested starting with an assessment of the deer population this winter and developing a target level, perhaps starting with one natural area, culling the herd, and donating the harvest to those in need. “We know others will disagree,” she concluded, “but we are animal rights activists for all species. We want all to thrive. We want you to manage your property for the health of all native flora and fauna. The deer deserve to be in a healthy ecosystem.”

Andrea Matthies, the second speaker, owns five acres in Scio Township and is a master rain gardener. [Matthies is current chair of the Ann Arbor chapter of WildOnes.] She spoke of her unfulfilled hope, when she moved to the property, to create a paradise for native small mammals and birds. The deer, she said, are numerous and utterly fearless. She hired people to bow hunt and in the last 15 years the hunters have killed 100 deer on her five acres. She pointed out the damage done by car-deer collisions and Lyme disease, which she said is a major problem in every county in the state and more serious than most people think. [The Centers for Disease Control reports three cases in Michigan in 2003, increasing to a probable 98 cases in 2012.] The third danger deer pose is to spread chronic wasting disease, she said. [The state of Michigan has a website on CWD.]

The third speaker, Maurita Holland, is a master gardener and master rain gardener who once lived on 15 acres near Ann Arbor. She said she would invite hunters to cull deer there. She now lives in Ann Arbor’s northwest side on property through which Newport Creek runs. Her concerns include water quality. She noted that deer destroyed her rain garden last summer, which is especially unfortunate because her land drains 20 acres of neighboring land and the deer have ruined her efforts to filter the runoff.

In addition to eating her native plantings, the deer browse viburnum, and nine deer bed down in her yard. They eat holly through the netting she hoped would keep them away; since they can’t digest it, they vomit it. A deer died in her yard this year and she paid $300 for its removal. Deer dug up daffodil bulbs right after she planted them, even though they won’t eat daffodils. Holland closed by reminding WCPARC that county residents want protection, preservation, and management of natural resources and improvement of water quality. She asked: “Can we work together to accomplish some of these important goals?”

Communications & Commentary: Deer Damage – Commission Discussion

Bob Marans began by stating that the county board of commissioners is beginning to address this issue. Dan Smith, who also serves on the county board, added that there would be a working session on issues about deer, with a presentation by Timothy Wilson from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. [That session occurred on Feb. 20, 2014.]

Marans added that the Huron-Clinton Metropark Authority has done a survey and will do more. Jan Anschuetz raised a new issue in response to the concept of sharpshooters or bow hunters culling the herd: Is it legal to hunt on county land?

As background, county ordinance 128  – which established the NAPP program and assigned WCPARC to manage NAPP – begins with a “declaration of purpose” that includes this statement: “Passive recreation would be appropriate use of this land.”

The section on definitions includes this statement:

“Passive Recreation” means walking, jogging, bird watching, nature studies, quiet picnicking and other quiet inactive pastimes.

The discussion at WCPARC included some speculation about whether culling the herd would be “hunting,” or whether it would be carrying out the requisite “stewardship” of the land in the manner suggested by the three speakers.

Marans said he was anxious to know what the board of commissioners is thinking. He indicated that he’d like to know more about this from staff at the next meeting, and to know what the managers of the natural areas think.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Communications & Commentary: New, Outgoing Commissioners

Bob Marans invited the newest commission member, Dan Ezekiel, to talk about his expectations. Ezekiel expressed delight at joining WCPARC, adding that no one can replace Nelson Meade. [Meade, who has served on WCPARC from its formation in 1973, retired in December of 2013.]

Ezekiel said he has followed WCPARC by reading reports in The Chronicle, and that he has worked with Tom Freeman in the past. [Ezekiel formerly served on the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission. He was appointed to WCPARC at the county board's Jan. 22, 2014 meeting.] Ezekiel described himself as an intrepid biker who commutes daily, with gloves and studded tires.

Jan Anschuetz thanked WCPARC staff for the wonderful party to honor Nelson Meade.

Communications & Commentary: Misc. Issues

Commission members discussed a letter that some of them, but not all, had received from residents along Jennings Road, which leads to Independence Lake Park. Concerns in the letter included the safety, trees, and drainage related to work the county road commission will undertake. Evan Pratt, who also serves as the county’s water resources commissioner, described the drainage problems caused by the soil, which is makes handling stormwater difficult and requires a ditch.

Marans reported that he, Anschuetz and Pratt will meet with deputy director Coy Vaughn to discuss the goals and objectives for WCPARC’s five-year revised master plan.

Financial Reports

Each month, staff provide several different financial reports to WCPARC, focused on the past month’s expenses (the claims report), monthly and year-to-date reports on expenses and revenues in the form of fund balance reports, and a listing of major non-recurring expenses when they are significant.

There are separate reports on parks and facilities, and on the natural areas preservation program (NAPP), which includes preservation of agricultural lands. Each of these has its own, separate funding, although WCPARC administers all of these programs.

Because there was no January meeting, the February meeting received reports for the last month of the 2013 fiscal year, and for January, the first month of the 2014 fiscal year. [WCPARC’s fiscal year is the calendar year.]

Financial Reports: Claims Report

Parks and facilities paid a total of $350,649 in December, and $86,343 in January. Most of those expenses were for capital improvements, primarily at the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, Rolling Hills and Independence Lake parks, plus a $75,000 contribution to Ypsilanti’s Rutherford Pool project.

NAPP claims far exceeded that with $1,445,807 in December, but only $1,390 in January. The NAPP expenses were almost entirely the cost of completing previously approved purchases of the Carr, Lippert, and Ramsey properties, a total of 235 acres in Northfield Township. [.pdf of NAPP claims]

Total expenses in December 2013 were $1,796,456; and $87,733 in January 2014. [.pdf of December 2013 claims] [.pdf of January 2014 claims]

Financial Reports: Fund Balance – Parks and Recreation

WCPARC director Bob Tetens introduced this report by saying that the fund balance was in good shape – revenues exceeded the budget, and expenses were 89% of what was budgeted.

The fund balance started the year at $12,950,815. As of Dec. 31, 2013, revenue totaled $9,917,338 – primarily from property taxes ($6,462,980) and fees and services ($3,384,207). Expenses for the year were $12,346,903. In addition, the parks budget includes an operating reserve of $6.7 million and ”partnership” funding commitments of $925,000. The projected fund balance at the end of December was $3,146,250. [.pdf of December 2013 parks & rec fund balance]

January 2014 began with a fund balance of $10,521, 250. [This is the total of the $3,146,250 fund balance on Dec. 31, 2013, plus the $6.7 million operating reserve and the $675,000 committed to funding partnerships.] Revenue as of Jan. 31, 2014 was $1,044,922 with expenses of $309,048. The operating reserve for 2014 is $6.7 million, and the funding commitments for partnerships is $820,000. [.pdf of January 2014 parks & rec fund balance]

The projected fund balance at the end of 2014 is $3,737,124.

Financial Reports: Fund Balance – NAPP

The December report showed a Jan. 1, 2013 fund balance of $10,263,644. Through Dec. 31, 2013, revenue was $3,547,655  and expenses were $6,615,388. The projected fund balance for NAPP at the end of 2013 was $7,195,911. [.pdf of December 2013 NAPP fund balance]

The January report started with the fund balance of $7,195,911 and showed revenue of $453,208. Expenses totaled $27,474, for a projected fund balance at the end of 2014 of $7,621,645. [.pdf of January 2014 NAPP fund balance]

There was no substantive discussion of the reports.

Outcome: WCPARC unanimously voted to receive, accept, and file the financial reports.

Recreation Reports

These monthly reports include attendance at WCPARC facilities where attendance can be counted, with information about participation in measurable activities and revenue received at those facilities. The reports include the current year-to-date summary as well as similar information for the prior two years.

Recreation Reports: Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center

In December at the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, year-to-date participation as of Dec. 31, 2013 was 322,999 and revenue was $1,2274.466. In 2012, year-to-date participation was 324,817 and revenue was $1,163,354. In 2011, participation was 339,946 and revenue was $1,244,466.

As of Jan. 31, 2014, participation was 28,311 and revenue was $144,393. In 2012, the comparable numbers were 33,151 and $156,018. In 2012, participate was 34,901 with revenue of $142,232. [.pdf of MLM rec center report]

Recreation Reports: Pierce Lake Golf Course

As of the end of December 2013, 17,021 people had paid greens fees totaling $373,131 at Pierce Lake Golf Course. In 2012, the golf course served 19,278 people with revenues $399,049. In 2011, attendance was 15,836 with revenues of $346,049. [.pdf of Pierce Lake report]

Programming and retail operations brought in $590,975 in 2013. That compares to $110,589 in 2012; and $89,523 in 2011. Thus, total revenue in 2013 was $590,975, compared to $614,620 in 2012 and $526,501 in 2011.

