City planners to hold public hearing Thursday for parks master plan

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Mount Pleasant residents looking to add their two cents to the city’s parks and recreation master plan will have their chance Thursday.

A draft of the plan was published on the city’s Web site Feb. 22 for residents to review and offer input. On Thursday, a public hearing will be held at the Planning Commission meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 320 W. Broadway St.

A swimming pool and dog park are just two priorities previously suggested for the master plan for Mount Pleasant parks. Chris Bundy, the city’s director of parks and public spaces, said this five-year plan is prioritized with the public’s needs in mind.

“We’re serious about getting the public’s input,” he said. “We’re looking at how it fits overall in the city’s master plan.”

The draft, created by Central Michigan University recreation, parks and leisure activities associate professor Al Ellard, prioritizes projects over the next five years, including a park shelter at Horizon Park in 2013 and handicap-accessible buildings and pathways sometime in the next five years.

“Trails are very hot right now, and so are universal accesses,” he said. “(People in wheelchairs) don’t want to bump across the lawn to get to the spray park.”

Ellard, who also has prepared a parks master plan for Clare and is currently working on one for Union Township, said the plan will most likely be followed closely.

“That’s the purpose of the plan,” he said. “You’ll probably see a great deal of those occurring.”

Bundy said the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment requires the city to have a draft available to the public for 30 days prior to submission. The DNR also requires cities to submit a parks master plan every five years.

Ellard said while compiling the plan, he saw a bigger push for online submissions, which residents can still submit on the city’s parks and recreation Web site for consideration.

“We’re starting to see more online input,” he said. “That’s a new twist.”

Bundy said the draft is susceptible to changes as officials receive more public input. He said the draft was updated Tuesday after another survey was done last weekend.

“That’s why we want their input,” Bundy said.

A public hearing also will be held at Monday’s City Commission meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall.