Imagine Fun! Kzoo Parks 2019 Master Plan by kalamazoocity

A D O P T E D Â· F E B R UA R Y 1 8 , 2 0 1 9

Acknowledgments CIT Y COMMISSION Bobby J. Hopewell – Mayor Erin Knott – Vice Mayor David Anderson Don Cooney Eric Cunningham Shannon Sykes Jack Urban PLA NNING COMMISSION

Rachel Hughes-Nilsson – Chair James Coss – Vice Chair Jack Baartman Alfonso Espinosa Gregory Millliken James Pitts Sakhi Vyas Derek Wissner Emily Wright PA RKS & RE CRE AT ION A DV ISORY BOA RD Aliyah Adams Chris Bol John Johnson Erin Knott Alison Nuismer Chris Patchell Meka Philips Pam Roland Kayleen Shafer Paul Teini

Bronson Park ii

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

PA RKS DE PA RTM EN T STA F F

Sean Fletcher – Director Patrick McVerry PLA NNING D EPA RTM EN T STA F F Rebekah Kik – Director Christina Anderson – City Planner Robert Baukham – Senior Development Planner Kathleen Reilly – Neighborhood Activator

CONSULTA N TS MCKE NNA John Jackson, AICP — President Chris Khorey, AICP — Project Manager Jennifer Neal — Assistant Project Manager Laura Haw, AICP – Community Engagement Alex Novak — Mapping Carrie Leitner — Art Director OCBA Sandra Bliesener – President Rachel Hughes-Nilsson – Park Design

Table of Contents 1

Citywide Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Philosophy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 City of Kalamazoo Planning Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 2017 Strategic Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 2025 Master Plan (IK2025) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Citywide Parks Inventory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 10-year Citywide Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Parks ClassiďŹ cation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Citywide Demographic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Overall Citywide Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Citywide Underserved Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Key Findings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

2 North Side Planning Region Action Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 North Side Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

3 Northeast Planning Region Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Northeast Demographic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Northeast Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

4 Central Planning Region Action Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Central Demographic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Central Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

5 Edison Planning Region Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Edison Demographic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Edison Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84

6 Milwood Planning Region Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Milwood Demographic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Milwood Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100

7 South Planning Region Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 South Demographic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 South Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

8 Southwest Planning Region Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Southwest Demographic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Southwest Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

List of Maps Citywide Parks Inventory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Citywide Parks Service Radii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Citywide 10-Minute Walk to Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Citywide Non-Motorized Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 North Side Park Planning Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 North Side Region - Park Service Radii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 North Side Region - 10-Minute Walk to Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 North Side Region - Non-Motorized Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Northeast Park Planning Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Northeast Region - Park Service Radii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Northeast Region - 10-Minute Walk to Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Northeast Region - Non-Motorized Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Central Park Planning Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Central Region - Park Service Radii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Central Region - 10-Minute Walk to Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Central Region - Non-Motorized Connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Edison Park Planning Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Edison Region - Park Service Radii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Edison Region - 10-Minute Walk to Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Edison Region - Nonmotorized Connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Milwood Park Planning Region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Milwood Region - Park Service Radii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Milwood Region - 10-Minute Walk to Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Milwood Region - Non-Motorized Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 South Park Planning Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .110 South Region - Park Service Radii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 South Region - 10-Minute Walk to Parks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 South Region - Non-Motorized Connectivity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Southwest Park Planning Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Southwest Region - Park Service Radii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Southwest Region - 10-Minute Walk to Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127 Southwest Region - Non-Motorized Connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

9 West Planning Region Action Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 West Demographic Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 West Park Service Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142

10 IK2025 Five Minute Green Space Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

West Park Planning Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 West Region - Park Service Radii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .143 West Region - 10-Minute Walk to Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .145 West Region - Non-Motorized Connectivity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

Five Minute Walk Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160

11 Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Publicly Accessible Green Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Vacant Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

iii

Citywide Action Plan

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Mission Statement and Vision Mission – Enhance the quality of urban life by providing safe, well-maintained parks and offering quality, affordable programs and events for the community. Vision – Beautiful parks, quality recreation, and memorable events.

Introduction

Philosophy

Welcome to the City of Kalamazoo’s 2019-2023 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This plan reﬂects a vision for the City of Kalamazoo’s parks and recreation facilities: their operations, maintenance, and enhancements for the next several years. It serves as a roadmap for future recreation facilities and programs by considering existing parks and programs in and around the City and the anticipated demand for additional or improved recreation facilities.

The City of Kalamazoo’s parks and recreation system strives to provide facilities that are diverse, of highest quality, and accessible to all potential users. The City is committed to preserving those amenities valued by the community and providing new and exciting facilities to improve the quality of life in the city. The City strives to maintain and improve residents’ access to parks within their immediate neighborhoods by providing routes utilizing multiple modes of transportation.

The Plan also forms the basis for potential recreation grant funding from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and other agencies and foundations. The City of Kalamazoo’s Plan was prepared in accordance with MDNR’s Guidelines for the Development of Community Park, Recreation, Open Space, and Greenway Plans. Most importantly, this Plan will act as City of Kalamazoo’s plan for creating community as it relates to parks and recreation over the next ﬁve years.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

City of Kalamazoo Planning Efforts Imagine Kalamazoo (IK) is the planning process undertaken by the City of Kalamazoo to explore opportunities, break down barriers, and chart new directions for the City. IK is the culmination of an extensive public engagement and community feedback initiative that will serve as the foundation for all plans and documents. The 2017 Strategic Vision was the ﬁrst plan to be approved by the City Commission, followed closely by the Master Plan (IK2025). The direction provided in these two documents guided the creation of neighborhood plans and this document, Imagine Fun!. This section explains the integration of the Strategic Vision and Master Plan into Imagine Fun!.

2017 Strategic Vision The Strategic Vision, approved by the Kalamazoo City Commission on July 17, 2017, provides an overview of the community’s priorities. 10 Strategic Goals make up the Strategic Vision and guided the creation of the Master Plan, all neighborhood plans, and Imagine Fun!.

Strategic Goals Shared Prosperity Connected City

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Inviting Public Places

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Environmental Responsibility

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Safe Community

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Youth Development

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Complete Neighborhoods

7IWMHIRXMEP EVIEW XLEX WYTTSVX XLI JYPP VERKI SJ TISTPIƶW HEMP] RIIHW

Strength Through Diversity

&R MRGPYWMZI GMX] [LIVI IZIV]SRI JIIPW EX LSQI

Economic Vitality

,VS[MRK FYWMRIWWIW ERH WXEFMPM^MRK XLI PSGEP IGSRSQ] XS XLI FIRIǻX SJ EPP

Good Governance

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MQTPIQIRX XLI GSQQYRMX]ƶW XVEXIKMG :MWMSR MR E WYWXEMREFPI [E]

Brief Discussion of Key Strategic Vision Goals The following table assesses the alignment of the goals presented in Imagine Fun! with the goals established in the Strategic Vision. The goals for Imagine Fun! are listed along the left and the goals for the Strategic Vision are listed along the top of the table. The dots mark where the Imagine Fun! goals align with the Strategic Vision. The Strategic Vision Goals, “Inviting Public Places” and “Environmental Responsibility,” are the two most aligned with the goals of Imagine Fun!. However, all of the Strategic Vision goals are represented in Imagine Fun!.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

STRATEGIC VISION GOALS

Imagine Fun! Goals and Objectives Upgrade Amenities

Goal 1: Diverse and exciting opportunities

Invest in Modern, Sustainable Equipment Provide a Variety of Activities Provide Newly Popular Amenities Provide Community Gardens and Food Forests Engage the Community Ensure Amenities add Value Provide Park Amenities within a 10-Minute Walk Provide Green Space within a 10-Minute Walk Build Parks in Underserved Areas

