Site plan for Staebler Farm.

Commissioners approved an application to the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources trust fund for a grant to help develop Staebler Farm for recreational use. WCPARC has owned the 98-acre property in Superior Township since 2001, and Donald Staebler – who is 103 years old – still lives there in a lifetime agreement with WCPARC. The plan calls for adding fishing piers to the property’s two ponds, as well as putting in a trail system and other features. A second phase might involve developing a farm incubator program.

Commissioners also awarded $600,000 in grants through WCPARC’s Connecting Communities program, which supports trail projects throughout the county. Grants were given to projects in Ann Arbor Township, Northfield Township, Pittsfield Township, and the village of Manchester.

In non-voting business, WCPARC director Bob Tetens gave an update on the east county recreation center, a proposed partnership between the city of Ypsilanti and WCPARC in which the city would supply the property and WCPARC would provide the building. The center would be located on part of the 38-acre Water Street redevelopment area. Tetens said they’ve been working with the city of Ypsilanti on a development agreement.

Ypsilanti mayor Paul Schreiber and city councilmember Pete Murdock both spoke to the commission about Water Street during public commentary. Schreiber told commissioners that he wasn’t aware of any “show-stopping” issues. He also gave an update on Water Street Flats, an apartment project that’s planned for the site. The complex would be rental apartments for residents with between 50-90% of area median income.

In other action, commissioners approved about $500,000 for repairs at the Rolling Hills water park, and were briefed on several financial reports and project updates.

An issue that had been raised during public commentary at the Feb. 11, 2014 meeting emerged again on March 11: How should deer overpopulation be managed? Two residents – Maurita Holland and Barb Lucas – urged commissioners to play a role in dealing with the issue, which is affecting WCPARC parks and preserves. “We know there’s a lot of political fallout and a lot of education that needs to be done,” Holland said. She reported that a new group has formed – Washtenaw County for Ecological Balance. Members of WCEB include Larry Kestenbaum, Washtenaw County’s clerk/register of deeds, and Chris Graham, who serves on Ann Arbor’s environmental commission.

Commissioners discussed the issue at length. Jan Anschuetz advocated for a cautious approach, noting that it’s a complex problem that needs to be addressed by multiple entities, not just WCPARC. She also expressed concern that action by WCPARC could affect the 10-year renewal of the operations millage that WCPARC expects to be put on the November 2014 ballot. “If we do something that displeases our public, we will not have a millage and will not have a parks commission and we will not have a preserve,” she said.

Janis Bobrin noted that in this community, “If we start talking about killing anything, there are people who will just not hear anything after that.” There’s the actual management of the problem, she said, but also a major education piece that’s needed. “How do we begin to get a dialogue that isn’t one camp against another? That would seem to be a productive first step.”

Tetens told commissioners that WCPARC has applied for a $29,960 grant through the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources wildlife habitat grant program. Those funds would allow WCPARC to quantify the deer impact on county parks and preserves more precisely. Everyone agrees that the growing deer population is a problem, Tetens said, but “nobody can solve it on their own.”

Commissioners also authorized Tetens to draft a letter opposing a proposed sand and gravel mine that McCoig Materials wants to start in Lyndon Township, on 189 acres north of Chelsea on M-52. The rural site is located near several parks and nature areas, including Waterloo State Recreation Area, the Pinckney State Recreation Area, Park Lyndon, the Green Lake Camping area, and the Waterloo-Pinckney Hiking Trail. WCPARC has been interested in buying the property for at least two decades, and is hoping to work with the current landowner to add the site to the county’s nature preserves, rather than being mined.

The March 11 meeting began with a moment of silence for Fred Veigel, a long-time parks & recreation commissioner who represented the road commission on WCPARC. He died on March 2. Commissioners also passed a resolution of appreciation for his work. A replacement to WCPARC will be appointed from one of the current three road commissioners: Barb Fuller, Doug Fuller or Bill McFarlane.

Staebler Farm

The meeting included two items related to a Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources trust fund grant application for Staebler Farm: a public hearing, and a presentation to commissioners about the project.

Coy Vaughn, WCPARC’s deputy director, told commissioners that this is a resubmission of an application that was originally made in 2013. Feedback from the state was that the original project emphasis was weighted too much toward preservation, education and agriculture, and not enough toward recreation. So WCPARC withdrew the application, modified it, and is resubmitting for the current grant cycle. “We’re confident that we have a much stronger application,” Vaughn said. [.pdf of staff memo]

By way of background, commissioners had approved the 2013 grant application at their March 12, 2013 meeting. The public hearing at that time had drawn four nearby property owners who raised concerns about trespassing. No one spoke at the public hearing on March 11.

First phase of the master plan for Staebler Farm.

The $300,000 grant would help 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. WCPARC has owned the property since 2001, but Don Staebler – who is 103 years old – still resides there under a lifetime agreement with WCPARC. A farmer also raises hay on several acres south of Plymouth Road. Fleming Creek runs through the property, and it has frontage on Frains and Murray lakes. [For additional background, see Chronicle coverage: "County Parks: Options for Staebler Farm."]

The acreage on the south side of Plymouth Road, where Staebler lives and which is still being farmed – will be part of a second phase, Vaughn explained. So the initial phase to develop for recreational use will focus on the north side of Plymouth. There are two ponds that were created as a result of the construction of M-14. There’s a demand for fishing from the public, he said, so the application is proposing a parking lot, a trail system with a pavilion and restroom, some improvements to Fleming Creek, and fishing piers in each pond. Vaughn noted that fishing piers receive extra points on the trust fund applications.

Eventually, the site will provide a learning center to teach the history of farming, including sustainable farming practices that are currently used. “We don’t want this to just be a farm theme park,” Vaughn said. “We want it to be an active farm.”

The total project is expected to cost about $700,000. WCPARC is asking for the maximum amount from the trust fund – $300,o00 – with the remainder coming from a $400,000 WCPARC match.

Rolland Sizemore Jr. asked if WCPARC would need to find a way to let people cross Plymouth Road. Vaughn said they hoped to discourage that, so the design will reflect that. Fences will be installed on both sides of the road, for example.

Sizemore then said he’d gone out to talk with Staebler recently, and had gotten the impression that Staebler was worried about upkeep on the property. “It’s the county’s building now, but it’s not up to our standards,” he said. He suggested spending $5,000 or $6,000 to clean it up and add gravel to the driveway. Sizemore also suggested organizing a volunteer day to help with the cleanup.

Vaughn replied that Staebler and his family have been part of the design process. Jan Anschuetz noted that a video interview of Staebler is posted online.

Dan Ezekiel, the newest WCPARC member and former chair of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission.

Evan Pratt clarified with Vaughn that revisions to the plan are still in line with what WCPARC wants to accomplish. Vaughn noted that Superior Township has also seen the new plans and is supportive. Pratt then asked if a farm management plan would be developed for the site, for the portion of the site that is being actively farmed. WCPARC director Bob Tetens said the tricky thing is that not a lot can be done while Staebler lives on the property. However, WCPARC has talked with Michigan State University about the possibility of a farm incubator program, Tetens said, as well as with the Veterans Affairs hospital about a possible program for veterans who are receiving treatment.

Dan Ezekiel noted that there’s a lot of pent-up demand for fishing, so he was glad to see the fishing piers as part of the project. He also supported the idea of a farm incubator. Pointing to the dramatic decrease in the butterfly population, Ezekiel wondered whether this project could incorporate habitat for butterflies – particularly the Monarch – into the pasture and meadow areas. Other commissioners and staff supported his suggestion.

Janis Bobrin clarified with Tetens that the fishing piers would be accessible to those with disabilities. Tetens replied that the plan’s goal is for universal accessibility throughout the site.

Jan Anschuetz noted that the County Farm Park’s playground has a farm theme, and she wondered if the playground on the Staebler Farm would also have that theme. “Everything we do out there is going to have a farm theme,” Tetens replied.

Sizemore asked if the project would include a petting zoo. It won’t, Tetens replied. Anschuetz noted the proximity to Domino’s Farms, which has a petting farm, and said WCPARC wouldn’t want to compete with a private enterprise.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously approved applying for the MDNR trust fund grant for Staebler Farm.

Connecting Communities Grants

At WCPARC’s Feb. 11, 2014 meeting, commissioners had reviewed applications for this year’s cycle of Connecting Communities grants, which covered six proposed projects. Staff made recommendations for commissioners to review and approve on March 11. [.pdf of February staff memo] [.pdf of applications] [.pdf of March staff memo with recommendations]

Coy Vaughn, WCPARC deputy director.

By way of background, in May 2009 WCPARC authorized the Connecting Communities initiative. The program makes up to $600,000 available annually from 2010 through 2014 – a total of $3 million – toward the cost of eligible trail projects. According to a staff 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.

As an example, the city of Ann Arbor 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 would 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. 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: Applications & Staff Recommendations – Ann Arbor Township

Ann Arbor Township applied for $300,000. The total project cost is $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.

Evan Pratt, county water resources commissioner, and Patricia Scribner, Pittsfield Township treasurer. They both serve on the county parks & recreation commission.

The application states that other confirmed project funders include $600,000 in private donor matching funds. 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. It’s part of a broader project that WCPARC has taken the lead on, hoping to build partnerships with the township and the University of Michigan to create a north-south Border-to-Border trail connection. The township has received no previous grants from the Connecting Communities program.

Dan Smith noted that he had attended a forum the previous night hosted by Ann Arbor Township about non-motorized pathways. He’d talked with some residents who live on Geddes Road, as well as someone from Pittsfield Township who rides mountain bikes in that area. Smith said he’d been taken aback because these people weren’t too keen about the trail project. The residents were concerned about increased traffic and parking. Parker Mill is already a popular destination. And the mountain biker prefers natural trails over engineered trails, Smith said. “You can’t make everybody happy, he said, adding that he fully supported this project.

WCPARC director Bob Tetens said they try to make the trails accessible to the broadest possible number of people. Last year, he noted, a cyclist had been hit along that section of road, so a non-motorized trail is needed in that area.

Evan Pratt clarified with staff that Ann Arbor Township had never received an MDNR trust fund grant. He suggested that WCPARC staff help out with the application. Tetens said that the staff works with all of the entities that apply for trust fund grants, when WCPARC is offering matching funds. Pratt said he knew that applications including regional trails score higher.

Responding to a query from Bob Marans, Vaughn indicated that the township hadn’t completed its design of the trails yet, but that WCPARC will be involved in that process.

Jan Anschuetz noted that the broader project has been on WCPARC’s “dream list” for more than 20 years, and they’ve put a lot of energy into it. “My poor husband has become a very old man – I don’t know if he’ll be able to walk this trail,” she quipped.

Tetens noted that the university hasn’t always been interested in providing trail connections in its property, which includes the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. But there are some new people who want to make it happen now, he said.

Staff recommendation: $250,000.

Connecting Communities: Applications & Staff Recommendations – Village of Manchester

The village of Manchester applied for $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, ending at the county’s Leonard Preserve.

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 had previously been awarded $150,000 from the Connecting Communities program in 2011, which it planned to use as matching funds for a Michigan Dept of Natural Resources trust fund grant. However, it decided not to apply for that grant, so the WCPARC funds weren’t awarded. The village now intends to apply for the state grant this year. WCPARC considers this a renewal of the previous 2011 grant, so the money won’t come from the $600,000 in Connecting Communities funds that are available this year.

Staff recommendation: $150,000 (renewal).

Connecting Communities: Applications & Staff Recommendations – Northfield Township

Northfield Township applied for $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 from the Connecting Communities program.

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.

Staff recommendation: $250,000.

Connecting Communities: Applications & Staff Recommendations – Pittsfield Township

Pittsfield Township applied for $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. Those 2013 funds were intended as matching funds for a MDNR trust fund grant, which the township did not secure.

Confirmed funding is from Pittsfield Township (up to $400,000); and MDOT/SEMCOG through the federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) program ($1,064,708).

Bob Tetens noted that this project is compatible with the township’s State Road corridor improvement authority project. Coy Vaughn pointed out that Pittsfield Township has received more money from Connecting Communities and other WCPARC sources than other communities, but the township has been successful in completing its projects and in leveraging WCPARC’s money to secure other funds.

Staff recommendations: $250,000 as matching funds for the TAP grant. (Includes $100,000 in new Connecting Community funds, and renewal of the $150,000 from 2013.)

Connecting Communities: Applications & Staff Recommendations – Ypsilanti Township

Ypsilanti Township applied for $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 WCPARC funding for trail projects in 2010, 2011 and 2013.

Bob Tetens noted that one of the criteria for new Connecting Communities funding is that any previously funded project must be completed. The township is still working on finishing the trail that was funded by WCPARC in 2013, he said.

Staff recommendation: No funding for this cycle.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously approved all staff recommendations for Connecting Communities grants.

Connecting Communities: Next Steps

Bob Marans noted that this is the last year of the five-year Connecting Communities program. He wondered if WCPARC staff was going to recommend continuing it. “There’s always that option,” Bob Tetens replied.

From left: Washtenaw County commissioners Rolland Sizemore Jr. (D-District 5) and Dan Smith (R-District 2) also serve on WCPARC.

Tetens told commissioners that the program has been extremely popular. In surveys of county residents, trails and open space typically rate the highest in terms of support. The Connecting Communities program was developed because WCPARC was receiving a lot of requests from local communities for help with trail projects, and it was difficult to objectively evaluate each project when there weren’t other projects to compare against.

Every year, requests are typically double the amount of available funding, Tetens said. In looking ahead, WCPARC staff had looked at using the funds that would be available after the end of the Connecting Communities program to instead fund debt payments from the proposed east county recreation center, if WCPARC decides to bond for that project. But given the popularity of Connecting Communities, Tetens said, the staff will likely propose keeping some version of it – assuming that the WCPARC operations millage is renewed by voters.

Rolland Sizemore Jr. jokingly asked if some of the money can be used to repair roads. Tetens noted that WCPARC has funded some road shoulder projects, in partnership with the road commission. WCPARC is usually involved in any significant trail project in the county, Tetens said. Much of that is through the Border-to-Border Trail project. In addition to projects in the Connecting Communities program, other trail projects are in the works for North Territorial, and an effort to connect Dexter and Chelsea, among others.

Dan Smith clarified that Tetens anticipates continuing Connecting Communities, but it’s contingent on the millage renewal. That’s right, Tetens replied. “It would be hard to do it if we don’t have that assured cash flow.”

Eastern County Recreation Center

WCPARC director Bob Tetens gave an update on the east county recreation center, a proposed 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.]

Tetens said they’ve been working with the city of Ypsilanti on a development agreement. “There are some terms that we’re not fully comfortable with, and I think the city probably has the same feeling,” he said. WCPARC staff have met with attorneys several times to review the agreement, and work on that continues. He thought he’d have a better sense of how it was progressing at the commission’s April meeting.

Paul Schreiber, mayor of Ypsilanti, told commissioners that he wasn’t aware of any “show-stopping” issues.

Earlier in the meeting, Schreiber had spoken during public commentary to update WCPARC on actions by the city of Ypsilanti that affect the rec center. The previous week, on March 4, the Ypsilanti city council approved a purchase agreement for Water Street Flats, a development with 90 residential units. He thought it was something that’s good for the city.

Paul Schreiber, mayor of Ypsilanti.

The complex will be rental apartments for residents who earn 50-90% of area median income. For Ypsilanti, that comes out to market rate, he said. So it’s market-rate housing, Schreiber said, that’s being financed through low-income housing tax credits.

The apartments will bring more people to that area, Schreiber said. The development won’t be next to the rec center, but will be nearby – on the south edge of the Water Street property. He thought the complex would attract young professionals making $30,000 to $40,000 a year, just starting out after graduating from Eastern Michigan University or other institutions. There will be some Section 8 housing, he said. Other properties by the same developer – Herman and Kittle Properties – have had Section 8 units for between 4% and 21% of the entire development, he noted. Since this location is on the river, near downtown and the Border-to-Border Trail, “I think we’re going to be on the low end of that [percentage],” he said.

Schreiber told commissioners that there had been a “lot of spirited discussion against it,” but the majority of the Ypsilanti city council decided to approve it. The developer is applying for tax credits and financing. That’s a competitive process, he noted, so it’s still unclear how it will turn out.

Schreiber felt that the project fits in with the rest of the Water Street plans, including the rec center and WCPARC’s goals. Construction would be in 2015, with completion likely in 2016.

Ypsilanti city councilmember Pete Murdock also addressed commissioners, noting that the developer still owns similar properties that it built, “so they’re not just getting in on the front end and then leaving.” He said the developer would also be building a lot of infrastructure that would serve the rest of the site, including several roads, sidewalks and utilities.

Responding to a query from Rolland Sizemore Jr., Murdock said that even if the rec center isn’t built, the apartment project would move forward.

Rolling Hills Water Park Repairs

WCPARC director Bob Tetens described this item as the “convergence of several problems.” Part of the issue is related to the capital improvement program, but a lot is tied to conformance with current regulations, he said.

From the staff memo:

A few years ago, through dye testing, we discovered the Lazy River was leaking water from four of the seven floor and wall expansion joints. As result, this past fall we removed one of the leaking joints to investigate the extent of the problem. It was confirmed that the rubber membrane in the expansion joints had failed causing the leak. To remedy the situation each expansion joint will be removed and replaced.

The operation of the pools and Lazy River are regulated by several County/State and Federal codes or guidelines. One of these is the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) of 2008 (with updates in 2011). This Act was enacted to prevent hazards of drain entrapments in public pools and spas. Since enactment of the VGBA, we initiated replacement of drain grates throughout the Main Pool facility to comply with the 2008 requirements. However, the drain grates within the Lazy River have not been replaced due to their custom configurations and other needed modifications. Now VGBA and State regulations mandate further changes be made to the drain sump structures and grates to be compliant.

“Slide Mountain” and its associate stairway system are some of the original features of the Waterpark. Over time through regular patron usage and weather, the stairs have developed significant deterioration requiring extensive repair and reconstruction.

Due to the complexity of the project work, Stantec Consulting of Michigan (a local engineering firm) was hired to evaluate the above issues and recommend corrective measures to address each. As a result, an RFP was developed and structured to allow a portion of the work to be completed this spring before opening, then resume after Labor Day shut-down. The scope of work is somewhat specialize and the documentation required perspective bidders to demonstrate previous years of experience with this type of project. [.pdf of full staff memo]

Four bids were received in response to the RFP. The low bid was by Baruzzini Construction Co. of Brighton, for $497,549. The firm had worked on the water slide addition last year and is familiar with the Rolling Hills facility, according to the staff memo. Baruzzini also is doing work on Rutherford Pool in Ypsilanti.

The staff recommended approval of this contract with Baruzzini, plus a $35,000 contingency for potential change orders.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously approved the contract for work at the Rolling Hills water park.

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 Management

Two people spoke on the issue of deer damage in the county. Maurita Holland noted that she’d spoken to commissioners at their previous meeting, on Feb. 11, 2014. A group has formed called Washtenaw County for Ecological Balance, she reported, with members including Larry Kestenbaum [Washtenaw County's clerk/register of deeds] and Chris Graham [who serves on Ann Arbor's environmental commission].

Maurita Holland.

Holland pointed out that Time magazine had a picture of a deer on the cover of its last issue in 2013. A chart in the article shows that the deer population has grown more than any other animal since the middle of the last century. In the past 50 years, the U.S. deer population has increased about 800% to about 32 million head, she noted.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County, in Chicago, has developed a sustainability plan, Holland reported, which includes an annual cull of deer. She reported that the city of Jackson, Michigan, has been culling deer for several years. During that time, about 500 deer have been culled in the city and provided to food pantries there.

Holland concluded by asking commissioners what they needed. “We do understand that the political part of this is undoubtedly much more difficult than getting the MDNR in here with a special permit, if you were to vote as a board to do that,” she said. “We know there’s a lot of political fallout and a lot of education that needs to be done.” The new group is very dedicated to this cause, she said, but only in ways that can be as positive as possible.

Barb Lucas also spoke on this issue. She is contracted by Washtenaw County to do environmental shows on WEMU and Community Television Network – called the Green Room. The November show on WEMU focused on deer overpopulation. It had been very illuminating to interview different stakeholders about it, she said, and it led her to feel that people need to find commonalities because there are such passionate feelings on all sides.

Both sides want to preserve life, Lucas said. If the animal rights supporters were educated about the “web of life” and how there are so many different creatures that depend on the ecosystem, they might have a different view. If deer graze heavily in an area, other species will suffer and starve to death, she said. Animal rights activists talk about “species elitism,” Lucas said, so that’s something to talk about – whether it’s better to protect a “charismatic” species like deer or to protect a range of other species too. That might be a way to find common ground, rather than to start by talking about culling deer, which would “polarize everybody immediately,” she said. Lucas concluded by urging commissioners to listen to the Green Room segment on this issue.

Holland spoke again, noting that she’d spoken with Ann Arbor city councilmember Sabra Briere. Holland said that Briere was also very concerned about this issue, and had indicated that she’d be contacting WCPARC because it was a good idea to talk about how this affects both the city and the county. The deer right now are in the county’s northwest quadrant, Holland said, and are moving towards Ann Arbor. “This is going to be a moving target,” she said.

Communications & Commentary: Deer Management – Commission Discussion

Later in the meeting, WCPARC director Bob Tetens noted that the board packet included some material related to this issue. [.pdf of February 2014 staff report on deer populations in county parks] [.pdf of Feb. 17, 2014 Inside Michigan Politics article] [.pdf of Meridian Township deer management plan] [.pdf of 2012 Ann Arbor Observer article]

Tetens thanked Holland and Lucas for providing more information, and told commissioners that WCPARC staff would be collecting as much information as possible. He reported that WCPARC has applied for a $29,960 grant through the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources wildlife habitat grant program. Those funds would allow WCPARC to quantify the impact on county parks and preserves more precisely.

WCPARC member Jan Anschuetz.

Tetens told commissioners that this will now be a regular agenda item, as the staff continues to research this issue. He noted that the county board of commissioners held a working session in February that focused on the deer population in Washtenaw County, which included a presentation by Timothy Wilson of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.

Everyone agrees that the growing deer population is a problem, Tetens said, but “nobody can solve it on their own.”

Bob Marans asked about a timeframe for putting some kind of plan in place. Dan Smith, who serves on the county board representing District 2, described a couple of points from the February working session. The USDA would assist in helping carry out various remediations, he said, but only after some other entity assesses the problem. In Michigan, that falls to the DNR and local entities.

Smith also reported that the “lethal” technique was surprisingly expensive. He’d expected that to be the least expensive, but that wasn’t the case. According to the USDA, the most effective technique would be even more unpopular than other management efforts, Smith said – to bring back natural predators. “That would be even more unpopular than bow hunters.”

Marans asked Tetens where he saw this headed, in terms of WCPARC’s role. Tetens replied that the DNR is responsible for managing the deer population, so ultimately it would need to be a collaborative effort with the DNR, local communities, the Farm Bureau, and others.

Marans then asked: “Is it our responsibility to push the DNR?” It’s everyone’s responsibility, Tetens replied. Right now, it’s a problem that the county can’t manage alone. The USDA representative had noted that even if the problem is solved in one location, the deer move elsewhere, he said.

As a society, “we have created the perfect environment, with our rural residential development,” Tetens said. Scio Township has been in the top five municipalities statewide in terms of the number of deer-vehicle accidents, he noted. Hunting is limited, while suburban homes plant landscape gardens that attract deer. He likened it to putting up a sign that says: “We’re not going to hunt you. Here’s free food. Come on in!” There needs to be a cultural shift, Tetens said.

Dan Smith said that from a policy perspective, WCPARC can be a driver as far as the county is concerned, because it manages significant acreage in parks and natural areas. The elected county board of commissioners has indirect control, but the county board doesn’t directly own a lot of land.

Marans agreed that WCPARC plays an important role, but “the directive should come from the county board,” he said.

Smith noted that the townships in Michigan have the most control over land use issues, so it’s important to work with the township officials too. Based on his research, Smith said, it’s clear that there are conflicting interests – farmers want one thing, hunters want another, conservationists want yet another thing, depending on what type of conservationist they are.

Barb Lucas.

Janis Bobrin referred to a point that Barb Lucas had made regarding the need to find common ground. “This is a community where if we start talking about killing anything, there are people who will just not hear anything after that,” she said. There’s the actual management of the problem, she noted, but also a major education piece. “How do we begin to get a dialogue that isn’t one camp against another? That would seem to be a productive first step.”

