Green Space on Prospect Street hosts first fundraiser
Superintendent says property sales moratorium is firmly in place
Green Space on Prospect Street held its first fundraiser March 7 at the historic Gray House, which overlooks the property the community group is working to preserve.
Members are in the midst of a large fundraising campaign to secure enough money to purchase the 4.64 acre vacant property at 297 Prospect Street in the village’s historic district that once housed Romeo Middle School.
The property is currently owned by Romeo Community Schools.
At a Nov. 6 meeting, the Romeo Community Schools Board of Education voted unanimously to terminate the request for proposal for the property and put a moratorium on sale of it to developers until June 1, 2024. During that time, Green Space on Prospect Street plans to work with the Village of Romeo Board of Trustees to develop an acquisition plan for the property.
The GSOPS goal is to have $500,000 raised by June 1. As of March 7, $310,000 was needed to meet that goal.
“This is not just a vacant piece of land for people to decide what they are going to build on it; it matters to us,” said Donna Folland, GSPOS spokesperson. “The goal is to preserve the entire property as public green space for all of us, meaning everybody in the community, forever.”
GSOPS has had an anonymous donor who agreed to match donations and pledges dollar for dollar up to $150,000.
The group has partnered with the Four County Community Foundation nonprofit to facilitate the fundraising. If the land acquisition does not happen within one year’s time, donations to the “Green Space on Prospect Street” fund will be redirected to 4CCF’s Romeo Community Fund.
During last week’s fundraiser, several residents spoke passionately about their reasons for supporting the initiative to preserve the Prospect Street property as green space.
“This is important to us,” said resident Elizbeth Miller. “We moved here 17
years ago and actually can’t see the property from our yard, but greenspace really, really matters.
“We could try to find grant money through the state, we could try to go federal, but this is grass roots, this is our community so let’s do something awesome.”
Kristin Brewer said she and her family moved from Texas to Shelby Township about a year and a half ago, but are actively seeking to move to Romeo.
“The neighborhood I came from in Austin had a neighborhood park and that’s the fabric of the community,” said Brewer. “Not everyone can see the park and not everyone who enjoys it is from the neighborhood, but it is a place for people to come together and everyone needs that.”
During a Feb. 24 Village of Romeo Board of Trustees meeting, President Meagan Poznanski said she had been approached by a developer interested in purchasing a portion of the property to build housing.
“I was approached by an interested party who wishes to partner with the village on the purchase of this property,” Poznanski said during that meeting. “They are offering to split the property and the cost with the plan to develop housing on their half of the property leaving the other half for us to develop a park.
“This could be a viable option for us.”
Poznanski said she planned to reach out to Romeo Community Schools Superintendent Todd Robinson to inquire if the June 1 moratorium on sale of
the property was negotiable; what the sales price of the property would be; and when the school board will be ready to entertain bids.
Robinson said earlier this month he has no intention of lifting the June 1 moratorium on the sale of the Prospect Street property that has been in place since last November. He said he had not been contacted by anyone from the Village Board of Trustees regarding sale of the property.
Later in that same meeting
there was a discussion regarding use of part of the Prospect Street property to augment the Romeo Cemetery. The Romeo Cemetery is located two streets over from Prospect Street on Morton Street.
GSOPS is planning a fundraiser April 19, 6 p.m. at Abbey on Main. Tickets are $50 and more information is available at greenspaceromeo.org. Donations can be made by visiting greenspaceromeo.org or by sending a check to 4CCF at P.O. Box 539, Almont MI 48003.