There was no report for January 2014.

Recreation Reports: Rolling Hills Park and Water Park

There is an entrance fee, and gate count, for everyone who enters Rolling Hills Park. There is a separate fee, and gate count, for those who go on to enter the water park there. [.pdf of Rolling Hills report]

As of Dec. 31, 2013, 30,attendance was 836 with revenues of $241,038 for Rolling Hills Park. That compares to attendance of 34,786 people in 2012 and revenues of $268,288. In 2011, attendance was 34,844 with $267,130 in revenues.

The water park recorded higher attendance: 94,266 people bringing in $715,239 in 2013; 114,522 people in 2012 and revenues of $780,122; and 115,012 people in 2011 with revenues of $780,995.

Total revenue for all operations at Rolling Hills was $1,205,355 in 2013; $1,322,531 in 2012; and $1,310,515 in 2011. There was no report for January 2014.

Recreation Reports: Independence Lake Park and Blue Heron Bay

Blue Heron Bay is a water-feature area separate from the rest of Independence Lake Park. Because Blue Heron Bay opened in 2013, there are no comparisons to earlier years. [.pdf of Independence Lake/Heron Bay report]

As of Dec. 31, 2013, attendance was 15,437 with revenues of $122,363 for Independence Lake Park. In 2012, attendance was 17,743 with $137,217 in revenues; compared to 2011 attendance of 157,019 and revenues of $132,602.

Attendance at Blue Heron Bay was 17,668, for $69,787 in revenues. Total revenue for all of Independence Lake Park was, through December, $295,718 in 2013; $211,578 in 2012; and $209,960 in 2011. There was no report for January 2014.

Outcome: The recreation reports were received and accepted for filing unanimously.

Projects and Activities

Staff of WCPARC provide monthly updates to commissioners about ongoing improvements at facilities, and activities at parks and natural areas. Some of this information is provided in writing in the board packet; more is provided with visuals and informal commentary. This report summarizes the most significant items at the February meeting.

• Rolling Hills Park: Construction bid documents to repair the Lazy River’s water leaks, drain cover compliance changes, and reconstruction of the stairs to Slide Mountain have been released and bids were due on Feb. 18. Eight bids were received to repair concrete walkways throughout the water park, and staff is reviewing the three lowest bids.
• Ann Arbor skatepark: City of Ann Arbor staff had scheduled a meeting with the contractor for Feb. 18, 2014, to develop a timetable for the remaining construction work. A grand opening for June 21, 2014 is in the planning stages.
• Staebler Farm: Staff began preparation of an application to the DNR for an Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) grant to develop the northern portion of the farm as a recreation-based park.
• Border to Border Trail (B2B): The Michigan Dept. of Transportation is reviewing staff plans for the final 1/8-mile of the River Terrace Trail in Dexter. The project agreement for the MNRTF 2011 grant to the city of Ypsilanti to bridge the Huron River, cross Michigan Ave., and construct a fishing pier and connecting trails was executed, and WCPARC authorized design of the bridge and crossing. The Washtenaw Area Transportation Study (WATS) continues to lead the effort to produce revised and new maps for the B2B trail route.
• Natural areas stewardship: A conservation plan for the agricultural portion of the Trinkle Marsh Preserve is in preparation for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
• WCPARC master plan: Staff have completed a preliminary draft and will hold public meetings in Ypsilanti, Dexter, Chelsea, and Saline in April.

Officer Elections

The nominations committee – Nelson Meade, Evan Pratt, and Rolland Sizemore Jr. – nominated Robert Marans to continue as president and Patricia Scribner as vice president. Jan Anschuetz was nominated as the new secretary-treasurer, replacing Nelson Meade, who retired from WCPARC in December 2013.

There were no competing nominations.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously elected their slate of officers.

Present: Jan Anschuetz, Janis Bobrin, Dan Ezekiel, Robert Marans, Nelson Meade, Evan Pratt, Patricia Scribner, Conan Smith, and Dan Smith.

Absent: Rolland Sizemore Jr., Fred Veigel.

Staff: Director Robert Tetens, deputy director Coy Vaughn, and consultant Tom Freeman.

Next meeting: Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at 7 p.m. in the county parks and recreation department’s office at 2230 Platt Road in Ann Arbor.

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A view of the 721 N. Main site in Ann Arbor, looking south from Summit Street. The Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission awarded the city a $150,000 grant to develop trails in the property, but only if the city gets matching funds from the state. (Photos by the writer.)

Four communities received grants from WCPARC under that trail-building program: the village of Dexter ($225,000); Ypsilanti Township ($75,000); Pittsfield Township ($150,000); and the city of Ann Arbor ($150,000). Funding for Ann Arbor – only half of the $300,000 that the city had applied for – is to fund a trail at 721 N. Main, a city-owned site that’s being redeveloped. The award is contingent on the city receiving a matching grant from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund (MDNRTF).

WCPARC is also applying for an MDNRTF grant, hoping to get $300,000 to help develop a master plan for the Staebler Farm County Park. The 98-acre property, which straddles Plymouth Road in Superior Township, had been a family farm for nearly a century. The commission held a public hearing on this issue, and heard from four nearby property owners who raised concerns about trespassing. The proposal calls for WCPARC to contribute $450,000 in county funds to the project.

Moving forward on another major project, commissioners approved three actions related to the proposed recreation center on Ypsilanti’s Water Street redevelopment site, located along Michigan Avenue. WCPARC agreed to share equally with the Ann Arbor YMCA in a $28,000 market study to help determine whether there’s enough community interest to support the proposed center. Commissioners also authorized staff to move forward with the acquisition, for $31,500, of an easement from the Huron Fischer Honda Leasing Co. for a section of the Border-to-Border (B2B) trail that would connect Riverside Park to the Water Street site. The third action was a resolution acknowledging a partnership between WCPARC and the city of Ypsilanti to design, build and operate the rec center.

And WCPARC also authorized staff to apply for $1.4 million from the federal Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) to extend the B2B River Terrace Trail from Dexter-Huron Metropark east 1.1 miles to Zeeb Road. TAP is administered through SEMCOG (Southeast Michigan Council of Governments). The application would be in partnership with Scio Township and the Washtenaw County Road Commission.

Connecting Communities Grants

Deputy director Coy Vaughn presented a report about WCPARC’s Connecting Communities project, beginning with a review of information he had provided to WCPARC in February. The program is a commitment by WCPARC to provide $600,000 a year for five years – a total of $3 million – to help governmental entities in Washtenaw County build trails for non-motorized transportation. This is the program’s the fourth year, Vaughn said – 2014 will be the last.

This year, he said, six communities applied for funding for eight projects. WCPARC staff met with its greenways advisory committee to score each project. The projects with the highest ranking – labeled “rating” on a score sheet provided in the WCPARC meeting packet – received funding. [.pdf of Connecting Communities staff recommendations] Not recommended were a $230,000 application from Northfield Township and a $300,000 application from Superior Township.

The village of Dexter had the highest score for its proposal to continue the River Terrace trail from the bridge going west into the village – a 1,300-foot connection. Although the request was for $300,000, Vaughn said staff felt it could be built for $275,000, so that was the recommended award.

Second-highest rated proposal was from Ypsilanti Township to build three segments of trail along Whittaker, Tuttle Hill, and Textile Road. The township had applied for $295,000. However, staff recommended awarding $75,000 to build only a 1,000 foot section along Textile Road, since the township has not yet completed the project awarded by Connecting Communities in 2012. Staff suggested that the township defer the two other segments until the 2014 round of applications.

Pittsfield Township scored third highest for the second phase of the Lohr-Textile Greenway (LTG). This phase would be 1.76 miles extending east along the north side of Textile Road, past State Street, to the Marshview Meadow Park and Pittsfield Preserve. This is an expensive project because it contains extensive wetlands, according to the staff report. The township is applying for grants from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund (MDNRTF) and the Federal Transportation Alternatives Program to help fund the $1.8 million project. The township had applied for $400,000 from Connecting Communities. Staff recommended awarding $150,000, contingent on success obtaining the other grants. Failing that, the award would not be granted and the money would become available for other projects.

A map showing recommendations for the city-owned property at 721 N. Main St.