Jan Anschuetz said it would be presumptuous to say that culling deer would solve the problem. About five years ago, WCPARC considered the issue seriously, she said, adding that she’d spent about 40-50 hours researching the problem at that time. Studies that she’d read revealed that culling deer actually encourages reproduction. It’s a very complicated issue, she said, and WCPARC shouldn’t just jump into it.

Marans replied that clearly they need to move slowly. He described a deer management program at the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority, which he said was very successful. [Marans also serves on the board of the HCMA, which oversees the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.] He noted that HCMA has more land than WCPARC, and it’s also hard to know what happens on land outside of the metroparks.

Anschuetz urged commissioners and staff to be “a little bit humble.” They need to work with and listen to the animal rights advocates, she said.

Dan Smith noted that it’s clear the deer are harming native plants and wildlife in the county’s preserves. The reason the county invests in these preserves is to ensure that native plants and wildlife have protected areas. He thought that managing the deer population could be part of the broader management efforts for those areas. But the success of that management isn’t known, he added. Smith said he’d read that deer have evolved so that their reproduction is a way to survive predators. When there are no predators – aside from vehicles – then they overpopulate.

Evan Pratt said it would be helpful to get feedback from staff about what WCPARC’s role should be. Should they be hosting symposiums? Or just providing information?

Anschuetz argued that WCPARC exists in order to serve the entire population of Washtenaw County that pays for parks. “If we do something that displeases our public, we will not have a millage and will not have a parks commission and we will not have a preserve,” she said. Deciding how to handle the deer issue is an important decision, she added – not just for the people who are concerned about this issue, but for the entire parks system.

Dan Ezekiel suggested seeing if there are any resources at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment.

Dan Smith asked if Tetens would be comfortable preparing a recommendation over the next month or two. Smith said it sounded like Marans wanted direction from the county board of commissioners. Marans thought the county could be a leader in initiating a program, whatever that might be. It wasn’t wise to just be passive, he said.

Tetens said his staff hadn’t been able to spend much time on this issue so far. Marans wanted to see a proposal for various options within six months or so.

Regarding HCMA’s deer management, Anschuetz pointed out that HCMA’s millage is permanent and doesn’t require renewal. But WCPARC’s millage does need renewal, she noted, and “if we aren’t representing the community, we are in a very vulnerable position.” Marans countered that commissioners don’t know what the community thinks as a whole.

Bobrin said that Anschuetz’s point is well taken – WCPARC needs to understand that. Anschuetz told commissioners that she’s very involved in animal rights issues, and is very involved with the Humane Society. “I know what goes on,” Anschuetz said. “You may be underestimating the power of the people in this community.” She didn’t see WCPARC as leading this effort, but rather they should partner with other entities.

Pratt drew an analogy to weed control in lakes. Once you start spending money to try to manage it, “you’re just rolling the rock up the hill,” he said. “You just start this Sisyphean task when you try to force-fit nature into what you want it to be.” He said he wasn’t arguing against a deer management program, but WCPARC first needs to figure out what its role should be.

Dan Smith said he wasn’t suggesting that WCPARC take on deer management itself. But because they’ve invested in preserves, that’s why WCPARC has a role in it. “If the preserve just becomes a bunch of prairie grass, that’s not a very interesting preserve,” he said. “That’s not why we’re buying this land with tax dollars.”

Smith noted that if the best solution turns out to be introducing natural predators to the area, that introduces an entirely new set of problems. “Now the farmers will really be up in arms,” he said.

Communications & Commentary: Lyndon Township Mining Proposal

McCoig Materials is proposing a sand and gravel mine in Lyndon Township, on 189 acres north of Chelsea on M-52. The rural site is located near several parks and nature areas, including Waterloo State Recreation Area, the Pinckney State Recreation Area, Park Lyndon, the Green Lake Camping area, and the Waterloo-Pinckney Hiking Trail.

Janis Bobrin, a member WCPARC. In the background is WCPARC director Bob Tetens.

Bob Tetens reminded commissioners that the southern part of WCPARC’s Park Lyndon covers most of the edges of Lake Genevieve, and “we’ve always sort of felt, despite where the fences are at, that the whole lake was ours, and it’s not.” A small portion of the southern tip of the lake is part of the Cunningham family property – the site that McCoig wants to purchase.

In the past, WCPARC had talked to the family about possibly buying that land, Tetens said. WCPARC has been interested in it for at least two decades.

Residents in the area are very concerned about McCoig’s proposal, Tetens said. It would mean a lot of additional traffic from trucks – 60-80 round-trip gravel haulers each day would be driving through Chelsea, throughout the estimated 30-year life of the operation. There are also concerns about the impact on local ecosystems and hydrology, Tetens said.

Part of what makes the northwest part of Washtenaw County so special is its concentration of parks and recreation areas, Tetens said, so it doesn’t make sense to take 190 acres out of that for mining.

Tetens asked for the commissioners to support drafting a letter to Lyndon Township and state officials, opposing a special use permit that would allow the company to remove sand and gravel. He stressed WCPARC’s continued interest in buying the property for the county’s natural areas preservation program, and said that an application for NAPP had been sent to the Cunningham family. The resources are available in NAPP’s budget to buy the property at fair market value, Tetens said. Any added value related to mineral rights would have to be negotiated.

Tetens also reported that the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources has been working with McCoig to try to find an alternative site – possibly property that the DNR owned or could acquire, that could be traded for the Cunningham property so that the ecosystem in that area could be maintained.

Janis Bobrin noted that because of relatively recent state legislation, it’s very difficult for local governments to turn down mining operations in their communities.

On its website, Lyndon Township has noted that its authority is limited:

Michigan State Legislators have greatly reduced township control by passing Act 110 of 2006 (125.3205). Under that law, the township must not “prevent the extraction, by mining, of valuable natural resources from any property unless very serious consequences would result from the extraction of those natural resources. Natural resources are considered valuable for the purposes of this section if a person, by extracting the natural resources, can receive revenue and reasonably expect to operate at a profit.” The township’s authority is limited to “reasonable regulation of hours of operation, blasting hours, noise levels, dust control measures, and traffic that are not preempted by part 632 of the Michigan environmental laws,” 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.63201 to 324.63223.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to direct staff to send a letter to Lyndon Township regarding the McCoig proposal. [.pdf of Tetens letter]

Communications & Commentary: Millage Renewal

Bob Tetens updated commissioners on the process of renewing the county’s 10-year parks & recreation operations millage, which is likely to be on the November 2014 ballot.

Bob Marans, president of WCPARC.

The countywide parks & recreation operations millage is a 10-year, quarter-mill tax that was first approved in November 1976 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 said there will be two separate tracks. The county staff and commission can market its services and programs to the greatest extent possible – that’s well underway, he said. As part of that, staff are developing the next five-year strategic plan.

In 2004, when the millage was most recently renewed, the county board of commissioners – the elected body that has the authority to put a millage proposal on the ballot – was asked to do that in June, Tetens said. That’s likely the timeframe that will be followed this year. WCPARC staff will be making a presentation to the county board to describe what’s been done in the past 10 years. “We’ve got a good story to tell about that,” he said. The presentation will also include a planning document about how the millage would be used in the next 10 years.

Parallel to that is the organization called Friends of the County Parks. It’s the group that handles fundraising for the millage campaign itself, Tetens explained. Nelson Meade, the long-time WCPARC member who retired in December of 2013, used to lead that effort. Tetens said that commissioners might want to designate someone to serve as treasurer of that group, in place of Meade.

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.

Financial Reports: Claims Report

Director Bob Tetens began by saying that the reports reflect WCPARC’s off season. Parks and facilities paid a total of $113,859 in claims during February. Most of those expenses were for capital improvements, primarily at the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center and Rolling Hills.

NAPP claims totaled $661,101 in February. Most of those expenses – $613,784 – were spent on a conservation easement for the Bloch property in Superior Township, which commissioners had approved at their Feb. 11, 2014 meeting.

Total expenses in February were $774,961. [.pdf of February 2014 claims]

Financial Reports: Fund Balance – Parks and Recreation

Tetens noted that there hadn’t been any dramatic changes since the previous month’s report.