Goal 2: Access for all residents

Upgrade Amenities in Underserved Areas

• • • • • • • • • • •

Provide Adequate Automobile Parking Provide Adequate Bicycle Parking Expand Bicycle Parking Along Trails Construct Sidewalks to All Parks Maintain Infrastructure Build Spray Pads in Convenient Locations Engage the Community During Upgrade Planning Interface with Neighborhood Groups

Goal 3: Design parks for all users

SHARED PROSPERITY

Understand the Needs of Neighborhoods Understand the History of Neighborhoods Understand the Users of Parks Understand the Potential for Negative Inﬂuences

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CONNECTED CITY

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Promote Safety and Fun

•

Utilize Recycled Materials Reduce the Need for Lawn Mowing Understand the Natural Environment Provide Exciting Amenities

Goal 5: Make parks a point of pride

Make Parks Centers of Community Life Consult Previoius Planning Efforts Invest in Public Art and Placemaking Highlight the Importance of Parks Promote Parks to the Region Encourage Resident Pride

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOODS

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Use Native Species

Maintain a High Level of Quality

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

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Preserve Wetlands and Floodplains Establish Community Gardens and Food Forests

SAFE COMMUNITY

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Reduce Impervious Surface

Goal 4: Use best practices

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Maintain Signage

STRENGTH THROUGH DIVERSITY

INVITING PUBLIC PLACES

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ECONOMIC VITALITY

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CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

IK2025 - PARK ACTION ITEMS CONNECTED CITY

» Adopt Complete Street Policy to align street design, reconstruction, and maintenance with IK 2025 Street Types; enhancing pedestrian experiences in Downtown and Commercial and Neighborhood Nodes. » Bicycle infrastructure projects should be evaluated for type and provide continuous routes of travel throughout the community; Prioritize connections between neighborhoods, employment areas, schools, business districts, and transit stops. » Create a streetscape policy based on street type and location (Node, Downtown, etc.). » Incorporate bicycle education and culture into City road project materials, media, events, and website.

COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOODS

» Use public land for placement of gardens in under-utilized spaces. » Increase the quantity of gardens throughout the City through vacant land use. » Plant fruit trees in parks and other public spaces. » Use tools like GIS to develop data and map demographics, housing, healthcare, health outcomes, transportation, food, parks, and employment for all neighborhoods.

INVITING PUBLIC SPACES

» Use the goal of a 1/4 mile as the maximum distance residents should be from a park to shape land acquisition and park improvement strategies. » Review park facilities or types to detail appropriate amenities within each space and determine the appropriate service area for each to best serve residents. » Incorporate landscape standards that promote native species and those compatible with native species for both landscape and growing spaces. » Develop way-ﬁnding plan that includes pedestrian and vehicular-oriented directional signage to designate and brand the City’s unique areas. » Evaluate the cultural resources throughout the City to assess unmet demand for arts, cultural and entertainment venues; as well as marketing of venues for activities.

2025 Master Plan (IK2025)

» Expand the events and activities in Downtown to serve a broader population and to occur year-round.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

» Revise landscape standards to increase buffers and preserve woodlands/slopes where neighborhood edge areas abut established residential areas. » Pursue the acquisition or protection of sensitive environmental areas through a range of techniques, such as conservation easements, deed restrictions, transfer of development rights, land conservancy donations, or transfer to foundations or public bodies. » Expand on inventory of natural features and open space to frame green ways and classify priority areas to unify neighborhood green way plans across the city for connectivity. » Increase the tree canopy throughout the City along streets in Downtown and Neighborhoods; Evaluate the City by neighborhood to determine species for inﬁll strategy. » Evaluate ﬂeet purchases or leases that include hybrid or electric vehicles. » Complete the gaps/missing connectivity between neighborhoods throughout the city for pedestrian, bicycle, and recreational NonMotorized Plan implementation.

The City of Kalamazoo City Commission adopted its Master Plan, Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 (IK2025) on October 16, 2017. IK2025 is the guiding document for all planning and development in the city. It is also a visioning document informed by many residents and stakeholders and created to enhance the quality of life for all who live, work, and visit Kalamazoo.

» Expand the urban trail system to connect neighborhoods, Downtown, and surrounding municipalities.

SAFE COMMUNITY

» Expand the Farmers’ Market to reach more people; providing parking, more vendors, indoor facilities, bicycle amenities, and activity space. » Support redevelopment of the Youth Development Center at Upjohn Park to provide expanded youth programming. » Invest in building and maintaining community trust through youth development programming, integrating stations into neighborhoods, and building staff capacity. » Invest in crime prevention and reduction through community engagement, officer training, and internal process review.

SHARED PROSPERITY

» Provide data that helps frame youth support services, including homelessness, drivers’ education, Promise support, after-school and summer programs, mentoring, and community centers with cradle-to-careers services. » Create career exploration options for teens. » Establish a regular communication channel between the city, Kalamazoo Public School District and private schools to coordinate initiatives and leverage resources (such as use outside of school hours for public events and recreational opportunities). » Incorporate goals from the 2025 Master Plan into the Shared Prosperity Plan.

Like IK20125, Imagine Fun! utilizes resident and stakeholder feedback to develop a Parks and Recreation Plan that will guide parks planning for the next ﬁve to ten years. Imagine Fun! especially utilized the concept of neighborhood planning which was a key goal of IK2025. Neighborhood plans building off IK2025 were being developed at the same time as Imagine Fun! and the input for those plans was used where available. Through Imagine Kalamazoo (IK2025) the Kalamazoo residents created a shared vision for their community. The Strategic Vision and Master Plan outline this vision. Imagine Fun! is the ﬁve-year plan.

YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

» Create many activities and places to engage our youth throughout the City. » Utilize neighborhood centers and schools for youth programming throughout the year; Youth services after school and late hours in the summer. » Expand summer offerings for teens; Maker Faire, talent shows, gatherings that bring different high schools together (public and private). » Create multi-generational programming to mentor and build relationships in the community. » Support and expand the “All Things Possible Program”. » Consider City facilities (new or rehabilitated) to incorporate youth programming; playgrounds, computer centers, tutoring, and places to study.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

“Complete Neighborhoods focuses on raising up all Kalamazoo neighborhoods. It recognizes the critical link between land use and transportation and sets the stage for neighborhood planning efforts.” One speciﬁc goal brought forward in the 2017 Strategic Vision and discussed more thoroughly in IK2015, is the goal to create Complete Neighborhoods.

IK2025, page 99

The Master Plan deﬁnes Complete Neighborhoods as the following:

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

“Including having transportation choices, access to parks, multiple housing options, and more.” IK2025, page 98

“Residential areas that support the full range of people’s daily needs.” IK2025, page 10

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

“At the heart of Complete Neighborhoods are choices and equal access. A complete neighborhood has safe walkable streets and housing options to meet residents’ needs throughout one’s life. Additionally, access to parks and recreation, the ability to meet daily needs, and access to fresh food. The unique way that each neighborhood achieves completeness will vary based on resident input.” IK2025, page 98

“Complete Neighborhoods are also specific to the neighborhood and determined based on the discussions during neighborhood planning efforts.”

Imagine Fun! supports the Complete Neighborhoods idea by providing respite and recreation to all residents. Additionally, when the Parks & Recreation Department seeks to improve an existing park, or acquire land for the park system, the department will utilize its’ Park Improvement Process (page 148). The process will include reviewing all relevant plans (IK 2025, Neighborhood Plans, etc.) prior to the kick-off meeting with residents. During this internal plan review process, all comments related to a particular improvement to be made will be presented and combined with resident comments received during the Park Improvement process to develop the best plan for the space. The Parks & Recreation Master Plan and 10-year Strategic Vision, Imagine Kalamazoo 2025, Neighborhood Plans, and any other relevant plans will be available at the kick-off meeting for those in attendance to review.

