The Columbia Township Board will take up a proposal to improve the Township Park at the West end of Clark Lake. As reported previously on this website, the park has had its share of problems. Users of the park and those around it have been subject or exposed to fights, noise, overcrowding, substance violations, and other rude, illegal or abusive behavior. The Township has asked OHM Advisors to recommend changes to the physical aspects of the park as well as improve it for users. The cost to operate the park is borne entirely by local property taxpayers. No funding comes from any other entity such as the state or federal governments. The Columbia Township Board will discuss the potential for grant funding at their regular meeting Monday (3/18).
The objectives, as stated by OHM, are these: refresh the pavilion and playground facilities, meet community desires for safety, accommodate proper parking, create connections to the Spirit Trail and the neighborhood, activate space for all seasons, and compliment other investments to Clark Lake.
This aerial concept provides an overall look at the possible layout, including the 12 parking spaces.
Here’s the same view, but with more detail.
Entering the park would continue to be free during hours of operation. Parking would be handled by an unmanned pay station.
The OHM concept shows fencing and the pedestrian gate as in this photo.
The Township currently maintains portable facilities. This photo illustrates permanent alternatives.
The plan looks at replacing the current pavilion.
The plan also specifies tree and other plantings to enhance the park.
I think there will still be parking problems!
Perhaps a clarification of the statement “ The cost to operate the park is borne entirely by local property taxpayers.” should be “ The cost to operate the park is borne entirely by township property taxpayers.”.
Some may construe “local” as only those people living in close proximity to the park.
Columbia Twp. elected officials should basically leave the park untouched other than improving the parking lot, to meet minimum standards, as any local business or individual would be required to do.
Secondly, enforce a maximum number of parking spots, correct the lot drainage, establish curbs & cut outs etc.. Patrol the park properly, get the cars off the road, reduce hours of operation (this was done successfully 2 years ago), lock/unlock the gates on time & write tickets for every infraction.
Our park would be a much better place with these sensible low cost improvements. Basically enforce the rules on the books already.
Then hopefully the EXTRA money could be used for our ROADS, increased seasonal law enforcement, local veteran affairs. These are things most Columbia Twp. tax payers would love to see happen to benefit our citizens.
WHAT! Your future tax dollars at work! I just heard that the Township Board is considering this Monday night another ‘never ending’ money pit contribution to the Township Park on Hyde Road. The backstory on this article is that aside from Trustee Trout, the rest of the Board was responsible over the years authorizing funding improvements to this Park. So much so, it was a known summer destination location for many of the county’s undesirable riff raff putting an overload on our township police and resources. Over the years, the Board was responsible for perhaps $750K in improvements that did not benefit township residents but a lot of grief. They almost approved a $1 million dollar bath house which was later derailed. So now the Board trying to cover it’s past mistakes and poor judgement by now proposing perhaps a multi-million dollar plan to detour the undesirables by not only minimizing the parking area but also installing an expensive parking meter setup. Please consider attending the meeting at 7pm Monday to voice your concern. You can also voice your opinion on the Board’s probable acceptance of allowing marjiuana production and sales within the township even though the resident’s saying ‘NO’ in two previously township provided polls!