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 Feb. 28, 2014 was $4,128,849 with expenses of $696,711. The operating reserve for 2014 is $6.7 million, and the funding commitments for partnerships is $820,000. [.pdf of February 2014 parks & rec fund balance]

The projected fund balance at the end of 2014 is $6,430,817.

Financial Reports: Fund Balance – NAPP

The February report started with the fund balance of $7,195,911 and showed revenue of $1,968,881. Expenses totaled $622,947, for a projected fund balance at the end of 2014 of $8,450,839. [.pdf of February 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

Typically, there are several monthly reports on 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.

For the March 11 meeting, only one recreation report was presented.

Recreation Reports: Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center

At the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, year-to-date participation as of Feb. 28, 2014 was 56,541 and revenue was $250,023. In 2013, year-to-date participation was 63,615 and revenue was $262,635. In 2012, participation was 67,824 and revenue was $249,565. [.pdf of MLM recreation center report]

WCPARC director Bob Tetens noted that activity had been slow during February, which he attributed to the bad weather. “People just weren’t getting out,” he said.

Tetens reminded commissioners that two years ago, the county’s Pierce Lake golf course opened in the third week of March, and in 2013 they opened in the last week in March. So things will be slow at the golf course this year too, he said.

Outcome: The recreation report was 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. [.pdf of projects/activities report]

Here are some highlights of items discussed at the March meeting.

• The annual ice fishing derby at Independence Lake had a good turnout, Coy Vaughn reported. Rolland Sizemore Jr. observed that in the photos that Vaughn showed of the event, there weren’t any minorities. He asked how WCPARC advertised the event. Vaughn replied that they used posters, partnered with businesses like Cabela’s and local bait shops, and posted information online. WCPARC director Bob Tetens said there is typically a larger turnout of minorities for events at Rolling Hills, on the county’s east side.
• The annual “Daddy Daughter Dance” at the Meri Lou Murray recreation center on Feb. 22 drew 168 people this year. Vaughn played a clip from a feature about the dance that aired on Community Television Network’s FYI show.
• A summer job fair was held at the gym in the Meri Lou Murray recreation center, with several county departments and the Michigan Works office represented. Attendees could apply and be interviewed on the spot. It drew over 100 people.
• Vaughn showed two short videos that will be used to promote various WCPARC facilities online. He plans to show one or two new videos at each WCPARC meeting over the next few months. The videos shown on March 11 highlighted County Farm Park and the water parks at Rolling Hills and Independence Lake.

Remembering Fred Veigel

The March 11 board packet included a resolution of appreciation for Fred Veigel, who died on March 2. [.pdf of resolution] Veigel was a long-time WCPARC member who held a seat designated for a county road commission representative.

WCPARC director Bob Tetens described Veigel as “an even more colorful figure than we’d realized,” based on pictures that had been on display at Veigel’s memorial and funeral. Veigel had been a member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 252 for 60 years, and the union is planning a memorial “toast and roast” on Friday, June 13.

Evan Pratt noted that the family is encouraging people to come and share stories about Veigel. “It sounded like there weren’t going to be many boundaries,” he said.

Outcome: Commissioners passed the resolution of appreciation.

Present: Jan Anschuetz, Janis Bobrin, Dan Ezekiel, Robert Marans, Evan Pratt, Patricia Scribner, Rolland Sizemore Jr., and Dan Smith.

Absent: Conan Smith.

Staff: Director Bob Tetens, deputy director Coy Vaughn.

Next meeting: Tuesday, April 8, 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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A corncrib at the Staebler Farm in Superior Township. The farm isn't yet open to the public, but plans are underway to develop the site for educational and recreational use. (Photos by the writer.)

The parks and recreation commission bought the farm in 2001 and set aside more than $2 million to develop it for eventual educational and recreational uses. Possibilities include children’s gardens, a farm market, fishing, and demonstrations of farm activities.

Donald Staebler, who turns 102 in August, has lived there since he was two and has a life lease to stay in the 140-year-old farmhouse. The property is not yet open to the public.

At the June 12 meeting, commissioners heard from a consultant who described the use of similar property in three other communities: Ambler Farm in Wilton, Connecticut; the Intervale Center in Burlington, Vermont; and Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Commissioners discussed possible uses for the land, and decided on the next steps in creating a master plan for the farm. Dan Smith, a WCPARC member who also serves on the county board of commissioners, noted that this project fits with other efforts supported by the board, including community gardens on the former juvenile detention center site and the Washtenaw Food Policy Council that was created earlier this year.

In addition to their discussion of Staebler Farm, the commission carried out its usual business of approving expenses, reviewing the budget, and getting updates on its parks, recreation facilities and natural areas. Among those updates was a report that a design team for a proposed WCPARC recreation center in Ypsilanti held its first meeting to review a possible schematic design. The team consists of faculty and students from the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. [For more details on this project, see Chronicle coverage: "More Planning for Rec Center in Ypsilanti."]

Staebler Farm

Coy  Vaughn, WCPARC’s deputy director, began his briefing on Staebler Farm with background about the property. The farm has been in operation since before 1880, and the Staebler family bought it in 1912. In 2001, WCPARC purchased it from Donald Staebler, who still resides in the 140-year old farmhouse with a life-lease. He is over 100 years old, which Vaughn said is “evidence of the healthiness of living the life of a farmer.” [Staebler was honored by the county board of commissioners in August of 2010 for his contributions to the community. His land was known as “Crick-in-th’-Back Farm.”]

Site map of Staebler Farm, provided in the packet of materials for the June 12 WCPARC meeting.

Vaughn showed slides depicting the farm, which is bisected by Plymouth Road and lies just east of Prospect Road. The farmhouse is south of Plymouth, and most of the land south of the farmhouse is planted in hay, with a row of trees dividing that into two fields. South of the fields lies a “nice hardwood swamp on the south edge of the property, with a hardwood stand on the south east corner,” Vaughn said.

The property is adjacent to both Frain Lake, at the southwest corner, and Murray Lake, on the southeast corner, although neither lake is part of the farm.

A local farmer still farms the site and has run between 12 and 24 head of cattle and sheep on the land north of Plymouth Road, which Fleming Creek traverses. Vaughn noted that “these animals do what animals do, and it isn’t good for the creek,” so the animals are being phased out, he said. This part of the farm contains a large stand of mature trees. Vaughn said that the presence of the animals results in the ground “looking almost as if we had groomed it. It would be a great place for a pavilion.”

This section north of Plymouth also contains two large ponds, originally borrow pits for the construction of M-14, which is on the north side of the property. The ponds – north of but not connected to Fleming Creek – are now clear and deep, Vaughn asserted, and have a good stock of fish.

The land north of Plymouth Road includes a barn, a corncrib, and other outbuildings. WCPARC has helped to restore these buildings – the oldest dates to 1880 – and several pieces of antique farm equipment, which Staebler has given to WCPARC.

Staebler Farm: Development Objectives

Vaughn said that WCPARC’s general goal is to develop the farm into a year-round park, to respect the farm’s character, to provide recreational opportunities, and to develop educational, ecological, and social functions at a reasonable cost. As he put it, to “celebrate 110-plus years of agricultural tradition, take advantage of the site’s proximity to Ann Arbor, northeastern Washtenaw, and western Wayne County, utilize its many natural features such as woods and water, to preserve its biological and hydrological qualities, and to complement other park facilities.”

He also listed developing revenue-generating activities, and involving all stakeholders in a meaningful way, as additional objectives. He pointed out how visible the farm is from M-14, and that any change in the “farm with ponds” quality of the vista would be noticed by the many who commute daily on that road, as well as on Plymouth Road.

Vaughn gave more details about the major possibilities, none of which have been determined but all of which – along with new ideas sure to be generated at the current meeting and in future discussions – will be considered.

• Recreational opportunities: activities related to farming such as crops, gardens, a small orchard, hoop house, pumpkins, bee hives, a sugar shack. “This will not be a theme park,” he said several times.
• Food production and distribution: perhaps home to a farm market, or a CSA [community supported agriculture], a food co-op, and a value-added kitchen.
• Educational purposes: teaching children and adults about farming, gardening, caring for animals, learning about farm history, perhaps a museum. The idea is to celebrate the agricultural heritage of Washtenaw County, with an emphasis on the history and evolution of agricultural practices and current trends in sustainable farming.
• Special events: demonstrations of shearing and shoeing, special exhibits.
• Park amenities: picnic spots, perhaps a pavilion, possibly a banquet hall. There might be sports like fishing, but it’s much less likely that active sports will be allowed. Other amenities will include parking and accommodation to public access and circulation.
• Water resources: Fishing piers, boardwalk to swamp and lakes, and an effort to protect and improve Fleming Creek.