IK2025, page 13

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Citywide Parks Inventory The methods of conducting the inventory included site visits to parks and evaluation of available amenities, discussions with City staff and residents regarding state of parks, the 10 year action plan, and comparison to state and national standards. This combination of efforts allowed for a complete inventory of City-owned parks and their amenities. This plan encompasses 52 parks and facilities, covering 684.10 acres, or 1.07 square miles of land. The total parkland makes up 4% of the 25.11 square miles in the City. To allow for further analysis of park service area and community needs, the City was grouped into eight Park Planning Regions based on neighborhood makeup, geographic location, and physical size. The Park Planning Regions and their associated neighborhoods are as follows: Table 1: Citywide Parks Inventory, Kalamazoo, MI PARK PLANNING REGION

NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKS

PARK PLANNING REGION

NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKS

NORTH SIDE

Northside

Farrell Park Florence Spray Park Harrison Park Krom & Prouty Park La Crone Park Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park Princeton Park Verburg Park Versluis / Dickinson Sports Complex

EDISON

Edison

Upjohn Park Reed Street Park South Gateway Hays Park Southside Park Mayors’ Riverfront Park

NORTHEAST

CENTRAL

MILWOOD

Milwood

Emerald Drive Park Milham Park Nelbert Park

SOUTH

Southside

—

Westnedge Hill

Crane Park

South Westnedge

Blanche Hull Park

Douglas

Fairmont Dog Park West Douglas Park

Eastside

Rockwell Park Sherwood Park

Burke Acres

Spring Valley Park

Stuart

West Main Park

Central Business District

Bronson Park East Gateway Rose Park Veterans Memorial

Oakland / Winchell

Vine

Davis Street Park Dutton Street Park Grant Park South Westnedge Park Axtell Creek Park

Canyon Park Glen Park North Glen Park South Hillside Park Lake / Kensington Park Woods Lake Park

Oakwood

Springmont Park

Colony Farm

—

Parkview Hills

—

Hill N’ Brook

Angling Park

SOUTHWEST

PARK PLANNING REGION

WEST

NEIGHBORHOOD

PARKS

Westwood

Frays Park

Arcadia

—

Knollwood

Knollwood Park

WMU / KRPH

—

West Main Hill

Academy Green College Park Henderson Green Henderson Park Henderson Tot Lot Jones Park Lovell Park West Gateway

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

NORTH SIDE

10-year Citywide Action Plan PARK NAME

2014-2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Fairmount Dog Park Farrell Park Florence Spray Park

To Be Determined

$585,000

Private Donations (FFE)

To Be Determined

Parks Department Funds/Grants

To Be Determined

Private Donations (Friends of Recreation)

No Planned Improvements

N/A

$500,000

Parks Department Funds/Grants

To Be Determined

Parks Department Funds/Grants

COST

FUNDING SOURCE

Expended in 2018

$8,000 (for plan) + implementation costs

Parks Department Funds/Grants

To Be Determined

2024-2029

COST

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

$850,000

Parks Department Funds/Grants Private CIP

$340,000

Previously Expended

Maintain as Green Space Building and Surface Maintenance Community Vision

Master Plan

Implement Vision

Implement Master Plan Master Plan for New Facilities New Facilities

New Facilities

2020

2022

NORTHEAST

2014-2018

2019

Rockwell Park

Playground, Basketball, Pathway

Restroom Building

CENTRAL

Maintain as Green Space

PARK NAME

Sherwood Park

2021

2023

2024-2029

Master Plan

Spring Valley Park 2014-2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Axtell Creek Furnishings, Lighting, Signage, Honor Walk

Bronson Park Davis Street Park

Skate Plaza, Shelter, Gaga Pit, Playground, Furnishings

Dutton Street Park

To Be Determined

East Gateway Park

To Be Determined

Previously Expended

Previously Expended; Post 2024: Private Donations (Kalamazoo Sunrise Rotary Endowment)

$3,000

Parks Department Operating Funds

Grant Park

Maintain as Green Space

Rose Park Veterans Memorial

Irrigation

South Westnedge Park

EDISON

To Be Determined

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park Princeton Park

Furnishings

PARK NAME

2014-2018

Hays Park

Playground, Pathway, Furnishings

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Mayor's Riverfront Park Reed Street Park

Master Plan

South Gateway Park Upjohn Park

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

2024-2029

COST

FUNDING SOURCE

Playground

To Be Determined

$300,000 - $400,000

Parks Department Funds / Grants, FFE

Implement Master Plan

$8,000 (for plan) + implementation costs

Parks Department Funds/Grants

To Be Determined

Relocate Pool, Sports Field, Dog Park

$8,000,000 (approximate)

To Be Determined

Playground, Shelter, Pathway, Furnishings

Southside Park

FUNDING SOURCE

Maintain as Green Space

La Crone Park

Verburg Park Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex West Douglas Park

COST

Splash Pad

Krom & Prouty Harrison Park

2024-2029

Community Garden, Public Orchard

Master Plan

MILLWOOD

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN PARK NAME

2014-2018

2019

2020

Emerald Drive Park

2021

2022

Master Plan

Implement Master Plan

2023

2024-2029

$2,000,000

$1,000,000 Parks Department Funds $675,000 Private $300,000 DNR

No Planned Improvements

COST

FUNDING SOURCE

$585,000

Parks Department Funds / Grants City CIP / FFE

$ 1,975,000.00

$250,000 Parks Department Funds $1,400,000 Private $300,000 DNR

COST

FUNDING SOURCE

No Planned Improvements

$40,000

CDBG

Previously Expended

COST

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

No Planned Improvements

Previously Expended

$ 10,000 for Plan, $250,000 for Improvements

Parks Department Funds/Grants

Lovell Park

No Planned Improvements

West Gateway Park

No Planned Improvements

West Main Park

No Planned Improvements

COST

FUNDING SOURCE

Milham Park

Master Plan

Implement Master Plan

SOUTH SOUTHWEST

PARK NAME

2014-2018

2019

2020

Crane Park

Pathways, Tennis Courts, Furnishings, Landscaping

Blanche Hull

Master Plan

Implement Master Plan

2019

2020

PARK NAME

2014-2018

Angling Park

Maintain as Green Space

Canyon Park

Maintain as Green Space

Glen Park North

Maintain as Green Space

Glen Park South

Maintain as Green Space

Hillside Park

Maintain as Green Space

2021

2022

2023

2024-2029

Lake/Kensington Park Springmont Park

WEST

FUNDING SOURCE

$258,000

Nelbert Park

Furnishings, Playground

Woods Lake Park

Restroom, Shelter, Parking, Playground, Pathways, Overlook, Fishing Area

PARK NAME

2014-2018

Academy Gree

Maintain as Green Space

College Park

Maintain as Green Space

Frays Park

Pathways, Furnishings, Tennis Courts, Pickleball

Henderson Green

Maintain as Green Space

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024-2029

Henderson Park Henderson Tot Lot

Playground, Basketball, Pickleball, Gaga Pit, Shelter, Furnishings

Jones Park

Maintain as Green Space

Knollwood Park

NONMOTORIZED

COST

PARK NAME

Kalamazoo River Valley Trail

Master Plan

2014-2018

Portage Creek to Upjohn Park Pitcher to Walnut

2019

2020

2021

Stockbridge to Lovers Lane

Cork to Kilgore

Implement Master Plan

2022

2023

2024-2029

$10,000,000 $450,000 (estimated)

Grants

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Parks Classification For planning and management purposes, recreation professionals classify parks and recreation facilities based on the type of facility and expected usage. Frequently, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources classiﬁcation system is used, as follows:

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

MIN I- PAR K S

NE IGH BORH OOD PA RKS

COMMUNIT Y PA RKS

LA RGE U RBA N PA RK S

Mini-parks are small, specialized parks, usually less than an acre in size, that serve the needs of residents in the surrounding neighborhood. A mini-park may serve a limited population or speciﬁc group such as tots or senior citizens. Mini-parks usually serve people within a radius of 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile.

Neighborhood parks are typically multi-purpose facilities that provide land for intensive recreation activities, such as ﬁeld games, court games, crafts, playgrounds, skating, picnicking, etc. Neighborhood parks serve a population up to 5,000 residents located within a 1/2 to 1-mile radius.

Community parks typically contain a wide variety of recreation facilities to meet the diverse needs of residents from several neighborhoods. Community parks may include areas suited for intense recreational facilities, such as athletic complexes and swimming pools. These parks usually contain other facilities not commonly found in neighborhood parks such as nature areas, picnic pavilions, lighted ball ﬁelds, and concession facilities. Community parks serve a 1 to 2 mile radius.

Large urban parks serve a broader purpose than community parks, typically serving the entire community. Large urban parks often focus on meeting communitybased recreation needs, as well as preserving unique natural landscapes and open spaces. To accommodate the desired recreation uses usually a minimum of 50 – 75+ acres is optimal.

32 of the 52 city parks included in this plan are classiﬁed as miniparks. Mini-parks are found in six of the eight Park Planning Regions. Although more than half of the parks in the city are mini-parks, they make up only 32.99 acres or 5% of the total parkland. They are Bronson Park, East Gateway, Rose Park Veterans Memorial, Nelbert Park, Reed Street Park, South Gateway, Farrell Park, Krom & Prouty Park, Martin Luther King Memorial Park, Princeton Park, Lake / Kensington Park, Springmont Park, Davis Street Park, Dutton Street Park, South Westnedge Park, Florence Spray Park, Henderson Park, Henderson Tot Lot, Lovell Park, W. Main Park, West Gateway, Harrison Park, Grant Park, Angling Park, Canyon Park, Glen Park North, Glen Park South, Hillside Park, Academy Green, College Park, Henderson Green, and Jones Park.

The City hosts 11 neighborhood parks, located in seven of the eight Park Planning Regions. Milwood is the only region without a neighborhood park. Neighborhood parks occupy 86.46 acres or 13% of the total parkland. They are Rockwell Park, Sherwood Park, Hays Park, Southside Park, La Crone Park, Verburg Park, Woods Lake Park, Axtell Creek, Crane Park, Frays Park, and West Douglas Park.

There are four community parks in the City, all located in different Park Planning Regions. They make up 66.1 acres of parkland or 10% of the total. They are Upjohn Park, Fairmont Dog Park, Knollwood Park, and Emerald Drive Park.

Milham Park is the only large urban park in the City of Kalamazoo. At 66.83 acres, Milham Park makes up 10% of the total city parkland. Milham Park is one of two parks located in the Milwood Park Planning Region.

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

N AT U RAL R E S O UR C E A R E AS

R EGIO N AL PAR K S

L IN EAR PAR K S

SPORTS COMPLE X

Natural Resource Areas serve as preservation areas for signiﬁcant natural resources, landscapes, open spaces, and buffering areas. Areas may vary in size depending on the availability of the resource.

Regional parks are typically located on sites with unique natural features that are particularly suited for outdoor recreation, such as viewing and studying nature, wildlife habitats, conservation, swimming, picnicking, hiking, ﬁshing, boating, camping and trail use. Many also include active play areas. Regional parks serve a large area, usually with a 3 - 5 mile radius.

Linear parks are developed for one or more modes of recreational travel, such as hiking, biking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, canoeing and/ or pleasure driving. Some linear parks include active play areas. Linear parks often link other parks or components of the recreation system, community facilities, commercial areas, and other focal points.

Sports Complex areas consolidate heavily programmed athletic ﬁelds and associated facilities to larger and fewer sites typically serving the community as a whole. Sports Complex’s size is normally based on demand, but usually a minimum of 25 acres, with 40 – 80 acres being optimal.

Blanche Hull Park is classiﬁed as a Natural Resource Area due to its use as a passive natural area. It is 69.64 acres or 10% of total acres of parkland and offers few amenities beyond open space, nature areas, and walking trails. Blanche Hull Park is the only park located in the South region.

Spring Valley Park is the largest park in the city, occupying 181.19 acres or 26% of the total city parkland. Spring Valley Park is located in the Northeast Park Planning Region and features both active recreation and passive natural resources.

The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail (KRVT), a recreation trail suitable for walking and biking, encompasses 35 miles of trail throughout the city and Kalamazoo County. The northsouth portion of the trail enters the city from the City of Parchment in the north, connects to Verburg Park in the North Side region, then to Rose Park Veterans Memorial Park in the Central region, then links to Mayor’s Riverfront Park in the Edison region, then on to Comstock Township in the east. The eastwest portion of the trail links to the north-south section at Rose Park Veterans Memorial Park. The eastwest portion heads west through the Central region, then northwest into Kalamazoo Township. The trail is a Kalamazoo County Park, but also a vital resource to the city.

Versluis / Dickinson Sports Complex serves as the main baseball and softball ﬁeld facility for the city and the surrounding communities. Versluis / Dickinson Park is 116.6 acres, the second largest park in the city, and 18% of the total parkland. It is located in the North Side region.

PRIVATE A ND SPE CIA L USE FACILITIE S

Special use recreation facilities are typically single-purpose recreation facilities, such as historic amenities, golf courses, nature centers, outdoor theaters or facilities for the preservation or maintenance of the natural or cultural environment. The primary draw of Mayor’s Riverfront Park is Homer Stryker Field, the home of the Kalamazoo Growlers, a minor league baseball team. The Growlers play 36 home games a year against fellow teams in the Northwoods League. Mayor’s Riverfront Park is 64.29 acres or 10% of the total parkland and is located in the Edison region.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Dutton Park 18

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Citywide Demographic Report This Parks and Recreation Plan encompasses the City of Kalamazoo. In order to determine its Parks and Recreation needs, the City considered how many people will use recreational amenities, what programs they will participate in, and what types of facilities they will need. We must understand these existing conditions and past trends in order to appropriately anticipate and plan for the future needs of the community. Most of the data presented comes from the US Census. The most recent data comes from the 2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. The American Community Survey is conducted every year and samples a percentage of the community on topics such as population, economics, housing, etc. The 5-year estimates for a given population are considered a reliable source as they represent 60 months of collected data for all geographic areas. However, in some speciďŹ c cases, the data may contain inaccuracies due to sampling.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Population

Households

Age

Changes in the number of people residing in a community are an important indicator for community planning. Growing communities have different needs than do communities with stable or declining populations. The table below shows the relative populations of the City of Kalamazoo and comparison communities, while the chart on the following page compares the population trends.

This section analyzes the composition and characteristics of households in the City of Kalamazoo. Changes in the number of households in a community are an indication of changing demand for recreational activities.

The age of a community’s population has very real implications for recreation planning, whether it is an increased or decreased need for children’s recreation to serve the population under 18, or a need for amenities more attractive to retirees.

Table 2: Population CITY OF KALAMAZOO

CITY OF PORTAGE

KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP

KALAMAZOO COUNTY

STATE OF MICHIGAN

2000

77,145

44,897

21,675

238,603

9,938,444

2016

75,885

47,854

22,445

258,605

9,909,600

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Population Change

The table below shows that the number of households in the city has decreased from 29,413 to 28,557 since 2000, which expressed as a percentage rounds to 3% decrease. Kalamazoo County has seen the largest increase of the neighboring communities, while the city’s decline was the sharpest of the communities selected. This decline is largely due to the overall population decline of the City.

The chart below compares the median ages (the mid-point where half the population is younger and half is older) of the City of Kalamazoo and the comparison communities. Residents of the city are noticeably younger than those in the surrounding communities. A younger population likely means more children and a growing population going forward.