Ann Arbor’s proposal for a $300,000 grant – for an as-yet-incomplete plan to build a trail at 721 North Main on city-owned property formerly used for vehicle storage and servicing – only scored fifth highest. Even so, WCPARC staff recommended awarding the city $150,000, contingent on the city obtaining a $300,000 grant from MDNRTF. As with the Pittsfield Township grant, if no state funding is received, the Connecting Community grant would not be awarded.

Vaughn provided additional background on Ann Arbor’s applications. In 2011 and 2012, the city submitted applications to Connecting Communities to construct the initial segment of the Allen Creek Greenway, on the city owned property at 415 W. Washington. The site’s limited connectivity to other trails or public spaces caused these proposals to score low.

Vaughn said WCPARC had suggested that Ann Arbor start closer to the county’s Border-to-Border trail, and he indicated that the city has done so with this current request. However, Vaughn said, the city hasn’t yet figured out exactly how those B2B connections will be made, and are still researching options.

By way of background, a task force established by the Ann Arbor city council on May 7, 2012 has been working to develop recommendations for a much broader area than 721 N. Main, including the North Main corridor and extending to the Huron River. The task force is supposed to provide recommendations for the area by July 31, 2013. Meanwhile, on Feb. 19, 2013 the council approved a $30,000 study of the main building on the site. The council also has voted to use a FEMA grant to demolish two buildings on the site that are in the floodway.

Connecting Communities: WCPARC Discussion

WCPARC vice president Patricia Scribner recused herself from the discussion and vote, citing her position as treasurer of Pittsfield Township.

Commissioner Jan Anschuetz asked about Northfield Township’s application. “They came in fourth,” she said. “What do we say to them?”

Commissioner Dan Smith responded, saying that the township still needs to finish the project’s first phase, which he described as involving “complicated engineering” over a railway crossing, a creek, and a freeway interchange. Smith – who represents District 2 on the county board of commissioners, which includes Northfield Township – then continued by thanking staff for their “great work in sorting through all of this.”

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously approved the staff recommendations for Connecting Communities grants totaling $600,000.

Staebler Farm County Park

WCPARC president Robert Marans invited Coy Vaughn to present background information about a proposal to apply for $300,000 from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund. The grant would fund a master plan for the 98-acre Staebler Farm, which WCPARC has owned since 2001. [.pdf of staff memo and WCPARC resolution]

Plymouth Road bisects the site, which is immediately south of M-14. Vaughn explained that because crossing Plymouth is treacherous, the plan is to put parking, trails, and other public activity on the north side of the road. To the south, where Don Staebler still resides under his agreement with WCPARC, a farmer raises hay on several acres. South of the hay fields the land drops off and becomes marshy, and Vaughn said those areas would be left natural. There are several water features on the site: Fleming Creek runs through it, he said, and it has frontage on Frains and Murray lakes. Vaughn said the intent of Phase I in developing the park is to continue farming on the south side of Plymouth. Vaughn referred briefly to a presentation made to WCPARC in June 2012. [See Chronicle coverage: "County Parks: Options for Staebler Farm"]

Vaughn continued to describe the activities that would be possible at Staebler Farm. In general, it would be a “farm learning center,” he said, perhaps including a program to help Michigan State University train farm managers, which would also provide a caretaker for the park. Other features could include a community garden; a trail and bridge across the creek, leading to fishing in the two ponds from borrow pits created when M-14 was constructed; pavilions; and rest rooms.

Vaughn expressed optimism about the grant application: “We think it will score high with the trust fund because of the pedestrian trail, fishing pier, and improvements we will make to Fleming Creek, which is highly eroded by the presence of about 20 cattle walking in it.” He said the creek was damaged by the cattle “doing what cattle do in creeks.” The applications are due April 1, and use of the grant money would be possible in 2015. The maximum grant this round will be $300,000. Because the master plan will cost about $750,000, applying for the grant commits WCPARC to providing the remaining$450,000.

Staebler Farm County Park: WCPARC Discussion

In response to a question about trails, Vaughn said they would be limited, and would keep visitors on the north side of Plymouth Road. Commissioner Evan Pratt, who serves on WCPARC by virtue of his elected position as county water resources commissioner, asked whether WCPARC would use a consultant they already know. WCPARC director Bob Tetens responded that they would put the project out to bid to about a half dozen of the “same cast of characters” who typically bid on such projects.

Commissioner Dan Smith commented that WCPARC staff had done some planning themselves. Tetens said that yes, they did the WCPARC master plan in house, and used MSU staff to help with the outline of the farm plan.

A slide showing Phase 1 of a plan to develop the Staebler Farm.

Commission member Janis Bobrin clarified her understanding of the cost as $750,000, and asked for more information about when grant money would be available. Vaughn explained that preliminary scoring will be done in August and final scoring in December; money would not be in the WCPARC budget to spend until 2015.

Dan Smith had another question: “Have you found anything at all like this around the state?” Vaughn said yes, they had, at Wolcott Mill, but they had not yet visited it. [Wolcott Mill is one of the Huron Clinton Metroparks in Macomb County. It is east of Romeo Plank Road, and extends from 26 Mile Road to 29 Mile Road.] Commissioner Nelson Meade commented that his parents used to use Wolcott Mill.

In response to a follow-up question from Dan Smith, Vaughn noted that the only other similar site is at Kensington Metropark, but it is not an operating farm.

Commission member Rolland Sizemore Jr., who also represents District 5 on the county board of commissioners, moved to go into the public hearing on this project, and WCPARC voted unanimously to do so.

Staebler Farm County Park: Public Hearing

The public hearing was somewhat informal, with commissioners and staff responding to speakers throughout the hearing.

Three members of the Fishbeck family – William, Betty Jo, and Anne – spoke first. [As background, according to Superior Township records, the Fishbecks own 14 properties in the vicinity of Plymouth-Ann Arbor Road and the Staebler Farm. Salem Township records show two properties owned by Betty Jo Fishbeck. A report from the Ecology Center in June 2006 noted that purchase of development rights from the Fishbecks was a “cornerstone” in creating the northeast section of the Ann Arbor greenbelt.]

Anne Fishbeck asked: “What are your plans to protect the neighbors from the public wandering in? I live right next door.” She wondered how WCPARC planned to “keep people from getting confused” between her private land to the east of Staebler Farm, and the public land that WCPARC owned.

Vaughn replied that WCPARC would probably fence in the entire property. Anne Fishbeck said she would like that. She then asked about Murray Lake. Vaughn indicated that the plan is to keep it natural, with no public access. “It’s very wet around the lake,” he said. “At the most we might build a trail in the future, but no swimming, boating, or fishing.”

Kevin Conway said he lived off Prospect Road near Murray Lake, and that he was interested in the farm’s development after Phase 1. He asked if he was correct that there is no plan right now beyond that first phase? Several commissioners indicated that he was correct. Conway then remarked that the public would like to go on Frains and Murray lakes, but those lakes are private. What, he wondered, will ensure security when the park is closed? Does the county see an issue with people crossing the Staebler Farm parkland and going onto the lakes?

Vaughn replied that there would be a caretaker on the farm, and that there will be no convenient place for people to park on the south side of Plymouth. Tetens told Conway that “we try to manage access. We don’t provide access to every bit of what we own, and we don’t intend to build public access on the south side.”

Commissioner Jan Anschuetz added: “You will have time to provide input when we get to the next phases. We have a major problem with Plymouth Road – we don’t want families getting mowed down there.” She indicated that WCPARC is very interested in using this park to teach children about farms all year long. There might be beekeeping classes, barn or country dances, or 4-H meetings. “I hope we can use our parks 100% of the time,” Anschuetz said. “We’ve done a careful job restoring the barns with taxpayers’ money, and we want to continue to use that money carefully. People are getting interested in raising their own vegetables and chickens.”

Bob Marans, president of WCPARC, then asked Vaughn what his best guess on timing was – when would the actual work be done? Vaughn indicated that the work would happen in 2015.

Marans asked what would happen beyond that? Vaughn said: “I would guess the trails and other improvements are five to eight years out. We will slowly implement the type of farming we want over time and build that up, but that is not a new use.”

Marans pointed out that this project is a work in progress that will evolve over time, with additional opportunities for public input. Tetens built on the idea, saying that WCPARC staff had met with representatives from MSU as well as from the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, who are interested in the possibility of having veterans work on the farm.