Vaughn then gave a long list of potential partners, with commission members jumping in to add more: 4-H, the Peoples Food Coop, the Fair Food Network, Food Gatherers, Growing Hope, Project Grow, the MSU Extension Service, residents and officials from Superior Township and neighboring townships, neighboring property owners, public schools, Eastern Michigan University’s Historic Preservation program, antique tractor clubs, and local farmers.

Staebler Farm: Case Studies

Vaughn then introduced Rebecca Bloomfield, describing her as a consultant who will help WCPARC staff develop the active farming component of the master plan for the Staebler Farm Park, so that it can contribute to the local food supply without any detrimental consequences to other farmers or food producers or distributors.

Rebecca Bloomfield, a consultant working on the Staebler Farm project, gave a report at the June 12 meeting of the Washtenaw County parks and recreation commission.

[Commission members had received a copy of Bloomfield’s resume, which shows her to hold a certificate in organic farming from Michigan State University in 2009, and a B.A. in international development from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. In 2010-2011 she was first an assistant instructor and then a training program manager in MSU’s organic farmer training program. She has also held garden training positions at The Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, Calif. and the American Jewish World Service,  and served as an intern or volunteer at farms and cooperatives in Italy and Ontario.]

Bloomfield said she used three case studies to compare Staebler to similar farms around the country. In addition to the case studies, Bloomfield said she would provide WCPARC with a five- year timeline, a draft memorandum of understanding that could be used with partners, and additional recommendations, including budgets.

Staebler Farm: Case Studies – Ambler Farm

Ambler Farm in Wilton, Conn. has 22 acres, only one of which is in production, because much of the land is wooded or otherwise not usable. Ambler has an educational program. The town of Wilton bought the 200-year-old farm in 1999. They want to expand production beyond 1 acre within the tillable land.

The organization developed its plan first as a steering committee in 2000, and then evolved into Friends of Ambler Farm in 2005. By 2006 they had a five-year business plan and hired a program manager in 2007 and a farmer in 2008. Now Ambler has three staff members: a full-time director of agriculture, a part-time program manager, and a part-time financial assistant.

Ambler sells produce, Bloomfield said, at an off-site farm market and their onsite market. The community is very involved with educational programming, community events, and agricultural programming. The site is open to the public, has summer camps for kids, and educational programs for adults throughout the year. A  few sheep and chickens serve as educational tools, she said.

Bloomfield presented an overview of Ambler’s finances:

A summary of finances for Ambler Farm.

Bloomfield concluded by summarizing this advice from Ambler: Get the neighbors on your side (they had to get zoning changes approved); break ground as soon as possible; and involve someone in the school system.

Staebler Farm: Case Studies – Intervale Center

The second case study that Bloomfield presented was for the Intervale Center in Burlington, Vermont. According to the center’s website, the “intervale” is 700 acres of bottomland within the city limits of Burlington. Bloomfield said the Intervale Center covers 350 of those 700 acres. The center’s purpose is to improve the viability of small farms, provide sustainable use of land, and connect the community to its food system. Intervale is also home to a conservation nursery, a food hub, a community farm, and other sustainable agriculture programs and organizations.

Bloomfield reviewed the history of Intervale: In 1986, Will Raap moved his Gardeners Supply Co. to the intervale and led a cleanup effort there. The area had been badly flooded in the 1920s and housed a municipal dump and a pig farm in succeeding decades. In 1987, Burlington rezoned the area to exclude residential and industrial growth. In 1988, Gardeners Supply Co. founded the Intervale Foundation, and in 1989 the Intervale Community Farm CSA began – the first CSA in Vermont. In 1990, an incubator farm program was established.

[By way of explanation, CSA stands for “community supported agriculture.” It provides a way for consumers to buy fresh, seasonal food directly from farmers. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (or a bag or basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. The advantages for farmers and consumers, and more information, are provided on the LocalHarvest website. A searchable database of Washtenaw County CSAs is available here.]

The Intervale Center’s programs include:

• A program to incubate farms.
• A “success on the farm” program to provide mentors to farmers to help improve their business – for example, by connecting the farmer to a lawyer, accountant, more experienced farmer, or other expert, at no cost to the farmer.
• A “food hub,” which is a new community supported agricultural program with a number of farms participating. For example, one farm provides honey, another meat, another vegetables, so that the customer gets three kinds of food from one share.

Intervale has nine full-time staff, several part-timers, and many seasonal and volunteer workers. It’s open to the public, with weekly events in the summer and an annual weekend event in the winter. Intervale rents out its facility, and markets the food it produces through CSAs, wholesale, at farmers’ markets, and through its food hubs. There are many farmers’ markets, Bloomfield said, because there are so many farms in the area.

Financial summary for the Intervale Center.

Bloomfield said Intervale identified these challenges: Meeting the demand they created (Intervale supplies 10% of Burlington’s fresh food); and a need to diversify their cash flow, which can conflict with focusing on what the center does best. Intervale’s example: They had a municipal compost facility that was their main source of income. But after an unusually rainy season, it “got them in trouble and they ended up selling it,” Bloomfield said.

Staebler Farm: Case Studies – Luscher Farm

Luscher Farm is a 100-acre property that’s owned by the city of Lake Oswego (Oregon) parks and recreation department, Bloomfield reported. The city bought 47 acres in 1991 with a life estate agreement with the former owner. In the mid 1990s, voters approved turning the land into a public park. In 2007, the  Friends of Luscher Farm was formed.

Programs there include community gardens – including a children’s garden – public events, classes, camps, and rental of facilities. There are two CSAs: one that’s run by the city, and another called 47th Avenue Farm, which a local farmer rents from Luscher. Partnerships include Oregon Tilth, which certifies organic produce, and the Rogersson Clematis Collection and botanical garden.

Staff at Luscher includes a full-time director, a part-time children’s garden coordinator, contracted labor for maintenance, and volunteers.

Financial summary for Luscher Farm.

Challenges that Bloomfield cited from this case study include retaining community support for agricultural use of the land – some people want to turn it into a sports field. However, Bloomfield said that surveys show high support from the community to keep it in agricultural use, and said the farm’s director is not concerned about that. [By way of further background, the Luscher Farm website shows the presence of two dog parks, one athletic field with a lighted ball park, and walking trails supported by a land conservancy.]

The second challenge for Luscher Farm is meeting demand for community gardens. Right now, they have a long waiting list even as they expand, Bloomfield said.

After presenting the three case studies, Bloomfield named other farms she planned to check out in the future: Common Ground Farm in Beacon, N.Y., The Food Project in Boston; and Holcomb Farm in West Granby, Conn.

Staebler Farm: Commission Discussion

Commissioner Dan Smith opened the discussion by observing that “it looks as if Luscher Farm is using the parks department to run it.” Others agreed, noting that Luscher, unlike the other two, does not have a positive financial statement.

Commissioner Rolland Sizemore Jr. asked: “Why not just keep Staebler Farm a park?” Coy Vaughn responded that because the land has been farmed for over 100 years, there is a desire to keep it functioning that way, although the township is anxious to have the property open to the public. Sizemore pressed further: “Can’t we have animals there, maybe for the 4-H?” Vaughn repeated his earlier opinion that “we do not want a petting farm.”

Sizemore asked another question: “Are we going to mess anyone up? Who might not like this?” Vaughn responded: “We hope not to. We will take this to the township and have open meetings, and an open house at the farm to talk through the ideas.”

WCPARC chair Bob Marans added: “The primary objective here is educational. We ought to think of the [University of Michigan] as a possible partner.” That led to quick naming of other possible partners: Washtenaw Community College, the county as a whole, and the Ann Arbor Tech High School.

Commissioner Jimmie Maggard observed that he had “gone by this farm for 18-20 years – you drive by and see the most beautiful place. I’ve admired it forever and ever.” Vaughn agreed, adding that the property is highly visible. The community cares about what happens, and doesn’t want an active park there. “Leave it like it is,” said Maggard.

