Trouble in the Columbia Township Park at the west end of Clark Lake has impelled the Township board to curtail hours. Police and neighbors report fights, use of alcohol and controlled substances, illegal parking, and bringing pets into the park. In a video recorded Monday evening, Police Chief Jay Niles describes the problem, and outlines the solution approved by the Columbia Township board.
As you heard in the video, the Township Park on Hyde Road will close daily at 5 pm.
The Columbia Township board also voted to move forward with the installation of new fencing around the perimeter of the Clark Lake Cemetery. Supervisor Barry Marsh will meet with residents who own property adjacent to the cemetery to hear any concerns. At a previous meeting, he said “ when the existing fence is removed, the perimeter of the cemetery will be cleared of any overgrowth or brush which might also reveal a couple of additional potential burial plots. We will then look to resolve the unsightliness of the dirt pile.”
For some years, the fencing on all but the east side of the cemetery has been deteriorating or non-existent. The new fencing is described as 48″ black ornamental aluminum, and will complement the fence at the entrance. The cost is $47,356.
An earlier article on this website described how the entrance to the cemetery was improved. “About 18 years ago a major improvement was initiated by the Clark Lake Spirit Foundation (then called the Clark Lake Foundation). At the time, the fence and pillars facing Hyde Road were not there. Those accessing the boat launch across the street would park their cars and trailers well into the cemetery and atop some of the graves. Recognizing the desecration, the Foundation’s president, Mike McKay, contacted then Township Supervisor Dan Burich. They discussed the possibilities. Mike had the cemetery surveyed, and found the boundaries were rightfully 20 feet to the east, where cars and trailers would park. What took place next was a collaborative effort involving Dan Burich and the Foundation directors–Mike McKay, Brian Adamzcyk, Michele Ambs, Peggy Collins, John Kudner, Linda Reynolds, Joe Thorrez, Mick Thorrez, and Nate Vermeulen. A plan was conceived to install the fencing and pillars. As with some other Clark Lake projects, both the energy and financing for the project came from residents through the Foundation.
Closing the park at 5 pm is a lazy, fatuous, cheap solution.
Limiting the usage to only part of the day ( it is light for another few hours in the summer) limits the effectiveness of tax dollars that citizens pay. I would have sought input from the community before making decisions. (If that did happen, I am not aware of it. )
Bringing a pet to the park is a different issue than use of illegal substances. And parking is a different issue than the others.
Fighting is a police issue, but the others are not nessarily.. Aquicker police response through better monitoring of the cameras could quell some of the fights.
An attendent for the park at the presumed peak times could help. Also, a users fee could help offset that cost.
I just think the issue is larger than the announced solution.
Agreed, this has been going on for at least 50 years, with out house desecrations etc, charge admission !
You can imagine the disappointment of my 6 year old and 11 year old as we headed to the park for a swim. They’d been waiting several days to go. We showed up at 5:15 and couldn’t believe the gate was locked. With a police car sitting in the side lot looking at the park. Closed at 5PM?! IN THE SUMMER TIME?! It’s light out until after 9PM!
Nice to see that our township board members are on top of the problems. It’s sad that the park hours need to be reduced – but the people causing the problems have no one but themselves to blame. I have often wondered if it’s township residents misusing the park….or people from ‘outside’ ?
You have made it so working families cannot enjoy a public lake, funded by taxpayers, after a long work day?
That is a most ridiculous solution. Zero sense.
Patrol it more. You’ve removed a free activity for struggling families that pay taxes for the park to be maintained
I think it is a great idea, the people using the park brought this on themselves. The park and foot traffic at the east end is a nightmare, the beach bar dock renters are using half the southbound lane for parking, it should be parallel parking only and Tom should allow use of his parking lot for them
Is there any way to make it Clarklake Residents Only?
It is a public park, how do the hard working families enjoy a swim if they do not get out of work until 5pm. Putting a close time on the park is not my issue but for working families it needs to be later, it does not even get dark until between 9-10pm
5pm closure is just unfair.
If we know when the problems are occurring then why isn’t there police presence at regular intervals for the few hours of the day when needed? There are families, taxpayers in the community, who are losing the privilege of using the park after a long day of work in the summer. Keep the area patrolled, make it for residents only/check IDs with a foot patrol, park a prisoner transport van on-site at 5pm to round up troublemakers, adjust the schedules of police officers to ensure enough officers on duty to patrol the park after 5 or let police officers earn a few extra bucks to do foot patrol at the park in the summer… We’re an intelligent community, surely we can come up with a solution that better serves the taxpaying residents and deters the troublemakers than closing the park. And, as a side note, my guess is no matter what we do, limiting the use of the Township park in any way is likely to send troublemakers to the county park in Clark Lake. Like it or not, the Township Police is entrusted to police at the County park as well — when you call the County Sheriff to deal with issues at the County park, they say call Columbia Township. Whatever the solution, we should perhaps consider the County Park in that solution as well.
I live and pay taxes in clarklake I have the right to be in the park !!If people coming in don’t live in the area I feel they are abusing the family atmosphere. My family should not loose rights to the beach because others and not following rules. We’re are patrols to keep it monitored?as for the fence around the cemetery.I have a gate and would like to keep a gate . my children have family buried there and walk through my yard to the sites .Its been that way for over 40 years .
It is a sad state of affairs to ride by the park after 5 and see it shut down. Can the Chief tell us how many people have been prosecuted for fighting? What has been that result? How many prosecutions for desecration, littering, dogs in park, etc. ?
How many people have been held accountable for those actions?
For possible solutions, why not charge a parking fee after 5? Why not hire someone at $15.00 per hour to collect and monitor. If things start to get out of hand, the monitor can call the police. The no parking on Hyde Road should help limit the number of visitors. When the parking lot is full, no one else can come in.
The closing of the park is so small minded that it makes the Township look like they can not deal with everyday problems that arise.