Sizemore added that WCPARC tries to go out of its way not to create problems for the public, and WCPARC staff are available to address any problems. With respect to the southern portion of the site, Dan Smith indicated that Plymouth Road will act as a block to pedestrian access. “We do not want people to cross it, and that will prevent us from putting anything for the public on the southern half,” he said, adding that WCPARC will probably put in fencing all along Plymouth Road.

Conway asked whether most of the recreation will be on the north side? Yes, commissioners replied, at least for the foreseeable future. Tetens amplified the idea: “The south side might have naturalist classes and interpretive signs, and guided tours for school kids.”

From left: WCPARC director Bob Tetens, and commissioners Pat Scribner, Rolland Sizemore Jr., and Dan Smith.

Conan Smith turned to the Fishbecks and asked: “How do you feel in general?”

Both Anne and Betty Jo Fishbeck repeated the issue regarding trespassers, which was their major concern. “It is super naïve to think people will not cross Plymouth or try to go to Frains Lake, which is all private,” Anne Fishbeck said. “Right now, people drive into our drive. We see them, and there are not enough sheriffs to take care of it.”

Anschuetz, looking surprised, said, “We have not heard about this before.” Betty Jo Fishbeck replied: “People think they can come on the property and go cross country skiing. The sheriff was chasing a guy who went right through Don [Staebler]’s property and ours, trying to trespass back to the lake. That field and Plymouth Road will not be any deterrent.”

When Anschuetz asked whether a fence would help, Anne Fishbeck replied that “it would have to be a big fence.”

Anschuetz observed that no matter who owns it, “there is a problem with an attractive piece of property.” She asked what WCPARC could do. Anne Fishbeck suggested having someone live on the property, and having daily sheriff deputy patrols come by.

Sizemore recommended that “we wait and see what really happens. I can tell you that this board will do all it can to keep people from trespassing.”

Conan Smith suggested that residents could meet with Coy Vaughn to discuss options for protecting their property. “We have preserves all over – some have public access, but some don’t, and we have to grapple with these issues,” Smith said. “Coy can talk to you about management plans. These are private lakes. We can establish guidelines and agree on what we want to have the rules be, and work to make sure they are effectively enforced.”

Dan Smith expressed his appreciation “that you came here to tell us your concerns. With Plymouth Road and Prospect Road, there is more public knowledge and access. Thank you for coming out at this early phase.”

Marans also thanked the four residents who had spoken, and declared the public hearing at an end. There was no further discussion.

Outcome: Commissioners gave unanimous approval for staff to proceed with a grant application to the state Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund for $300,000 to develop a master plan for Staebler Farm.

Eastside Recreation Center

Several items on WCPARC’s March 12 agenda related to a new recreation center proposed for just east of downtown Ypsilanti, at the northwest corner of the 38-acre Water Street development site. [For additional background on this project, see Chronicle coverage: "Public Gives Input on East County Rec Center"]

Eastside Recreation Center: Market Study

On the agenda was a resolution approving a market study about the new recreation center, in partnership with the Ann Arbor YMCA. The cost would be split, with each entity paying $14,000.

This item of new business, WCPARC director Bob Tetens explained, is the next step as the county looks to partner with Ypsilanti and the Ann Arbor Y to develop the recreation center. “The more partners, the better,” he said. “The Y is very interested but they have to do due diligence.” Part of that is a market study, he continued. The proposal before WCPARC was to authorize staff to proceed with the market study and to pay $14,000, or half the total cost of the survey, with the Ann Arbor YMCA paying the other half.

Commissioner Janis Bobrin said she would play devil’s advocate: “We are doing this to see if the market can indeed support a rec center? What if we find we don’t have the market we thought we did?”

Tetens had several responses. First, he said it would not be a surprise if the study found there wasn’t a current market for the center. The Y has scholarship programs for people who could otherwise not afford membership, he continued, and “we can program to attract people.”

Janis Bobrin, a member of the Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission.

Tetens also spoke of “informal surveys” that WCPARC has done, but noted that WCPARC has a “vested interest” in the project. [As background, Tetens has frequently stated that WCPARC surveys over the years have shown strong interest in having WCPARC facilities in the east part of the county.] Also, he noted that CBRE – the real estate broker charged with selling sites in the Water Street redevelopment area – has studied the site, and even without a recreation center, the WCPARC’s Border-to-Border trail will run through the property.

Bobrin had another question: “Can we take it on faith this will be cost effective and well done, and trust the Y?” Yes, Tetens replied.

The WCPARC meeting packet included the proposal for a market study by FourSquare Research Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia. [.pdf of market study proposal] The proposal states that the company has conducted nearly 700 studies for YMCAs and nonprofits nationwide, and has worked with many YMCAs in Michigan.

The scope of work described in the proposal includes:

• community needs and demands, which covers how many households will join and how much revenue will be generated;
• programming and member services to determine which features are most desired;
• marketplace and pricing;
• partnerships;
• social impact, i.e. how a new facility could make the community better and improve the quality of life of residents.

The proposal describes a nine-step process, using qualitative and quantitative research, including focus groups, developing a survey instrument and conducting a telephone survey, tabulating results, and delivering results to answer questions about the forecasted number of households that would join. Other information to be provided in the final report includes anticipated annual revenue, specific recommendations for facility development, and specific suggestions for marketing, programming, and pricing strategies.

The proposal states such studies take between two and three months, and that this one will cost $28,000. According to the proposal, if the project starts in mid-March, it will be completed in late May.

Bobrin took note that the proposal identified the YMCA as having “full ownership of the study findings and final report.” She asked that it be modified by adding WCPARC as an equal owner. Tetens agreed that could be changed. There was no further discussion.

Outcome: Commissioners gave unanimous approval of the proposal to proceed with the market study in partnership with the Ann Arbor YMCA, and to split the cost with each entity paying $14,000.

Eastside Recreation Center: Easement for B2B Trail

This item has often been before the commission: The question of how to get the countywide Border-to-Border (B2B) trail from Ypsilanti’s Riverside Park to the site of the proposed rec center. To do this requires crossing the Huron River, navigating the grade up from the river to street level, and crossing Michigan Avenue.

The city of Ypsilanti and WCPARC have worked on this problem for the last year, first hoping to build a new pedestrian bridge underneath the Michigan Avenue bridge over the Huron River to the Water Street site and further south, eventually, to Waterworks Park. Ypsilanti obtained a Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources Trust Fund (MDNRTF) grant in partnership with WCPARC to do that, but later the Michigan Dept. of Transportation (MDOT) determined that the bridge was not feasible, because it would cause “a serious scour problem,” according to a written report from Tetens.

Therefore, an alternative location for a pedestrian bridge was identified: perpendicular and to the north of the Michigan Avenue bridge. According to Tetens, this would bring people using the B2B trail across the river and allow them to cross Michigan Avenue, via a crosswalk, to get to the Water Street site. The plan requires purchasing an easement from the Huron Fischer Honda Leasing Company. It also requires obtaining an MDOT permit to install a high intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK) traffic signal to facilitate safe crossing of busy Michigan Avenue.

The city of Ypsilanti is unable to afford the easement cost, so the proposal before WCPARC was to authorize the county parks & rec staff to move forward with purchasing the easement for $31,500.

Bob Marans asked for clarification of the location of the easement, which has a triangular shape, and Coy Vaughn provided a slide to show that. Tetens explained that while the first MDNRTF grant will pay for this bridge over the Huron River, another MDNRTF grant would be required to extend the B2B trail along the east side of the Huron River south of Michigan Avenue all the way to Grove Road. He noted that “documentation of site control is a requirement of state funding – the project cannot move forward unless the easement is purchased by WCPARC.”

Tetens said he eventually wants to connect all the way to Ford Lake.

Commissioner Jan Anschuetz spoke of the original wonder of Waterworks Park decades ago. It was, she said, “incredible, with a dam like a waterfall with a fish ladder, and a real zoo during the Depression. People would come and camp out there.” Commissioner Rolland Sizemore Jr. recalled that there used to be a glass factory in the vicinity, and “we used to play down there – there were hundreds of bottles.”

Sizemore also expressed a concern: “Are we going to be able to build a walkway across Michigan Avenue? We don’t want to pay for an easement we can’t use.” Tetens responded that the agreement is written so that WCPARC has until August, “and if we can’t cross Michigan Avenue, or if the bridge is too expensive, then we aren’t committed to buy the easement.”

There are already indications, he said, that a crossing is warranted there. “I am optimistic that we can get a pedestrian activated crossing there.” Anschuetz asked if she understood correctly – that WCPARC must have an agreement on the easement in order for MDNR to disperse the grant money. Tetens indicated that was correct.