Smith asked whether the plan is, after Don Staebler is gone, to have a resident on the farm? Vaughn replied: “Hopefully we will restore the farmhouse and perhaps use it for resident caretaker, perhaps someone from the organic farmer training program at MSU who could be an on-site resident most of the year, depending on what most of program turns out to be.”

Staebler Farm: Next Steps

Marans asked whether staff could outline a timeline, and whether there would be a staff report. Bob Tetens, director of the county parks and recreation department, responded that staff would “continue to talk about this for the next several months, including the chance to develop CSAs and incubator farms.” Vaughn added that “the key thing Rebecca [Bloomfield] did for us was to show us the little steps needed to get going, so you can grow over the years to the size of your big vision.”

No trespassing sign at Staebler Farm.

Marans said he saw two steps: To develop a program that can be phased in over time, and to determine how to proceed with the physical infrastructure. WCPARC should strive to have a plan in place by fall, he said. Tetens quickly said that was “easily doable.” Marans confirmed that the staff is responsible to pull the plan together, meet with townships, talk to Don Staebler, and write a report for the commission.

Marans then asked Smith, who is also a member of the county board of commissioners: “Will the rest of the county board be as enthusiastic as we are?”

“Yes,” Smith responded, “I don’t know why they wouldn’t be very enthusiastic. We have been very supportive of these general types of activities. Just recently we established community gardens on the former juvenile detention center, and established the Washtenaw Food Policy Council. There are lots of different pieces that fit together.”

Sharon Sheldon of the county’s public health department – who was attending the meeting as a guest – also commented. “There is a lot of demand in this area [for locally produced food]. The more we can do to build the supply, the more we will be a solution.”

Smith then articulated what he saw as the challenge:  “To do something unique in a couple of different ways. We don’t want to duplicate what others are doing [like The Henry Ford or a petting zoo]. We don’t want to compete with what local producers are doing. We don’t want to infringe while we have an operating farm, because we are a government entity. We want to go out of our way to do something unique, such as growing heirloom tomatoes and heritage apples that might be unique but are difficult to grow. You get an educational component by showing why commercial is done one way and how we can use vegetables that don’t need those commercial qualities, like being shippable. We might focus on cooking/baking using old recipes, using produce raised on the farm.”

Smith took a breath and continued:  “Imagine setting up an Amish community to make it an active farm, if that would be possible.” He also suggested that staff “define parameters for how many people you can have there at one time and let neighbors know that, so we don’t have people parking on the shoulders [of the road].”

Commissioner Janice Anschuetz said: “This reminds me of our discussion when we decided to purchase the farm 10 years ago. Finally the page is being turned into the next chapter. The neighbors did start to object when we were going to buy it, but when they found out what we wanted to do they dropped their objection.”

“The neighbors now want to go faster than we are going,” Tetens observed. “They are pushing us.”

Financial Reports

The board reviewed two financial reports at their June 12 meeting: A claims report, and a fund balance statement.

The claims report lists expenditures for the past month for the purpose of obtaining commission approval. The expenditures fall into two broad categories: parks and recreation facilities under the jurisdiction of WCPARC, and expenditures in the natural areas preservation program.

For parks and recreation facilities, expenses totaled $951,040.83, the bulk of which was for capital improvements at the Meri Lou Muray Recreation Center and Independence Lake Park. The NAPP expenditures totaled $143,198.92, for an overall total of $1,094,239.75. [.pdf of claims report]

Outcome: The commission unanimously approved the claims report.

Bob Tetens, parks and recreation director, reviewed the fund balance statement. He reported that revenues and expenditures, at this point 42% of the way through the fiscal year, are normal. The fiscal (calendar) year budget called for revenue of $9.469 million, and year-to-date revenue received is $6,368,909. The bulk of that revenue is from property taxes.

The budgeted expense total is $15,513,721, and year-to-date only $4,675,076 has been spent. WCPARC carries a $6.7 million operating reserve, and had a beginning fund balance on Jan. 1, 2012 of $20,421,471.

Tetens noted that revenue from fees and services – budgeted to bring in $3.01 million – is already $92,985 ahead of last year. Also, personnel and operating expenses are starting to pick up with the seasonal opening of Rolling Hills and Independence Lake parks.

There was no discussion, and commissioners had questions only about small items.

Outcome: The commission unanimously voted to approve and file the fund balance statement.

Updates on Park Projects

Bob Tetens, parks and recreation director, briefed commissioners on a wide range of projects. [.pdf of written project update] Highlights are included in this report.

A major spray-and-play project at Independence Lake Park is progressing well, Tetens reported, and the project remains on schedule. Cleanup and fencing of the recently acquired 10 additional acres is in progress.

Rolling Hills had a grand opening dedication of its new northern parkland on Sunday, May 20. Construction documents for the water park expansion are with staff for review. On May 19, the Humane Society of Huron Valley held its 33rd annual “Walk & Wag” fundraiser at Rolling Hills. Tetens said it “turned into a real festival,” with 1,152 participants raising $196,000.

Tetens and several commission members commented on what good public relations it is for WCPARC. Participants do not have to pay admittance fees, and dogs have to be on leashes, the usual rule. Participants say “if it hadn’t been for this event, I wouldn’t know this park is here,” Tetens said, adding that the Humane Society brings hundreds of volunteers. Memorial Day was the second busiest day ever at Rolling Hills, he said, praising the fine weather all spring.

At County Farm Park and the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, a new gateway arch over the pathway entry from Washtenaw Avenue is under construction. New information kiosks are being installed at the entrances from Platt, Medford, and Washtenaw.

A review of proposals for the Ann Arbor Skatepark is complete and Wally Hollyday Skateparks has been selected for design and construction oversight. [WCPARC has pledged $400,000 in matching funds for the $1 million project, to be located at the city of Ann Arbor's Veterans Memorial Park.]

At Sharon Mills Park in Sharon Township, a pedestrian bridge adjacent to the mill pond dam will be repaired or replaced. Parker Mill Park in Ann Arbor Township will receive a new informational kiosk near the parking lot.

Updates on Park Projects: Special Initiatives

Construction continues on River Terrace Trail southeast of Dexter – part of the county’s Border-to-Border (B2B) trail. The next segment will go into Dexter. Staff continue to assist the city of Ypsilanti in extending the B2B from Riverside Park into the Water Street redevelopment area along Michigan Avenue.

Also related to the Water Street site, a design team for a WCPARC recreation center there held its first meeting to review a possible schematic design. The team consists of faculty and students from the University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. [For more details on this project, see Chronicle coverage: "More Planning for Rec Center in Ypsilanti."] The design team recently took a field trip to examine a new rec center outside Grand Rapids. They are carefully considering the entire Water Street site, according to Tetens.

Commissioner Rolland Sizemore Jr. expressed a very positive impression of both the faculty and the students, saying they are “very down to earth, very interested in what is going on in town. We don’t want anything that looks like that library on Whittaker Road.” [His reference was to the relatively new building for the Ypsilanti District Library.]

Tetens said members of the team would also visit the Ann Arbor YMCA, the Washtenaw Community College Health and Fitness Center, and other locations.

Commission member Janice Anschuetz suggested they also visit the rec centers in Canton and Romulus, since many of her neighbors in Ypsilanti use those.

Outcome: The report on park projects and special initiatives was received and filed.

Recreation Report

A report of the county’s recreation facilities showed that participation is up 23% since 2010 at Rolling Hills County Park, with revenues up 27%. Bob Tetens, the county’s parks and recreation director, reported that cars are lined up to get in, and the addition of a third entrance station is being considered. So far this year, 35% of daily visitors are from outside of Washtenaw County.

At Independence Lake, attendance has also increased over previous years, though revenues are down.

The following chart summarizes changes in the number of participants and revenues at the recreation sites through May of 2012, compared to the previous two years.

Chart showing participation and revenues for Washtenaw County parks, year-to-date through May 2012 compared to the previous two years. (Compiled by Margaret Leary using data from WCPARC)

Outcome: The participation and revenue report was received and filed. No vote was required.

Awards and Special Activities

WCPARC received its third national award in 10 years, from the National Association of County Parks and Recreation Officials, for the Rolling Hills accessibility project. The award is from NACPRO’s “removing barriers initiative,” which  is “to recognize a unique program or facility that enables and encourages greater participation in parks and recreation by persons with disabilities.”