Table 3: Number of Households CITY OF KALAMAZOO

CITY OF PORTAGE

KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP

KALAMAZOO COUNTY

STATE OF MICHIGAN

2000

29,413

18,138

9,349

93,479

3,785661

2016

28,557

19,478

9,079

101,589

3,860,394

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

The City of Kalamazoo has experienced a slight decrease in its population with a loss of 1,260 individuals (-1.6%) since 2000. This population loss is not indicative of other selected communities or of the County itself. The City of Portage, Kalamazoo Township, and Kalamazoo County experienced population growth since 2000. However, population decline is being experienced state-wide.

Figure 3: Change in Households

Figure 4: Median Age, 2000, 2010, 2016

2010

2016

The City of Kalamazoo, aware of their declining population, has put forth considerable effort to attract and maintain their population base. As an urbanized community, the City must maintain their population in order to maintain a tax base which will provide for services throughout. City-wide planning efforts as well as neighborhood planning has encouraged residents to become an active member of the planning process and thus become invested in the future of their community. This plan seeks to build upon those efforts.

State of Michigan Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo Township City of Portage City of Kalamazoo

Figure 2: Population Change

2000

0 -4%

-2%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

10%

-4%

-2%

10%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

CITY OF PORTAGE

KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP

KALAMAZOO COUNTY

STATE OF MICHIGAN

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 and 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Population by Age Group Age structure (analyzing which proportions of a municipality’s population are in which stages of life) gives an insight into the age makeup of a community. To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings: • • • • •

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature Families) Over 65 (Retirement)

Median income divides the income distribution into two equal groups, half having income above that amount, and half having income below that amount. Each of the selected areas experienced an increase in median household income between 2000 and 2016. The City of Kalamazoo experienced the largest increase (16%), but remains below its neighbors Kalamazoo Township and the City of Portage. The City’s planning efforts and continued investment in the community are likely to encourage further increases in the median household income. Table 5: Median Household Income

The table below compares the age structure of the City of Kalamazoo with that of Kalamazoo County. Persons in the Family-Forming age group are the most numerous in both the city and the county. Similar to age, this age group is more likely to mean more children and a growing population.

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

CITY OF PORTAGE

KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP

KALAMAZOO COUNTY

STATE OF MICHIGAN

2000

29,919

55,936

40,904

44,794

48,432

2016

34,767

57,526

46,213

49,693

50,803

Table 4: Population Distributed by Age Structure, 2010 CITY OF KALAMAZOO

KALAMAZOO COUNTY

Pre School

4,787

15,646

School Aged

15,573

51,063

Family-Forming

33,389

90,536

Mature Families

13,520

62,306

Retirement

6,993

30,780

TOTAL

74,262

250,331

Source: US Census Bureau, 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Figure 6: Median Household Income Percent Change

This section analyzes the composition of races in the City of Kalamazoo. Changes in the racial makeup in a community can suggest changing demand for recreational activities. The table below summarizes the major racial groups compared to those in Kalamazoo County. Whites make up the majority of the population in the city and the county. However, the racial makeup of the city is more diverse than the county with African Americans making up 22% of the population and multi-racial persons 5% as compared to the county’s 11% and 3%, respectively. Table 6: Race CITY OF KALAMAZOO

KALAMAZOO COUNTY

White

50,604

204,644

Black or African American

16,460

27,266

American Indian and Alaskan Native

384

1,059

Asian

1,279

5,212

Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

Some Other Race

2074

3,815

Two or More Races

3,434

8,247

Hispanic Origin

4,736

9,959

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

State of Michigan Kalamazoo County Kalamazoo Township City of Portage City of Kalamazoo

Figure 5: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010

Race

Figure 7: Race, Kalamazoo County, 2010 50% 45%

Two or More Races

City of Kalamazoo Kalamazoo County

40% 35%

Some Other Race

30% Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

25% 20% 15%

Asian

10% American Indian and Alaskan Native

5% 0% PRE SCHOOL

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

The ﬁgure above indicates that the City and the County have a similar percentage of their population pre school aged and school aged. The City has a higher percentage of family-forming aged persons, while the County has higher percentages of mature families and retirement aged persons. Median Household Income

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

Black or African American White

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Overall Citywide Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the City. Table 7: Publicly Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within City of Kalamazoo AMENITY

LOCATIONS

QUANTITY

BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

Emerald Drive Park

Henderson Tot Lot

Emerald Drive Park

Crane Park

Davis Street Park

Axtell Creek

Farrell Park

Davis Park

Hays Park

La Crone Park

Knollwood Park

Frays Park

Fairmont Dog Park

Davis Street Park

Blanche Hull Park

La Crone Park

Upjohn Park

La Crone Park

Mayor’s Riverfront Park

Southside Park

La Crone Park

Farrell Park

Dutton Street Park

Crane Park

Mayor’s Riverfront Park

Southside Park

Rockwell Park

Spring Valley Park

Rockwell Park

Henderson Tot Lot

Farrell Park

Emerald Drive Park

Milham Park

Spring Valley Park

Southside Park

Upjohn Park

Spring Valley Park

Mayor’s Riverfront Park

Frays Park

Rockwell Park

Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex

Upjohn Park

Milham Park

Hays Park

Spring Valley Park

Southside Park

Henderson Tot Lot

Knollwood Park

Henderson Tot Lot

Upjohn Park

Spring Valley Park

Knollwood Park

Mayor’s Riverfront Park

Knollwood Park

Upjohn Park

Krom & Prouty Park

Milham Park

Woods Lake Park

La Crone Park

Martin Luther King Memorial Park

Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex

Mayor’s Riverfront Park

Milham Park

Rockwell Park

Reed Street Park

Rose Park Veterans Memorial

Rockwell Park

South Westnedge Park

Sherwood Park

Spring Valley Park

South Westnedge Park

Southside Park

Upjohn Park

Spring Valley Park

Verburg Park

Springmont Park

Woods Lake Park

Princeton Park

Upjohn Park Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex Woods Lake Park

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Mayor’s Riverfront Park

Sherwood Park

Milham Park

WALKING TRAIL

Woods Lake Park

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

R EC O M M EN D ED S ERVIC E AR EA B O U N DA RY

Comparison to State and National Standards

Mini-Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

It is also essential to consider the type of parks, their location, and their distribution throughout the City. When evaluating parks and recreation service areas, it is important to closely consider where the residents in the City live. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classification to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities. The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left. The table below evaluates Kalamazoo’s park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reflect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. Thus, in evaluating the results, the actual conditions and trends present in the City must be taken into account. The City is largely urbanized, and many areas do not have the large swaths of land available to support the park acreage recommended. However, further analysis identifies specific areas deficient of recreational space, and the ongoing efforts to improve recreational amenities to those residents.

Table 8: City of Kalamazoo Park Land Acreage Analysis PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

KALAMAZOO RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN CITY

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

18.97

32.99

+ 14.02

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

151.77

86.46

- 65.31

Community Parks

5.0

379.43

66.10

- 313.33

Local Parks Subtotal

7.25

550.17

185.55

- 364.620

Natural Resource Area

Variable

69.64

+ 69.64

Large Urban Park

Variable

66.83

+ 66.83

Regional Parks

10.0

181.19

- 577.66

Sports Complex

Variable

116.6

+ 116.60

Special Use

Variable

64.29

+ 64.29

Total

> 15.25

684.10

- 624.92

758.85

> 1,309.02

Spring Valley Park

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

A Park Worth Walking 10 Minutes To This plan uses two methods to determine the service area of the parks. The ﬁrst is the MDNR guidelines for park service area based largely on the size of the park and the amenities available, which is shown in the Park Service Radii Map. The second method utilizes the “10-Minute Walk” concept. Planning Best Practices show the health and vibrancy of a neighborhood can be determined based on the amenities available within a 10-minute walk. As cities have grown and more reliance was placed on the automobile, alternative modes of transportation were utilized less, including walking. However, there has been a resurgence of residents of all ages and abilities seeking opportunities to improve access to the amenities in their neighborhood through non-motorized transportation. Parks are an amenity that is considered when evaluating what is available in your neighborhood, however this plan took this one step further and applied the 10-minute walk concept to select parks throughout the city. This plan is largely based on regions and the neighborhoods that make up those regions, and it is important to show the areas within the neighborhood we can reasonably expect a person to walk from to reach a park. The parks selected for this analysis are designed to serve their local neighborhood. They are generally located in a residential neighborhood, and offer amenities valued by the community such as open green space, playground equipment, and one or two sports facilities. Twenty-two parks (listed on the right) were determined to be “a park worth walking 10 minutes to.” The discussion section for each of the eight regions includes an in-depth analysis of the area served within a 10-minute walk of the parks mentioned above and the areas underserved by parks within a 10-minute walk.

Axtell Creek Park Bronson Park Crane Park Davis Street Park Emerald Drive Park Farrell Park Florence Spray Park Frays Park Hays Park Henderson Park Henderson Tot Lot Knollwood Park La Crone Park Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park Reed Street Park Rockwell Park Sherwood Park South Westnedge Park Southside Park Upjohn Park Verburg Park Woods Lake Park

22 Parks worth a 10 minute walk

Citywide Underserved Areas

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Citywide Goals and Objectives Goal 1: Provide diverse and exciting recreational opportunities for all residents 1.

Upgrade park amenities in as many parks as possible by 2029.

2. Invest in modern equipment that is fun, safe, equitable, and sustainable. 3. Provide a wide variety of activities, facilities, and amenities. 4. Ensure that newly popular facilities—such as GaGa Pits, skate parks, disc golf, and Pickleball Courts—are provided to the public. 5. Identify and implement opportunities for community gardens and public orchards, particularly in Upjohn Park, but also in other parks. Engage with the community on optimal locations and partner with Kalamazoo Valley Community College on implementation and maintenance. 6. Utilize the City of Kalamazoo park improvement process (plan and design, review, bid/award, and construct) which includes a strong community engagement component. Versluis Dickinson Park

Goal 2: Ensure all residents have access to green space and parks amenities in their neighborhoods 1.

Ensure all parks have amenities that add value to the surrounding community, in proportion to the size of the park and the needs of the community.

2. Provide a park “worth walking 10 minutes to” within a 10-minute walk of all residents. 3. Provide public green space within a 10-minute walk of all residents. 4. Work with the County, other City departments, neighborhood groups, Western Michigan University, and others to acquire land for new public parks in underserved areas. 5. Upgrade amenities at parks that are more than 10 minutes away from parks “worth walking 10 minutes to” in order to provide amenities within walking distance of more residents. 6. Ensure parks have adequate and appropriate space nearby for parking vehicles, where deemed necessary and appropriate. 7. Provide bicycle parking in appropriate locations at all parks. 8. Expand bicycle parking where new trails are planned. 9. Work with other City departments to ensure sidewalks are constructed to connect all parks. 10. Work with other City departments to ensure all infrastructure surrounding parks is in working order and supports the needs of park users. 11. Build four spray parks, with the locations determined such that each spray park serves at least two Park Planning Regions.

Crane Park

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Goal 3: Design all parks to be welcoming, accessible, and fun for all potential users

Goal 4: Design parks using best practices for sustainability and resiliency

Goal 5: Create a parks system that the entire Kalamazoo region takes pride in

Undergo park improvement plan processes prior to investing in park improvements.

Reduce impervious surface in parks where possible.

Maintain all parks to a high level of quality.

2. Preserve wetlands and protect ﬂood plains.

2. Provide high-quality, fun, and exciting equipment and amenities.

3. Preserve trees, and replace any removed trees on a two-to-one basis.

3. Work with neighborhood groups to make park spaces the center of community life.

3. Understand the needs of the neighborhood and consult the respective neighborhood plan when planning park improvements.

4. Use native species for landscaping where possible.

4. Understand the history of parks and their surroundings when planning park improvements.

5. Establish community gardens and food forests in appropriate park locations.

4. Refer to Neighborhood Plans when the park improvement process for a speciﬁc park begins.

5. Understand the potential users of a park when designing park improvements.

6. Utilize recycled materials in facilities and equipment.

2. Involve neighborhood groups and the general public in parks improvement decisions.

6. Understand the potential for vandalism or other negative inﬂuences when planning park improvements. 7. Maintain and update the signage that identiﬁes City parks. 8. Work with neighborhood groups to promote safety and fun in parks.

7. Reduce lawn mowing by planting native Michigan meadow mixes, butterﬂy gardens and restoring natural habitat. 8. Provide and maintain trash and recycling receptacles.

5. Invest in public art and other placemaking activities within parks. 6. Highlight the important role parks play in providing positive stimulation and exercise for young people and families. 7. Encourage residents to take pride in their neighborhood parks, and “adopt” them as their own.

9. Understand and appreciate the natural environment of Kalamazoo and it surroundings, and incorporate that understanding into parks design and maintenance.

• Promote events and activities in parks. • Promote opportunities for residents to invest in parks themselves, such as community gardens, neighborhood cleanups, and community art projects.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CITYWIDE ACTION PLAN

Accessibility An assessment was completed for each of Kalamazoo’s parks and their associated accessibility features. Based on the conditions of each park and the amenities offered, each park was assigned an accessibility score. The scores range from 1-5; 5 being the most accessible. The deﬁnitions for each score are listed below: SCORE

DEFINITION

The park is not accessible to people with a broad range of physical disabilities. The site includes little paved areas and the facilities such as play equipment or picnic areas are not easily accessible.

The park is somewhat accessible to people with a broad range of physical disabilities. Either the parking area or pathways are paved, but not both. Many of the facilities such as play equipment or picnic areas are not easily accessible.

The park is mostly accessible to people with a broad range of physical disabilities. Most of the parking areas and pathways are paved, and some of the facilities such as play equipment or picnic areas are accessible but may not be completely barrier-free.

The park is completely accessible to people with a broad range of physical disabilities. Parking areas and pathways are paved, and most of the facilities such as play equipment or picnic areas are easily accessible The entire park was developed or renovated using the principles of universal design, a design approach which enables all environments to be usable by everyone, to the greatest extent possible, regardless of age, ability, or situation.

When measuring the accessibility of the parks, the scores ranged from 1-4. As there were no 5 scores given, four was the highest. Each park description includes an accessibility score and the analysis behind it.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Key Findings • Forty-seven of the city’s parks are local parks (mini, neighborhood, or community parks), yet local parks only make up 185.55 acres or 27% of the total parkland in the city. • The Milwood region is the largest region (geographically) at 4.87 square miles (19% of the total city) but fourth in amount of park acres. • The West region is the most populated, but has the third least amount of parkland. • Central region has more than double the population density of the city, but less than a quarter of the park acreage as compared to the city as a whole. • Our facilities analysis takes into account eleven different types of commonly provided park amenities. Spring Valley Park and Upjohn Park provide eight of the eleven, and LaCrone Park provides seven of the eleven. • Playground equipment is the most common amenity found in Kalamazoo city parks. • Based on the 10-minute walk time, 27% of the city is within a 10-minute walk of a park worth walking to. • Kalamazoo has 9.01 acres of park land per 1,000 residents and one park for every 1,459 residents. The National Recreation and Park Association’s 2016 Field Report identiﬁes a national average of 9.5 acres of park land per 1,000 residents and one park for every 2,277 residents.

The North Side Planning Area consists of 2.24 square miles or 9% of the total city area and is made up of two neighborhoods: Northside and Douglas. Eleven parks are located in the North Side region: Fairmont Dog Park Farrell Park Florence Spray Park Harrison Park Krom & Prouty Park La Crone Park Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park Princeton Park Verburg Park Versluis / Dickinson Sports Complex West Douglas Park These parks make up 164.28 acres of parkland, or 24% of the total parkland in the City.

North Side Planning Region Action Plan

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

North Side Demographic Report A basic demographic analysis is provided to understand the speciﬁc characteristics of the North Side Park Planning Region. The planning region spans multiple census tracts that have been combined for the purpose of this analysis. Population

Age

The population density (persons/acre) for the North Side region is similar to that of the City overall. The City has 4.72 persons/acre, and the North Side region has 4.77 persons/acre. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 24.0, compared to the City’s 8.63.

The median age of the North Side region’s population is slightly above the median age of the City.

Table 9: Population, 2016

• • • • •

NORTH SIDE REGION

2016

6,839

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

75,885

% OF TOTAL

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Similar to population percentage, the North Side region makes up 9% of the total households in the City. Table 10: Households, 2016

2016

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature families) Over 65 (Retirement)

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

2,650

28,557

25% 15% 10%

NORTH SIDE REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

26.8

26.5

+.3

Pre School

Table 11: Household Median Income Comparison, 2010 NORTH SIDE REGION

2010

$ 24,015

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

$ 34,767

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census and ESRI 2018 Forecast

DIFFERENCE

-$10,752

5% 0% PRE SCHOOL

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

The graph above indicates the North Side region does not have as high of a percentage of family-forming aged persons, but it does have a higher percentage of pre school and school aged persons. This is important to identify the population using recreation facilities.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Race

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

The median income of the North Side region is below that of the City overall.

35%

20%

Table 13: Population Distributed by Age Structure, 2010

Median Income

North Side Region City of Kalamazoo

40% 30%

Table 12: Median Age Comparison, 2010

2010

NORTH SIDE REGION

50% 45%

To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings:

The table below compares the age structure of the speciﬁed region with that of the City of Kalamazoo.

Households

Figure 8: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010

NORTH SIDE REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

755

4,787

School Aged

1,853

15,573

Family-Forming

2,536

33,389

Mature Families

1,422

13,520

Retirement

539

6,993

TOTAL

7,105

74,262

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

Identifying the racial makeup of a community is important when determining the types of recreation facilities that are recommended for the community. As indicated below, Blacks or African Americans are strongly represented in the North Side region. Figure 9: Race, North Side Region, 2010

Black or African American White Two or more races Some other race American Indian and Alaskan Native Asian Native Hawiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

66% 24% 7% 3% 0% 0% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

North Side Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the North Side Park Planning Region. Table 14: Public Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within North Region BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

WALKING TRAIL

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

QUANTITY

La Crone Park

Fairmont Dog Park

Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex

Verburg Park

La Crone Park

LOCATIONS

AMENITY

Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex

Farrell Park

Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex

Verburg Park

La Crone Park

Krom & Prouty Park

Farrell Park

Krom & Prouty Park Farrell Park Princeton Park

RE COM M E NDE D SE RVI CE ARE A BOUNDARY

Comparison to State and National Standards

Mini Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

Similar to the analysis of the whole city, this plan analyzes park acreage by parks planning region. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classification to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities. The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left. The table to the right evaluates the North Side region’s park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reflect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. While the comparison above may indicate deficiency in two categories, when the types of parks and the amenities of each is considered, the North Side region is well served by parks and recreation facilities.

Table 15: North Side Region Park Land Acreage Analysis PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

NORTH SIDE REGION RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN NORTH REGION

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

1.71

4.88

+ 3.17

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

13.68

30.65

+ 16.97

Community Parks

5.0

34.2

12.15

- 22.05

Local Parks Subtotal

7.25

49.59

47.68

- 1.90

Natural Resource Area

Variable

Large Urban Park

Variable

Regional Parks

10.0

Sports Complex

68.39

- 68.39

Variable

116.6

+ 116.6

Special Use

Variable

Total

> 15.25

> 117.97

164.28

+ 46.31

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

North Side Region Underserved Areas The North Side Park Planning Region has three parks that are “worth walking 10 minutes to get to” – Florence Spray Park, LaCrone, and Farrell. The Fairmount Dog Park and Versluis/Dickinson complex are regional amenities, but they are also speciﬁcuse facilties, and therefore living within a 10-minute walk of either of them does not fulﬁll the full range of park usage desires for residents. Princeton, Krom & Prouty, and Martin Luther King Jr. are small and lack amenities (at least at the time of this plan) and therefore are not included in the 10-Minute Walk Map. Verburg is very visually appealing, but provides few amenities. As shown on the map, the core of the north side has at least one fullservice park within a 10-minute walk, and many residents have two, but the far eastern portions of the Planning Region, as well as the Fairmount neighborhood on the western edge, do not have a full-service park within walking distance. To reduce underserved areas in the North Side Planning Region, the Parks Department plans to do the following: • Pursue upgrades to Versluis/Dickinson, the Fairmount Dog Park, Krom & Prouty, Verburg, and Princeton that expand their range of amenities. • Work with the County Land Bank and other partners to identify opportunities for acquisition, although this is not as high a priority as upgrading amenities at existing parks.

Fairmont Dog Park 36

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

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NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Connectivity and Mobility to Parks The North Side Planning Region is well served by sidewalks, which reach every park in the Planning Region. The Imagine Kalamazoo Plan also envisioned nonmotorized trails and bike routes, as shown on the map, which would serve all parks in the Planning Region, except Princeton and Krom & Prouty. Therefore, the mobility priorities in the North Side Planning Region are: • Implementing the Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan. • Maintaining sidewalks, and improving pedestrian safety at busy intersections, particularly Paterson and Westnedge. • Improving parking at LaCrone Park, including exploring allowing onstreet parking along Paterson Street and Cobb Avenue. • Adding bicycle parking at LaCrone, Farrell, Martin Luther King, and Verburg Parks.

Verburg Park 38

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Fairmount Dog Park

A D D R ES S :

1108 Prairie Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Douglas S I ZE :

12.15 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Community Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

2024-2029

To Be Determined

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Fairmont Park is the only dedicated dog park in the City. Dog parks are gated and fenced to allow dogs free run of the green space. Fairmont features dedicated parking, paved paths, a double gated entry, water station for owners and dogs, and benches throughout.

Barrier Free Assessment: A paved path runs through the interior of the park connecting to park amenities such as the parking lot, park benches, drinking fountains, bathrooms, and waste receptacles. The parking lot does include handicap parking.

Public Input: While no speciďŹ c comments were received related to Fairmont Dog Park, the value of dog-related recreation amenities was commented on many times. General comments for parks in this region were to increase security, including adding emergency phones and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the parks.

Action Plan: Usage and issues related to dog interaction should be monitored. Lawn maintenance and lawn cleanup should also be monitored.

Aspirations: Improvements will be determined in the later years of the planning period.

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Farrell Park

A D D R ES S :

809 N. Rose Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

1.5 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020

Splash Pad

2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

$585,000

FUNDING SOURCE

Private Donations (Foundation for Excellence)

Amenities: Farrell Park is located within a residential neighborhood with easy access via on-street parking, sidewalks, and paved paths. The park features a pavilion, permanent bathrooms, a central green space and several play structures.

Barrier Free Assessment: Amenities at Farrell Park are accessible using sidewalks and paved paths throughout the interior of the park. The Pavilion, bathrooms, benches and play structures are located near the paved path for additional ease of access.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in a spray pad in Farrell Park. General comments for parks in this region were to increase security, including adding emergency phones and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the parks.

Action Plan: Farrell Park should strive to increase accessibility by adding accessible picnic tables, extending the paved path to the road, and creating curb cuts on the west and east side of North Rose St. directly adjacent to the park. The City should also consider making the intersection of North Rose St. and West Frank St. a four-way stop to improve pedestrian safety.

Aspirations: Future Farrell Park improvements might include designated on-street parking on the west side of North Rose St., bike racks, and water fountains. A splash pad is planned for the park in 2020.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Florence Spray Park

A D D R ES S :

534 Florence Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

0.2 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

COST

No Planned Improvements

FUNDING SOURCE

No Planned Improvements

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: The Florence Spray Park is located within a residential neighborhood with easy access via on-street parking, sidewalks, and curb cuts. The park features a paved surface with water spray amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: Amenities at the Florence Spray Park are accessible using sidewalks and paved surfaces throughout the interior of the park. Additional accessible features such as picnic tables and water fountains should be considered for future improvements.

