Two neighborhood parks to receive $1.2M in upgrades
Following public hearings, resident suggestions to bring new amenities
Royal Oak is getting ready to spend $1.2 million to upgrade two neighborhood parks with new amenities after public hearings and suggestions from residents.
The City Commission this week approved plans for Lawson Park and Franklin Park, which garnered good reviews.
“It’s a terrific plan and a better way to use our park,” said Michael Thompson, president of the Lawson Park Homeowners Association.
Berms near Lawson Park will be spruced up with new plantings of trees and other greenery when construction of new park elements begins next spring.
Lawson Park is on Irving Street between Parent and Dondero.
New elements that will be added there include a $670,000 playground structure, $85,000 for a basketball court VersaCourt surfacing, and $47,000 for baseball field upgrades with fencing and benches.
“Lawson and Franklin parks are getting significant improvements that were a long time coming,” said John Fedele, city superintendent of recreation with the Department of Public Services. “They are older parks and there is new top of the line equipment that will last 10 to 15 years.”
It’s been about 18 years since the two parks have had any major upgrades.
Other features coming to Lawson Park are a new pavilion with picnic tables, grills, benches, swings, an outdoor fitness area and a carousel for children to play on.
“A lot of money will be spent to do site preparation and grading,” Fedele said.
Franklin Park, on Mohawk near streets, will get a roughly $270,000 makeover. Included in that costs for planting trees, a new play structure, a swing and seesaw, benches and improving one tennis court and eliminating the other.
Flooding on the tennis courts has been an issue and caused deterioration.
City Commissioner Melanie Macey in a Facebook post about the parks this week noted that there were some residents who wanted to keep two tennis courts at Franklin, but many others have said only one is needed.
“The commission did listen and take it seriously,” Macey said of those who wanted two courts, “and there was a commitment made to improve the tennis courts around the city going forward.”
Money to fund the park projects is coming from federal community development block grants.
Besides the Franklin and Lawson parks, some improvements are also coming to Bassett Park on Campbell Road just north of 11 Mile Road.
“Usually we try to upgrade one or two parks every year, whether through CDBG grants or other funding sources,” Fedele said.
Of course, the biggest park project in the city remains the 40-acre park being constructed at the former Normandy Oaks municipal golf course.
When it opens next spring it will be larger than any of the other 50 parks in Royal Oak. It has been years in the making and the features at Normandy Oaks are being done in two phases.
Included in the amenities are a splash pad, pavilion with picnic tables, restrooms, playground, an Oak savannah with native species plants and trees, a mile of trails, two soccer fields and a sledding hill.
The park is funded with about $ 3 million the city made selling off 10 acres of the former golf course for residential home development and $1.1 million from the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Department.