If there was any doubt about how residents feel about the ongoing problems at the Columbia Charter Township Park on Hyde Road, that quandary was put to rest last night.  One Clark Laker after another addressed their concerns to Township board members at Monday, July 21st meeting.  Scroll down for video of what people had to say.

During the week leading up to the meeting, petitions were taken door to door.  The petition specified the threats to safety and quality of life resulting from criminal and abusive behavior in the Park.  Several Clark Lake residents led the petition drive – Kip Hilbert, Archie Sconochia, and Zack Kanaan, all from the North Shore.  It was also a lake-wide effort.  Rising to the challenge were individuals like Ron June, John Deming, Tim Studer, Elise Fish and others.  Three hundred fifty-two petitions were submitted to the board.

Click here for a PDF of the petition. 

The Township board voted unanimously to move forward with a redesign that would limit inside parking to 12 spaces.  The Township has employed a consulting firm, OHM, to put together the plan. To cover the cost of changes to the park, the Township applied for, and received a $119,000 grant from the DNR to be matched with $40,000 from the Township.  To review details in the plan as voted upon, click here.

After the most recent disturbance in the park on June 22nd, the Township acted quickly.  Given that bad behavior occurs mainly after 6 pm, hours were reduced to reflect that.  Parking inside the gates was also restricted.   Previously, visitors could park anywhere in a large graveled section.  Now, defined parking spaces have been established, and signs have been posted.

At each Township board meeting, two public comment opportunities occur – one at the beginning, and another, at the end.  The videos have been divided into two parts.  In Part 1, all are from the opening public comments.  Some of part 2 were from the final public comment. Watch residents Stand Up for Clark Lake.

In Part 2, several comments focused on overflow parking on Hyde Road.  Currently visitors may park from the fire barn north to the person gate in the park.  Residents have pointed to a threat to safety that has resulted, as you will see in the video.  The new design may minimize overflow in that area, but it won’t stop parking in other areas where parking is now permitted.  Look for the comment from OHM’s Jennifer Morris’. The petition called for no parking on Hyde Road from Jefferson to North Lake Roads, and not to create additional parking lots where it currently does not exist.

What is the police department’s stance on the Township Park?  This website interviewed Chief Niles the day after the meeting.  Here are his comments.

“The Police Department works tirelessly to ensure the safety of that park to the best of our ability.  We both proactively and reactively protect and investigate incidents taking place.  We’re there on a constant basis checking security, foot-patrolling, writing citations, and taking people to jail if it rises to the appropriate level to do so. We’re making a law enforcement presence be known, yet still taking care of the remaining portions of the Township.

“Following last night’s action by the board, the modification to the park to me is not so much a matter of beautification, but to streamline and provide a more structured  environment, specifically to the parking lot.  That’s so people can’t come in and randomly choose whatever they want to do, however they want to do it, and disrespect our community.  Going forward with the engineering plan, and potentially paving that parking lot, I believe will provide some additional structure of what people can and cannot do. It’s one small item in the grand scheme of things.

“As far as parking on Hyde Road, I’m working towards getting the traffic control order modified.  As it stands now, in this present configuration under state law, I can cite a vehicle owner if they are parking against the orders of a sign, creating a traffic hazard, blocking a driveway, or blocking a post office mailbox.  If I have no parking signs all the way to Oakwood, it will further educate those visiting our area that there are rules, and they will be enforced, have been enforced, and will continue to be enforced.

“What I’m seeking is no parking on Hyde Road, both sides, all the way from North Lake to Jefferson.  Currently, I’m fighting for the areas in front of the park. I do know one of the plans presented by the engineering firm will generate a single driveway for an entrance and one for an exit.  In doing so, that will affect the parking availability along the road.  By a driveway or any other road, you need to have line of sight and non-obstructing areas along the driveway. With two driveways, that becomes more significant.  If that plan happens, that will help the cause, too. I have asked the engineering firm to let me know so I can provide that information to the state to further my argument that this is definitely a safety concern.

“Some of the people at the meeting last night said children run out on the road, people think the road is a parking lot, or someone can blow up an inflatable on the road – that’s unacceptable…that’s impeding traffic.  If I or one of my officers had seen it, they would have been cited.

“There are a lot of moving parts that go into this. I have reached out to traffic services – I actually texted the State Police sergeant from the meeting to get a more refined timeline, and then we’ll be better educated on what we can do going forward to get the traffic control as needed.

“In addition to that, I would like to see no parking posted on North Street, Lions Lane, Vining, and Oakwood.

“Non Clark Lake or Columbia Township are coming into this community and walking all over us, thinking they can do anything they want to do.  In reality, that’s not proper. Having the no parking signs gives us the ability to have that leverage.

Chief Niles