A 2011 NACPRO award went to Nelson Meade for Outstanding Public Official in honor of his 37 years of dedication to WCPARC.  The other recent awards include:

• NACPRO, 2006: Outstanding Accomplishment in the Field of Parks and Recreation. This was for the county’s natural areas preservation program (NAPP).
• Michigan Farm Preservation Network, 2011: Barn of the Year, for the rehabilitation of the barns at Staebler Farm.
• Michigan Recreation and Park Association, 2012: Marketing Award, Single Brochure for WCPARC’s NAPP brochure.

County parks and recreation director Bob Tetens reported on the city of Ann Arbor’s new Argo Cascades, along which a segment of the Border-to-Border trail runs. The series of one- to two-foot drop pools are “wildly popular with kayakers,” he said, as is the trail, where he observed many people riding bikes, walking, and pushing strollers. According to Colin Smith, the city’s parks and recreation manager, the Argo Pond livery just ordered 60 more kayaks that they will lease, with a return on that investment expected by the end of the season. Kayaks outnumber canoes now on the river, Tetens said.

Next meeting: Tuesday, July 24, 2012 – a variation from the schedule so the commission can receive bids for the water park project, to keep that project on track to open on Memorial Day in 2014. Meetings are held at the county parks and recreation commission administrative offices, 2230 Platt Road in Ann Arbor. There will be no meeting in August.

Present: WCPARC commissioners Janice Anschuetz, Robert W. Marans, Jimmie Maggard, Nelson Meade, Patricia Scribner, Rolland Sizemore, and Dan Smith. WCPARC staff members Bob Tetens, Meghan Bonfiglio, and Coy Vaughn; guests Rebecca Bloomfield and Sharon Sheldon.

Absent: Janis Bobrin, Barbara Levin Bergman, Fred Veigel.

The barns and out buildings at Staebler Farm, on Plymouth Road in Superior Township. Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation bought the farm in 2001, and will be developing a master plan for the property in the coming years. (Photos by The Chronicle.)

“I’m open to suggestions,” Staebler told The Chronicle, “and willing to give up plenty of what I know.”

During their presentation about a five-year master plan for the parks system, county staff outlined plans for the Staebler Farm – a proposed $2.3 million investment – as well as for several other county parks, recreational facilities and preserves. It was one of three public meetings to get input on the master plan; the next meeting will be on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Dexter Library, starting at 7 p.m.

A draft of the master plan – which is also available online – includes items in an extensive capital improvement program that was approved last year by the county’s Parks & Recreation Commission. Several of the largest projects are planned for Rolling Hills Park, including the addition of a dog park, an expansion of the water park and construction of softball fields and an amphitheater. The county also plans to invest nearly $12 million in greenway and non-motorized trails over the next five years.

Shaping the Master Plan

The Washtenew County Parks & Recreation department manages 3,654 acres of land, including more than 1,800 acres protected through the Natural Areas Preservation Program. The parks system has 35 permanent employees who work as park planners, administrators, supervisors and field workers, among other positions. The department also hires as many as 400 seasonal workers throughout the year to provide services such as life guarding and facilities staffing.

The parks system receives most of its funding from two county millages, each levied at 0.2367 mill. One millage, which runs through 2020, pays for capital improvements and park development; the other goes to park operations, and expires in 2016. Other funding sources include fees, federal and state grants, concessions and private donations.

In addition, a third millage – at 0.25 mills – funds natural areas preservation, bringing in about $3 million annually, according to Bob Tetens, the county’s parks director. That millage expires in 2011, and would need to be put on the ballot for renewal this year. [See Chronicle coverage: "County Natural Areas Tax Up for Renewal"]

The department, with a budget of about $8.5 million, does not receive support from the county’s general fund. It has a fund balance of $21.5 million for parks and recreation, and another $6 million fund balance for the natural areas program.

Those fund balances will be used for some of the projects in the pipeline, as laid out by the master plan. The parks system updates its master plan every five years – for the current plan, the county hired the private consulting firm URS Corp., which in turn enlisted the planning firm JJR. The process of drafting the plan included examining state and national recreational trends, reviewing the county’s demographics and meeting with county recreation staff and officials.

In addition to the public meetings on Jan. 26 and Feb. 3, the master plan will be open for public comment at the March 9 meeting of the Parks & Recreation Commission. That meeting runs from 7-9 p.m. at the parks administration office at County Park Farm, 2230 Platt Road in Ann Arbor. Park planner Richard Kent said the commission will likely adopt the master plan at its regular monthly meeting in April, at the earliest. Then the plan will be sent for approval at the state level – a requirement necessary in order to be eligible for state recreation funding.

Parks Projects through 2014

Within its broad goals – such as preserving the county’s natural resources and promoting an active lifestyle for community residents – the parks system has a range of specific projects outlined in the master plan over the next five years. [.pdf file of complete parks capital improvement program budget] Here’s a sampling.

Rolling Hills Park, Ypsilanti Township

Just over $13 million in projects – or about 40% of the park’s five-year capital improvement program – have been identified for this 363-acre park off of Stony Creek Road, between Bemis and Merritt in Ypsilanti Township. Proposed actions over the next few years include continued upgrades to the playground, tree house, pavilions, dock and fishing pier. About $3.2 million is earmarked for work on paved trails and the main road. Another big-ticket item is $3.6 million to expand the water park and build a promenade and new bath house.

In addition, the master plan for Rolling Hills calls for expanding a disc golf course, constructing a mountain bike course, putting in a dog park, and building an amphitheater and softball facilities. The department also has allotted $50,000 to conduct a feasibility study for a new recreation center. Other projects include installing soccer fields, expanding the park’s prairie acreage, installing interpretive signs in natural areas and gardens, and forming a trail connection with the adjacent Hewen’s Creek Park.

County Farm Park and Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, Ann Arbor

The 141-acre County Farm Park is located on Ann Arbor’s east side, at the southwest corner of Washtenaw and Platt – behind the Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center. For the park, proposed projects include ongoing playground improvements, renovation of the Platt Road entrance, renovation of the Platt Road pavilion restrooms, adding restrooms and water service at the Medford Lot entrance, reconstructing the Platt parking lot, replacing signs at the entrances, renovating the trail system and replacing the fitness trail equipment.

The Platt Road entrance to County Farm Park, where the administrative offices for Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation are also located.

Other anticipated projects in the master plan include expanding natural areas in the park, reducing the acreage of mowed lawn, renovating the perennial gardens and pergola, collaborating with stakeholders on creek restoration, increasing programming related to horticultural gardens and creating a system of signs for the park’s planting areas.

Action items for the recreation center include making improvements and updates to the building, investigating solar applications, and improving connections to County Farm Park and the surrounding neighborhoods.

Independence Lake Park, Webster Township

Located northwest of Ann Arbor, Independence Lake Park is slated for $3.3 million in proposed projects over the next few years. That includes a new nature center, a new boardwalk and observation deck, and a new access drive, among other projects.

Other facilities and parks included in the master plan are Parker Mill in Ann Arbor Township; Sharon Mills Park in Sharon Township; Pierce Lake Golf Course and Park in Chelsea; Park Northfield in Northfield Township; Park Lyndon of Lyndon Township; the Osborne Mill Preserve in Scio Township; and Cavanaugh Lake Park in Sylvan Township.

Greenways and Non-Motorized Trails

The county park system is looking at investing nearly $12 million over the next five years in greenways and non-motorized trails – or 34% of the total capital improvement program. That includes ongoing development of the county’s Border-to-Border Trail system, as well as $600,000 each year made available to local municipalities for connecting their parks with the Border-to-Border network.

Staebler Farm

And, of course, there’s Donald Staebler’s farm in Superior Township. The master plan calls for improving the entrance drives, possibly renovating the farm house and coming up with other projects in a master site development plan. Nearly $2.3 million is allocated for this project.

Mary Staebler, Donald Staebler’s sister-in-law and caretaker who also attended the Jan. 26 meeting, seemed to have faith in the county’s ability to take care of the farm.

“They have done such an excellent job on everything they’ve done,” she said. “I’m sure they’ll do equally as well with the Staebler Farm.”

About the author: Helen Nevius, a student at Eastern Michigan University, is an intern with The Ann Arbor Chronicle.