The Columbia Township Park on Hyde Road, Clark Lake has been the source of significant problems. Troublemakers, say police, are typically not Township residents. On days when the park is crowded, police keep a close eye on it and don’t hesitate to ticket violators.
Residents in the area have been faced with rude, aggressive and belligerent visitors, and incursions onto their property. The safety of park users has been threatened. On holidays and weekends, overcrowding is not uncommon. Over time, the Township has addressed the situation by establishing new regulations, changing hours, and ensuring a police presence. Recently, the Township board hired OHM consultants to look at the problems with the idea of reconfiguring the layout. Limiting parking spaces is seen as a way of preventing overcrowding. Other possibilities include adding bathrooms, open air showers, and improving the beach. Ideas for each concept can be seen within the legends in the upper left of each. These concepts were presented to board members at the Monday, June 26, meeting.
Columbia Township Park
Golf carts came back for another round of discussion at the monthly board meeting. Currently use of golf carts on public roads in Columbia Township is not legal. Because many use golf carts anyway, the Township is looking at legalizing their use, but requiring safety equipment, and where, how and when they can be operated. Police Chief Jay Niles presented a draft ordinance. Click here to read it.
Board members asked questions and made comments. Some wondered if the list of required equipment would be too burdensome on owners. The topic is likely to reemerge at the July board meeting.
Township Park. Back row folks have limited access to the lake, so the Township Park should be for Township residents only.
Totally agree. The Country park is in close proximity and can be used.
Sorry, this was attempted in Grosse Pointe a few years ago and the Courts ruled that they could not exclude non residents. I really don’t understand why our Leaders are committed to continue to pour money into a money pit. The taxpayers would really be surprised to see how much in cameras, car & office monitors, labor and enforcement patrol hours used. There was even a $100K bath house was even planned for this money pit. Taxpayers should realize that spending more money with these proposals that they want to limit ingress and egress for their past mistakes!
Devils Lake allows golfcarts in Rollin township. Unfortunately, half of the lake is in Woodstock and they haven’t approved them yet.
Community property is for the community. If parking could be improved the locals would not be as impacted. I think it is great to see the children who have access to a beach experience.
Would it be possible for the township to lease the fenced in winter boat storage for additional parking?
This is a public park & always has been. People have always come to Clarklake for its festive atmosphere. This park has always been bustling in the summer & those who purchased homes nearby knew that & their prices reflect it. Clarklake is not a gated community or private country club & families from town should be able to enjoy local public lakes.
It’s one of the things that make our lake special. Many current lakefront property owners started their love affair with Clarklake as visitors with friends and family ❤️
Stacy I appreciate your very thoughtful remarks on the benefit and purpose of our public park. I have traveled throughout the state and found my family always welcome at local parks in those communities. A nice park shows the character of the community and supports the economy. Parks are not only funded with local money but state and federal funds. I live in the village and pay township taxes for the park and appreciate the plan to make the park appropriately accessible for more of us.
Thanks Tom, I also pay taxes on Clarklake & believe my contribution is put to good use when we create attractive & functional spaces that can be enjoyed by everyone.
Nice to meet you neighbor!
I have seen overflow parking at, what used to be the church, parking lot. I’ve seen folks walking down the middle of the road and little ones running out while walking down the street. Please be careful driving on Hyde Road.
Rebuild a park for people who don’t pay taxes SURE THING! Fix our garbage roads that we pay exorbitant properly tax on, GET LOST. Million dollar houses, 25 cent roads.
Charge a fee for the day at the park, that may stop the trouble baskets from coming. I also agree about fixing the roads
I will apologize now, as some property owners will not like what I have to say. We pay taxes to this township, county & state and every “tim buck too” in surrounding communities ??? Ex: I live in Jackson county, township boundaries of Columbia, my tax bill states I am in Napoleon School district? If I wanted to support Napoleon I would have moved to Napoleon!
The biggest scam ever how school districts (including our county & state colleges have managed to disperse our tax dollars to protect there over flatted pensions, how the tax accessor manages to make every homeowner pay the min of 2500, increasing values of 4000 per home (with the exception of waterfront homes increasing there value 30,000, but only requiring min payment 6000. the houses on Clark’s Lake 20 yrs ago sold for 200,000 now these same homes sell for 800,000+. So when you buy & spend money with water front near a public lake access, you think you are entitled to close off areas of the lake to others that just want to enjoy to day at the lake, well you new you where buying property on a public lake, public lakes will get crowded when the heat is on. Spending more tax dollars to have some company layout a proposal for 10 or 20 autos, add fencing, sidewalks, pallvion, with bath & shower is all a waste of tax dollars, or paying to swim & play for the day will not work, they will still kept coming. The problem is parking! Move the fire station to Railroad park, put parking in the back or purchase or lease parking from the railroad park, run a shuttle to township park, a picnic pallvion and toilets and some grilling spots and some benches, don’t need a playground, the water is the play ground! Or do what east end did, finally removed that dam ugly fencing, the boulders work much better, creating more parking and access to lake, less over crowding in roadways, park & area neighborhoods. Allowing motorized carts/ATV will also reduce parking crowding, move speed limits to 10 mph May/Sept and no child drivers (motorized) under age of 14 unless with adult also, noting there is no reason that motorized mopeds, people movers should be banned on Spirit trail with speed restriction.
Basically, fencing off just causes more parking problems. Most people don’t know where to park when there is no parking and will drive around until they do, they are not going to turn around and go back home, they just want to enjoy the day at the lake, then there gone. Remove anything that don’t need to be there, storage buildings & fencing put in roadway parking paved and marked spacing, put in park cam to monitor parking, police can monitor or take photos of license plates (from autos or station) for potential issues and or violations/ post surveillance signs and park rules.
Monitor first year, review the season, look for ways to improve next season.