There was no further discussion.

The document provided in the WCPARC meeting packet indicates that Burgoyne Appraisal put the value of the easement at $28,000, and the appraisal cost was $3,500.

Outcome: Unanimous approval of the proposal to authorize staff to move forward with the purchase of an easement, for $31,500, required to proceed with this project to extend the B2B trail across the Huron River and across Michigan Avenue.

Eastside Recreation Center: Partnership with Ypsilanti

The third item related to the eastside rec center was a resolution acknowledging a partnership between the city of Ypsilanti and WCPARC to design, build, and operate a community recreation center in Ypsilanti’s central business district – the Water Street redevelopment area. [.pdf of partnership resolution]

The proposal in the WCPARC meeting packet made reference to the Jan. 10, 2012 letter of intent between WCPARC and Ypsilanti, as well as the WCPARC contract for design services from the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. Noting the limited resources available to Ypsilanti, the resolution called for Ypsilanti to “provide sufficient land” at the Water Street redevelopment site to allow WCPARC to proceed to the design phase. That phase would include defining the site plan and determining the exact footprint of the project and the amount of land necessary.

The resolution’s three resolved clauses state:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that by way of this resolution the undersigned parties publicly demonstrate their support for this project and their commitment to provide the necessary resources and/or skills, to work together cooperatively and in good faith, in the best interests of the community, towards the completion of this ambitious effort, and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Ypsilanti agrees to provide sufficient land at the preferred site as previously agreed to in the Letter of Intent approved on January 10, 2012 to allow the Commission to confidently proceed to the design phase; that the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission agrees to proceed with the design phase for the building and further define the site plan, including determining the exact footprint of the project and the amount of land necessary, and;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the parties agree that this intergovernmental, public/private partnership demonstrates a commendable and challenging level of collaboration that should serve as a model for future efforts to improve the quality of life for residents in communities throughout Washtenaw County.

The meeting packet also included a copy of the same resolution passed unanimously by the Ypsilanti city council on Feb. 19, 2013.

At WCPARC’s March 12 meeting, Tetens explained that the amount of land would be between 8-12 acres, and that the Ann Arbor YMCA was not part of this agreement because “the Y was more comfortable with it being a two-part agreement.”

There was no further discussion.

Outcome: The partnership agreement was approved eight to one. Dan Smith voted against it, but did not state his reason for voting no.

Transportation Alternative Program Application

Coy Vaughn presented a proposal that authorized WCPARC staff to proceed with an application for $1.4 million from the federal Transportation Alternative Program. The application would be made in partnership with Scio Township and the Washtenaw County Road Commission, with WCPARC providing a $300,000 local match. [.pdf of staff report]

He explained that the program – known as TAP – is a federal transportation funding program to support non-motorized transportation. It’s administered by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).

Vaughn explained the root of this proposal. In 2012, Scio Township received a $250,000 Connecting Communities grant from WCPARC to build the first phase of a trail from the township offices – located on Zeeb Road just north of I-94 – heading north on Zeeb Road to Dexter-Ann Arbor Road. The project is stuck due to problems acquiring the easements needed to build the trail.

Rather than risk losing the Connecting Communities grant – which will happen if Scio Township cannot obtain the easements and enter a construction contract by March 2014 – staff discussed shifting funds to help construct a portion of the Border-to-Border trail. The project would extend the recently completed River Terrace Trail from Dexter-Huron Metropark east 1.1 miles to Zeeb Road, at a cost of $1.4 million. It would be completely on Huron Clinton Metropark Authority property and in the Huron River Drive right-of-way.

According to Vaughn’s report, the project is reflected in the current capital improvement plan at $1.5 million, for construction in 2014. Vaughn added that SEMCOG would allocate $5 million in TAP funds to communities in 2013, the same amount as in 2012.

Transportation Alternative Program Application: WCPARC Discussion

Bob Marans asked about WCPARC’s relationship with SEMCOG, saying “their money is hard to get.” Bob Tetens allowed that there wasn’t a close relationship. However, he added, “we have a lot to show them if they come to visit the project site – all that we have built around Dexter.” Also, he stressed the partnership aspect of this proposal, with the county road commission and the township.

Commission member Evan Pratt underlined that this part of the B2B gets heavy use, and Tetens agreed.

There was no further discussion.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously approved the proposal to submit a grant application to SEMCOG for TAP money in the amount of $1.4 million. The resolution also reallocated $250,000 previously granted by WCPARC to Scio Township, and added another $50,000 of WCPARC funds to make a local match of $300,000.

Rolling Hills Landscaping

Meghan Bonfiglio, superintendent of park planning, presented recommendations for the Rolling Hills ring road and water park landscaping plan. Her report explained that the ring road project was completed in the summer of 2012 but that final landscaping was not part of that project. The water park improvement project is underway and will also require landscaping.

With two landscaping projects, staff decided to achieve economies of scale by removing the landscaping portion ($85,000) from the contract with Sorensen Gross Construction Services, and handling the landscape planning in house. Staff created the plans, and put them out for bid.

Bob Tetens commented that staff who did this work were “younger, computer literate people.” Three bids were received, the lowest from Washtenaw County’s Margolis Companies, with whom planning staff have had positive experience. Bonfiglio showed slides of the plans, and photos of the plants. The plants are 95% native and chosen to provide four-season interest: Echinacea, goldenrod, and grasses, for example. Bonfiglio recommended awarding the contract to Margolis for an amount not to exceed $200,000, with a contingency of $10,000.

After the meeting, Bonfiglio provided additional information about the other bids:

• Margolis Companies: $199,935
• Underwood Nursery: $255,488
• Erie Construction: $364,400

Rolling Hills Landscaping: WCPARC Discussion

Dan Smith said it’s “fantastic” that WCPARC staff have the expertise to handle this project.

Rolland Sizemore Jr. asked about a “pretty nasty” residence that was located to the right of gate into Rolling Hills. He asked whether anything could be done about it.

Bonfiglio pointed to screening that would hide the house and its junk cars, so that vehicles using the entry road wouldn’t see it. Tetens added that Ypsilanti Township should do enforcement.

Outcome: Unanimous approval of the recommendation to award the landscaping contract to Margolis Companies.

New Signs for Rolling Hills and Independence Lake

Bonfiglio also presented a recommendation to award a contract to Harmon Sign, for fabrication and installation of new signs at Rolling Hills and Independence Lake parks. The amount would not exceed $24,500.

The signs are specifically for the improved Blue Heron Bay Spray Zone at Independence Lake Park and the water park at Rolling Hills. The signs cover facility rules, wayfinding, and other information that is either useful in the opinion of staff, or required by state law or the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. The goal, she said, is to replace all the signs to achieve “a more uniform branding” as well as assure compliance with current requirements.

As with the landscaping, staff did the design and released a request for proposals (RFP). The recommended vendor, Harmon Sign, has offices in Novi and production facilities in Toledo. They have done work for large projects, including the University of Michigan stadium and the Detroit Riverwalk.

After the meeting, Bonfiglio provided additional information about the bids:

• Harmon Sign: $24,319
• Valley City Sign: $26,958
• Signs by Crannie: $30,238

New Signs for Rolling Hills and Independence Lake: WCPARC Discussion

Discussion was brief. In response to a question, Bonfiglio explained that the content and location of signs are determined after consultation with staff who work in those parks, and with attention to local, state and national laws and regulations.

Commission members expressed approval – using words like “awesome” and “amazing.”

Outcome: With no substantive discussion, the recommendation was unanimously approved.

Financial Reports

WCPARC’s reports separate “recreation” (parks, facilities, and functions) from the natural areas preservation program (NAPP), because the two components of WCPARC’s responsibilities are funded by separate millages.

Financial Reports: Claims

The February 2013 claims report for recreation – including parks, facilities and functions, but excluding natural areas preservation – showed total claims of $559,020. The bulk of that – $345,584 – was for capital improvements.

Bob Tetens provided a separate sheet showing major non-recurring expenses for recreation that included five items over five figures:

• $251,217 to Sorenson Gross for construction at Independence Lake;
• $76,300 to Vortex for building the splash pad at Independence Lake;
• $75,360 to John Deere Financial, the annual cost for leasing equipment;
• $60,000 to the city of Saline for a Connecting Communities grant;
• $17,920 to Turfgrass Inc. for turf chemicals.

For the natural areas preservation program, claims totaled $87,112. Major non-recurring expenses on Tetens’ list were payments of $25,232 and $43,832 (totaling $69,064) to Brock and Associates for boardwalk construction at Draper Houston Meadows Preserve.

In addition $3,183 was paid to Mannik and Smith for work at Draper Houston and Baker, respectively; and $6,500 to Williams and Associates for appraisals of the Preimeau parcel ($3,000) and West Pier ($3,500).

The total claims presented to WCPARC for both recreation and NAPP was $646,132.

Outcome: with no discussion, claims were unanimously approved.

Financial Reports: Fund Balance – Recreation

Tetens introduced this report by noting that activity is at a minimum at this time of year, and that WCPARC is only in the second month of the year. The beginning fund balance on Jan. 1, 2013 was $12,950,815. The report for Feb. 28 showed year-to-date revenue of $4,747,138 (most of it property tax revenue) and expenses of $987,644 (most for personnel and land development). In addition, WCPARC keeps an operating reserve of $6.7 million and sets aside $925,000 for partnerships, such as the Connecting Communities program. At the end of February, the projected fund balance for Dec. 31, 2013 is $13,186,587.

Financial Reports: Fund Balance – NAPP

NAPP’s beginning fund balance on Jan. 1, 2013 was $10,263,644. Revenue to date at the end of February was $2,277,053, mostly from property taxes. Expenses were $223,539, mostly for land acquisition. The projected fund balance at the end of 2013 is $12,889,014. Tetens remarked that there are “no purchases on the front burner right now.”

Outcome: With no discussion, the financial reports were unanimously accepted and received for filing.

Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center

Bob Tetens pointed out that the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center is the only WCPARC recreation operation open now. Both membership and participation are up, he said, and revenue is stable. In addition, “we are 72 days away from Super Friday” – meaning the opening day. We are, he promised “about two meetings away from a much thicker report.” Commissioner Dan Smith added, “meaning a larger file to download.”

According to a WCPARC written staff report, total year-to-date memberships at the center reached 1,187 in 2013, up from 1,165 in 2012. Total year-to-date revenue of $264,991 in 2013 is also up compared to $249,565 in 2012. However, the report showed that total participation has fallen in the last year: 63,615 in 2013 compared to 67,824 during the same period in 2012.

Commissioner Pat Scribner asked whether there had been any response to the rate increases that WCPARC adopted in February. Tetens said no, but he pointed out that those increases were not yet implemented. Commissioner Nelson Meade reported that most of the seniors he knows think the rates are too low.

Conan Smith asked, “Why can’t you rent a locker overnight?” Tetens replied that it’s a problem. “People leave the locks on and their stuff in the locker and don’t come back.” Smith said he would appreciate being able to leave his clothes in a locker. There was a brief discussion of the negative consequences to having many articles of athletic clothing stored for long periods of time. Tetens ended the discussion by pointing out that there are thousands of different users and not nearly enough lockers to allow overnight use.

Outcome: This was not a voting item.

Activities, Accomplishments, and Awards

Using written and verbal reports and slides, Bob Tetens and Coy Vaughn together presented a wide array of information about project, activities and awards. The projects to improve the water-based recreation activities at the Rolling Hills water park and the Independence Lake spray-and-play zone received the most attention, as both are major capital improvements. Vaughn showed slides of the construction, which is on schedule at both locations, and Tetens averred that both are on schedule to open Memorial Day weekend.

Slides of activities over the last month included the Daddy-Daughter dance at the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center around Valentine’s Day; ongoing work to maintain parks, such as building picnic tables and doing repairs in the off season; and the Fat Tire bike race at Rolling Hills.

The city of Ann Arbor received the 2012 Michigan Recreation and Park Association’s Park Design Award for the Argo Cascades along the Huron River. WCPARC paid the city $112,500 to help improve Argo Cascades – it’s one of the funding partnerships to which WCPARC is committed. And WCPARC received honorable mention from the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners Innovation and Excellence Program, for the Malletts Creek and County Farm Park drain restoration.

Executive Session

At the end of the meeting, WCPARC went into executive session to discuss the performance review for director Bob Tetens. No additional action was taken.

Present: Jan Anschuetz, Janis Bobrin, Robert Marans, Nelson Meade, Evan Pratt, Patricia Scribner, Rolland Sizemore Jr., Conan Smith, Dan Smith.

Absent: Fred Veigel.

Staff present: Robert Tetens, Coy Vaughn, Meghan Bonfiglio.

Next meeting: Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the county parks and recreation department’s office at 2230 Platt Road in Ann Arbor, in the County Farm property.

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Map showing two Ford Road Property LLC parcels (encircled) that the county is purchasing for its natural areas preservation program. A third parcel, which fronts Ford Road, is not part of this deal. The land is located in Superior Township.

In a separate vote, WCPARC authorized staff to undertake due diligence toward a sales offer on 473 acres on the border of Jackson and Washtenaw counties. This deal – for the Trolz property in Manchester Township – is a project that could result in a new state recreation area that includes the southwest corner of Washtenaw County. [See Chronicle coverage: "County Pursues Major New Parks & Rec Deal"]

Commissioners also bid adieu to Jimmie Maggard, who has served on WCPARC for over 30 years, and to outgoing county commissioner Barbara Bergman. Janis Bobrin, who has served on WCPARC for more than two decades by right of her position as Washtenaw County water resources commissioner, did not run for re-election but will continue on WCPARC as a public member. [She was appointed by the county board at their Dec. 5 meeting.] Evan Pratt, who was elected water resources commissioner on Nov. 6, will join WCPARC in January – he attended the Dec. 11 meeting.

In the hour before the meeting started, commissioners and WCPARC staff held their annual holiday party. The highlight was a first viewing of a 30-minute video history of WCPARC, created by county staff over the past several months. The video will be available to the public soon, according to WCPARC deputy director Coy Vaughn. It will run on monitors at the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, on cable television, and in smaller segments on the WCPARC website.

Also at the Dec. 11 meeting, the commission approved spending $33,375 to buy grooming equipment for cross-country skiing trails at Independence Lake and Rolling Hills parks. Staff provided reports on finances, highlighted by expenditures to maintain and improve Rolling Hills Water Park and Independence Lake Park; reported on recent projects, including the proposed East County Recreation Center in Ypsilanti; and reviewed WCPARC’s accomplishments in 2012.

An item not on the Dec. 11 agenda will likely receive attention in early 2013: An application from the city of Ann Arbor for up to $300,000 in Connecting Communities funds. If awarded, the grant would be used as matching funds for additional state support to improve the city-owned 721 N. Main property. Applications for WCPARC’s Connecting Communities must be received by year’s end, and the Ann Arbor city council is expected to authorize the application at its Dec. 17 meeting. [See Chronicle coverage: "Grant Applications Recommended for 721 N. Main."]

Natural Areas Preservation Program Acquisitions

The county’s natural areas preservation program (NAPP) was established in 2000, when voters approved a 10-year millage of 0.25 mills, which was renewed in 2010 at a rate of 0.2409 mill – lower because of Headlee rollbacks. It raises about $3 million in annual revenues. Since 2000, nearly 2,500 acres of land have been preserved countywide. The millage-funded program is overseen by the Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission (WCPARC), a body appointed by the county board that also oversees the much older parks and recreation system, which was established in 1973.

At WCPARC’s Dec. 11, two deals moved forward.

NAPP Acquisitions: Ford Road Property LLC

Tom Freeman, former deputy director of WCPARC who now works as a consultant, briefly reviewed the proposal to authorize $500,000 for the purchase of approximately 65 acres in Superior Township, north of Ford Road on the east side of Berry Road, for the county’s natural areas preservation program (NAPP). He had made a full presentation at the commission’s meeting in November. Approval for this kind of land deal is a two-step process, occurring at two separate meetings. Commissioners were being asked for final approval at their Dec. 11 meeting.

Sign at Schroeter property in Superior Township, adjacent to 65 acres that the county is purchasing for its natural areas preservation program.

Freeman’s report highlighted the reasons for acquiring the property, which is actually two of three parcels owned by Ford Road Property LLC: (1) It is immediately south of Superior Township’s Schroeter Park, which will provide both parking and access; and (2) it has long been on Superior Township’s list of properties desirable for public purchase because of its high quality plant life (red and white oak upland woodlots, a red maple hardwood swamp), a perennial stream, and steeply sloped topography. In addition, the property just north of this acquisition and east of Schroeter Park is one that Superior Township would like to acquire at some point. The area is part of the “Superior Greenway,” a corridor of more than 2,000 acres of protected land between Ann Arbor and Detroit. [.pdf of maps showing location of property]

Freeman also reviewed the steps taken so far: approval by the county’s natural areas technical advisory committee; an appraisal by Bosserd Appraisal Services supporting the $500,000 price, at $7,632 per acre; a phase I environmental site assessment by Mannik & Smith that found no recognized environmental condition on the property; and a boundary survey including a legal description and certified survey drawing. [.pdf of staff report on Ford Road property]

NAPP Acquisitions: Ford Road Property LLC – Commission Discussion

Commissioner Jimmie Maggard asked Freeman how many acres the county owns in Superior Township. Freeman’s reply: about 200 in preserves, plus about 100 more at Staebler Farm. “The reason we have so much,” he added,  “is we have had so many partners helping with the purchases: the city of Ann Arbor, Superior Township, and others. Yes, there is a growing area of preserve property out there and there may come a time when the township thinks we have enough, but they are very supportive of our buying this.”

Commissioner Fred Veigel followed up by asking, “Are they going to buck us because this [purchase] will take property off tax rolls?” Eventually they might, Freeman said, “but they are supportive of this purchase.”

Commissioner Barbara Bergman added her own justification: “You may take this [property] off the rolls, but the adjacent property value goes up, and you have to balance the two [effects].” Freeman added another reason: “These are not within the urban services areas and not zoned at all for dense residential.”

In a tangential discussion, commissioner Jan Anschuetz asked Freeman for information about work being done along Prospect, between Vreeland and Cherry Hill. Freeman reported that on the west side of Prospect, a wetland mitigation project is taking place that’s related to a development elsewhere in southeast Michigan, “perhaps in Wayne County.” Trees are being brought in to provide habitat for wildlife when it floods, he said.

Anschuetz also commented that “I don’t think people in Superior Township know when we make acquisitions like this.” Freeman promised to work with township staff to include the information in the township’s newsletter.

Outcome: On a roll call vote, commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of the Ford Road Property LLC parcels at a price of $500,000.

NAPP Acquisitions: Trolz Property

The commission had discussed this item at its November 2012 meeting. [Chronicle coverage: "County pursues major new parks & rec deal"] The proposal calls for WCPARC to acquire about 473 acres in Washtenaw County’s Manchester Township, part of about 2,160 acres that span the border of Jackson and Washtenaw counties. Those 473 acres include a portion of an abandoned rail corridor, running roughly east and west, which provides an opportunity for development of a multi-use trail, according to the staff report. The property also has a significantly diverse landscape with woodlots, wetlands, and open fields. This parcel – together with the rest of the property, which the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources (MDNR) hopes to purchase – could then become a new state recreation area and preserve.

MDNR had the Washtenaw County portion of the property appraised, and it was valued at $1,410,895.

Before the commission at the December meeting was a resolution to authorize staff to conduct due diligence on the property, including “preparation of a survey, environmental site assessment, as well as a sales offer, contingent upon development of a memorandum of understanding with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources …” These items would be brought to WCPARC for approval at a later date. [Link to .pdf of resolution regarding Trolz property]

Director Bob Tetens reported that he had received a letter in support of this purchase from Manchester Township.

NAPP Acquisitions: Trolz Property – Commission Discussion

Commission president Bob Marans reported that he and vice president Patricia Scribner, along with staff, had visited the site. “It is even more impressive when you are out there than it is in the photos,” he said. Scribner added, “All you can hear are birds.”

Around the table, there were simultaneous words of concurrence, after which commissioner Jan Anschuetz quipped, “I might need to get a horse and keep it in my garage.” It was a reference to Tetens’ description, at the November meeting, of the possibilities on this site to establish an equestrian center and horse riding trails.

Outcome: WCPARC unanimously approved the resolution authorizing due diligence on the Trolz property.

Commission Changes

Before the meeting was officially called to order, Bob Marans recognized that this was commissioner Barbara Bergman’s last meeting. Bergman spoke about how much she had learned from her year on WCPARC, and of her desire to continue to be involved, perhaps as a volunteer. Marans presented her with a large bouquet of flowers. Bergman has served on WCPARC in her capacity as county commissioner. She represented District 8 on the county board, one of four Ann Arbor districts, but did not seek re-election this year.

From left: WCPARC president Bob Marans, outgoing commissioner Jimmie Maggard, and WCPARC director Bob Tetens. (Photo by M. Leary)

Marans next recognized Jimmie Maggard, who had announced in November 2012 that he would leave WCPARC after the December meeting. [WCPARC members are appointed by the county board. Maggard ran for a position on the Ypsilanti Township parks commission, and was elected on Nov. 6 for a term ending November 2016.]

Marans presented Maggard with a large plaque that had an extensive description of Maggard’s contributions over the last 37 years. Maggard then spoke of his appreciation for the excellent leadership WCPARC has had, in the three directors he has known, and for the way the group has worked together for the benefit of the entire county. Finally, staff presented Maggard with a large cake, inscribed “Jimmie Maggard, over 30 years of service to WCPARC!” Maggard’s wife and son were present, and all shared the cake.

At WCPARC’s Dec. 11 meeting, commissioner Janis Bobrin noted that the county board of commissioners had appointed her to WCPARC as a member of the public. [The appointment occurred at the board's Dec. 5, 2012 meeting.] She also introduced audience member Evan Pratt, who won the Nov. 6 general election to replace Bobrin as the county’s water resource commissioner – a role that will earn him a seat on WCPARC starting in January 2013. Bobrin has been water resources commissioner for 24 years, but did not seek re-election.

Financial Reports

The December meeting included three written financial reports. WCPARC director Bob Tetens commented briefly on each of them.

Financial Reports: Claims

The claims report for December totaled $1,845,201.25. By far the largest claims paid were on parks and facilities’ capital improvements, a total of $1,840.676. Tetens explained that major costs in the last month related to the Border to Border (B2B) trail in Dexter; the final payment for construction of the new ring road at Rolling Hills Park; the new Washtenaw Avenue entrance and path at the County Farm Park; the two ongoing construction projects at Independence Lake and Rolling Hills parks; and the non-motorized trail project on Plymouth Road.

The natural areas preservation program spent $4,524. No new property was purchased in the past month. Tetens explained that the expenditures were for preserve management ($364) and for work preliminary to making purchases ($4,160) [.pdf of December 2012 claims]

Outcome: The commission approved payment of claims.

Financial Reports: Fund Balance Statements

Tetens provided a written fund balance statement as of Nov. 30, 2012 for parks and recreation activity. The report showed revenues at 106% of the amount projected in the budget, most of that due to higher-than-anticipated property tax revenue. It also showed expenses at 98% of the amount projected in the budget. There were no questions or comments from commissioners. [.pdf of Nov. 30, 2012 parks and recreation fund balance statement]

Tetens also provided a new report: a fund balance statement for the natural areas preservation program (NAPP), which is funded with a separate millage. [For background on NAPP, parks and recreation activities, see Chronicle coverage: "County Parks & Rec System Plan for Future."] Most of NAPP’s annual budget of $3,829,607 is allocated for land acquisition: $3.2 million. So far this year, $1,029,255 has been spent on acquisition. In addition, $211,457 was spent on personnel services and $276,747 on supplies. [.pdf of NAPP fund balance sheet]

Outcome: The commission received the reports and approved them both for filing.

Recreation Reports

WCPARC director Bob Tetens made only a few comments about the reports on attendance and revenue at park facilities, emphasizing that the unusually early spring and generally warm weather in 2012 lowered attendance at the Meri Lou Murray Rec Center (MLMRC). The year-to-date attendance there was only 296,888, low compared to 2011’s figure of 311,020. Revenue was also down: $1,084,563 this year compared to $1,096,553 last year. [.pdf of recreation center November report]

In contrast, Pierce Lake Golf Course showed an increase in both attendance and revenues. In 2012, 19,278 participants generated $399,192. In 2011, 15,075 participants generated $336,309. Overall revenue from programming and retail operations at Pierce Lake was $614,570, up from 2011’s $516,632. The report also shows that opening in 2012 was on March 15, a bit more than two weeks before the April 1 opening dates in 2011 and 2010. [.pdf of Pierce Lake Golf Course report]

Rolling Hills County Park’s report showed that through November 2012, attendance at the park was 34,373, generating revenue of $266,083. This was down slightly from 2011’s 34,844 users and $267,130 in revenue. [The general park financials are accounted for separately from the Rolling Hills water park because each has its own admission charge and gate count.] At the water park, 114,522 participants generated $780,122 in revenue. In 2011, the figures were slightly higher: 115,012 participants and $780,995 in revenue. Counting all sources of revenue at Rolling Hills, 2012’s revenue of $1,318,517 was slightly higher than 2011’s $1,310,515. [.pdf of Rolling Hills report]

Independence Lake County Park showed increased attendance and revenue this year. In 2012, 17,743 participants generated $137,217 in revenue, compared to 17,008 participants and $132,27 in revenue in 2011. Programming and retail operations added to the revenue, making the total in 2012 $211,578, up from 2011’s $209,885. [.pdf of Independence Lake County Park report]

East County Recreation Center

In his report on other activities in the past month, Bob Tetens included a reference to the presentation that he, Coy Vaughn, and University of Michigan professor Craig Borum made to the Ypsilanti city council’s working session on Dec. 3, 2012, to let that group know the status of planning for the proposed East County Recreation Center.

By way of background, The Chronicle attended that council working session. Borum’s presentation there was a summary of material covered in earlier Chronicle reports, including the report on WCPARC’s November 2012 meeting. At the session, Vaughn presented information on the economic benefits that the city might expect from such a project, although his comparisons were to the impact of parks rather than recreation centers. [.pdf of Vaughn’s slide show] The city council asked few questions, but did not express a preference for either of the two site plans for the entire Water Street redevelopment area, or for either of the proposals for the building itself.

City manager Ralph A. Lange asked about the timing and in particular when the building might be done. Tetens responded that construction could not begin until 2015 and would take 12-18 months. Several levels of approval would be needed before that happens, however.

New Business

WCPARC’s December meeting included several items of new business: purchase grooming equipment for cross-country skiing trails at Independence Lake and Rolling Hills parks; a funding request from “B-Side of Youth”; and updates on various other projects.

New Business: Winter Sports Trail-Grooming Equipment

Bob Tetens introduced his recommendation, with a written support and documentation of bids, that WCPARC authorize the purchase of two snowmobiles from C and C Sports, as well as two “Ginzugroomers” from Yellowstone Track Systems Inc. The total cost for these purchases is $33,375. [.pdf of staff report and bids]

Tetens said this equipment would be used to groom six miles of cross-country ski trails, three miles each at Rolling Hills and Independence Lake parks. His introductory comment on the proposal was that it was “almost embarrassing to read about how we’ve been doing it, with a lot of manual labor and going back and forth.” Laughing, commissioner Dan Smith said the current method described in Tetens’ report was “amazing, like Rube Goldberg.”

The report stated:

The existing snow grooming equipment is a combination of borrowed, “home-made” and manufactured equipment. At both parks, the grooming equipment is towed by old, outdated vehicles which are not owned by the commission. Rolling Hills uses the park superintendent’s personal 1995 Polaris (340 cc engine, 15” wide track, and no reverse gear) snowmobile. Independence Lake utilizes a 1970’s era ski-doo alpine on loan from the Ann Arbor Ski Club (36” wide tracks, no electric start, and no reverse gear)….Each piece of equipment requires a separate pass, certainly an inefficient use of staff time, inhibiting our ability to maintain quality trails, and limiting our ability to expand the number of miles being groomed.

Commission discussion was brief but supportive.

Outcome: WCPARC unanimously approved the expenditure of $33,375 for new trail-grooming equipment.

New Business: B-Side Request for Funds

The next item of new business was a request from Jack Bidlack, director of the “B-Side of Youth,” an entrepreneurial program of Eastern Michigan University’s Office of Academic Service-Learning. The request was for $1,500 from WCPARC to sponsor a five-hour event for about 50 to 100 youth ages 12-18 years old. [.pdf of B-Side proposal]

Barbara Bergman at her last meeting – on Dec. 11, 2012 – of the Washtenaw County parks & recreation commission.

There was no motion or resolution before WCPARC, but there was discussion. Commissioner Barbara Bergman wondered that if they grant this request, where should they draw the line if there are future requests for funding? Commissioner Fred Veigel asked whether WCPARC could offer B-Side the use of one of WCPARC’s facilities in lieu of cash.

Tetens responded that the only suitable facility was the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, and “the problem is we have five or six thousand members who expect to have full use of the facility.” Veigel suggested that Tetens discuss the matter with EMU staff, and he agreed to do that.

New Business: 2012 in Review

Another presentation at the December meeting, in addition to the video history of WCPARC, was a slide show illustrating the system’s accomplishments in 2012. The presentation highlighted capital improvements, B2B trails, and Connecting Communities extensions, grants and awards earned by WCPARC, partnerships, land management and stewardship, and a kaleidoscope of programs and events put on by WCPARC.

The presentation was primarily a review of information that’s been covered in previous Chronicle reports. However, Tetens also provided some new information throughout the presentation. He highlighted the work done by WCPARC volunteers, together with regular staff, to maintain property in the natural areas preservation program. A total of 234 volunteers, he said, worked for 986 hours during 2012, which supplemented the 2,047 hours by NAPP crew from May through November.

New Business: 2012 in Review – MDNR Trust Fund Grant

Tetens also reported that the city of Ypsilanti has been informed by the state Dept. of Natural Resources that it will receive a $300,000 grant from the MDNR Trust Fund to build another half mile of the Border to Border trail along the Huron River adjacent to the proposed East County Recreation Center. [The MDNR describes the effort as a "River’s Edge Linear Park and Trail Development," which will include a "multi-use trail, plaza, fishing pier, river overlook, signage and site amenities."]

This money will be used along with last year’s grant of $289,400, which is earmarked to create a way for the B2B trail to cross Michigan Avenue and connect to the next section of the trail to the southeast.

Tetens also reported that Fischer Honda on Michigan Avenue has agreed to provide easements so the trail can cross over its property. The crossing itself has not yet been designed, Tetens said. But the intent is to both protect pedestrians and say to the automobile driver “I am crossing something important,” he said – namely, the B2B trail.

New Business: 2012 in Review – Ann Arbor Skatepark

Tetens gave an update on the Ann Arbor Skate Park, destined for construction in Veterans Memorial Park. The park is under design now, he said, and construction will start in the spring of 2013. This is, he said, yet another example of WCPARC partnerships – in this case with the city of Ann Arbor and the Friends of Ann Arbor Skatepark group, supported by an MDNR trust fund grant of $300,000 that was awarded in 2011.

“There will be nothing like it within a day’s drive,” Tetens said, adding that the park would probably not charge admission.

Commissioners applauded the overall year-in-review presentation, and commissioner Jan Anschuetz asked how it could be used to publicize what WCPARC does. Tetens responded that it could not be used easily on its own because “it requires narrative.” Commissioner Barbara Bergman commented that the show simply reminded her that she has “learned so much about these parks in the year of serving with you.”

New Business: Project Updates

WCPARC deputy director Coy Vaughn gave a presentation showing the completion of work on segment D1 of the River Terrace portion of the Border to Border (B2B) trail, which runs from Dexter Huron Metro Park to the village of Dexter.

Although it is not yet open to the public, the construction is virtually complete, with only 1/8^th of a mile remaining where the trail ends at the Dexter public works department yard.. That work depends on negotiating a right-of-way through land that the Michigan Dept. of Transportation is about to purchase from Norfolk Southern railroad.

Vaughn’s slide show included photos taken every 50 yards, showing an expansive, curving path that will accommodate all non-motorized forms of transportation. As commissioners admired the slides, director Bob Tetens added that Ann Arbor’s Peter Pollack had designed the trail, so that every time you round a curve, a new view unfolds. [Pollack, a renowned landscape architect, died in December 2010.]

As the meeting concluded, commissioner Barbara Bergman said, “What a grand finale! Now I see that I must find a way to do some volunteer work [for WCPARC].” Commissioner Nelson Meade also commented, reflecting his long-term involvement in WCPARC: “This commission is still exciting after 49 years!”

Present: President Bob Marans, vice president Patricia Scribner, secretary/treasurer Nelson Meade, Jan Anschuetz, Barbara Bergman, Janis Bobrin, Jimmie Maggard, Dan Smith, and Fred Veigel.

Absent: Rolland Sizemore, Jr.

WCPARC staff: Director Robert Tetens, deputy director Coy Vaughn, planner Meghan Bonfiglio, and consultant Tom Freeman.

Next regular WCPARC meeting: Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 at 7 p.m. at the parks and recreation commission administrative offices, 2230 Platt Road in Ann Arbor.

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