Action Plan: The Florence Spray Park should strive to increase park area safety by adding a marked crosswalk across Florence St. at the park entrance and signage indicating a park or â&#x20AC;&#x153;children at play.â&#x20AC;? As the park is a new amenity for the city, continued maintenance is a high priority.

Public Input: General comments for parks in this region were to increase security, including adding emergency phones and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the parks.

Aspirations: Future Florence Spray Park improvements might include park furniture such as park benches and picnic tables, bike racks, and water fountains.

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Harrison Park

A D D R ES S :

620 Harrison Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

1.44 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

Maintain as Green space

Amenities: Harrison Park is a green space with no amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: Curb cuts at each corner allow for pedestrian access as well as the sidewalk along the southeast side of the park. However, there are no connections to the interior of the park.

Public Input: Residents envisioned a basketball court and public art at Harrison Park.

Action Plan: Lawn maintenance should be the short-term goal for this park. Additionally, the sidewalk at the northwest corner of the park should be extended across to the east.

Aspirations: As Harrison Park is located just south of Verburg Park and just west of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, the park should be connected to the trail through non-motorized paths, including marked pedestrian crossings across E. North St. at Gull Rd. This park may also be an ideal location to reduce the amount of lawn and have it replaced with native grasses and perennial plantings. The remaining lawn could be used as a walking path.

FUNDING SOURCE

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Krom & Prouty Park

A D D R ES S :

1602 Krom Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

0.51 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

2024-2029

To Be Determined

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Located on a corner lot of a residential neighborhood, Krom & Prouty Park has sidewalks on two sides, on-street parking, a small play structure, and picnic table.

Barrier Free Assessment: The paved paths on the perimeter of the park do not extend to the amenities on the interior of Krom & Prouty Park. Therefore, the park has limited accessibility.

Public Input: Residents requested new playground equipment, better shade, more lighting, and more seating. They also expressed interest in a spray pad, but a new spray pad is envisioned for nearby Farrell Park instead.

Action Plan: Krom & Prouty Park should strive to increase accessibility by extending a hard surface to the play structure in the center. The City should also consider making the intersection of Krom St. and East Prouty St. a fourway stop to improve pedestrian safety.

Aspirations: Future Krom & Prouty Park improvements might include a new play structure with an improved surface, additional benches, and tree plantings on the interior for shade. Krom & Prouty Park is outside of the North region’s ﬁve minute walk area. Improvements to this park should be considered within the next several years so Krom & Prouty Park can be considered a park worth a ﬁve minute walk.

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

La Crone Park

A D D R ES S :

535 W. Paterson Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

0.25 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020

Building and Surface Maintenance

2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

Amenities: La Crone Park offers a wide variety of amenities. Play amenities include playground equipment, basketball courts, tennis courts, and a large green space for ﬁeld games. La Crone also features paved walking trails throughout, water fountains, permanent bathrooms, park benches, and picnic tables. Large shade trees are present throughout the park.

Barrier Free Assessment: A paved path circles the interior of the park while sidewalks line the perimeter of the park. Park amenities such as the bathrooms, park benches, waste receptacles, and playscape are located adjacent to the path.

Public Input: The ﬁrst of four ﬁeld day events was held at La Crone Park on June 12, 2018. The event was well attended and numerous comments were made regarding La Crone Park. They are: • Overall satisfaction with recent park improvements • Often not enough parking • Add accessible play surfaces • More frequent lawn maintenance • Add water recreation

• Add a walking path or track around the park • Remove fences/walls especially around basketball court

Actions: We recommend regular maintenance of the park to ensure the new play equipment and other amenities are preserved.

General comments for parks in this region were to increase security, including adding emergency phones and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the parks.

Aspirations: Building and surface maintenance is planned for 2019. Additional improvements are to be determined in the later years of the planning period.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park

A D D R ES S :

507 N. Rose Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

0.98 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Community Vision

2020

Implement Vision

2021

Implement Vision

2022 2023 2024-2029

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

Private Donations (Friends of Recreation)

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Located between N. Church St. and N. Rose St., Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park features a statues and artwork dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sidewalks through the interior of the park connect both streets. The park has on and off-street parking for visitors, in addition to benches and drinking fountains. The park sees heavy pedestrian activity due to its close proximity to the Kalamazoo Greyhound station and local bus station.

Barrier Free Assessment: While the park is largely accessible due to the paved paths throughout, connections to the park should be considered for accessibility. The park is directly adjacent to railroad tracks, and persons with a disability may have a difficult time navigating the crossing trying to access the park.

Public Input: During the public engagement opportunities, attendees commented on improvements they would like to see at Martin Luther King Memorial Park. Comments included fixing the statue of Martin Luther King Jr., installing permanent bathrooms with shower facilities, and lack of signage and wayfinding for the park. Residents also suggested adding outdoor fitness stations in the park.

Action Plan: All crossings should be considered for ramps with warning pads, lighted or ﬂashing signals, and timed crosswalk signals.

Aspirations: Park maintenance and beautiﬁcation should continue to be a priority for Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park. The City should continue partnering with local community groups to install landscaping, ensure trash pickup, and monitor condition of memorial features. These, as well as the public input received, should be considered when the City begins the community visioning effort planned for Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park in 2019.

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Princeton Park

A D D R ES S :

1508 Princeton Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

0.25 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Amenities: Located in a vacant lot of a residential neighborhood, Princeton Park is lined by a sidewalk, has on-street parking, a small play structure, and a swing set.

Barrier Free Assessment: The paved path on the perimeter of the park does not extend to the amenities on the interior of Princeton Park. Therefore, the park has limited accessibility.

Public Input: General comments for parks in this region were to increase security, including adding emergency phones and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the parks.

Action Plan: Princeton Park should strive to increase accessibility by extending a hard surface to the play structure in the center. The City should also consider adding signage along Princeton Avenue to indicate a park nearby.

Aspirations: Future Princeton Park improvements might include a new play structure with an improved surface, additional benches, and recreation facilities that do not occupy much space due to the small size of the park. No improvements are planned for Princeton Park.

2023 2024-2029 COST

No Planned Improvements

FUNDING SOURCE

N/A

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

Verburg Park

A D D R ES S :

669 Gull Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

9.65 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Master Plan

2020

Implement Master Plan

2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

COST

$500,000

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Verburg Park is located on East Paterson Street in the north west area of the city. It is bordered on the north by East Paterson, the east by the Kalamazoo River, and the west by the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. The trail is part of 35 mile network throughout Kalamazoo County.

Barrier Free Assessment: Verburg Park offers off-street parking with several handicap parking spaces. The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail is paved and allows access to all users.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in expanded and improved walking trails in Verburg Park. General comments for parks in this region were to increase security, including adding emergency phones and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the parks.

Actions: Make sure KRVT has signage located in the park. Promote KRVT link between Mayorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Riverfront Park, Spring Valley Park, and Verburg Park. Maintain existing facilities, place trash cans onsite, install bike racks, place benches and picnic tables along trail, and add water fountains.

Aspirations: Form partnership with Kalamazoo River Watershed Council to create a water trail on Kalamazoo River between Verburg Park and Mayorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Riverfront Park. The partnership could encourage a vendor to operate a kayak rental from either park. The partnership could seek grant funding to build improvements such as accessible kayak launch, restrooms, kayak lockers, and green infrastructure to improve water quality. Park improvements are scheduled for 2019-2020. These improvements, as well as the public comments received, should be considered for implementation at Verburg Park.

Versluis/Dickinson Park

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

A D D R ES S :

1924 Douglas Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Northside S I ZE :

116.6 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Sports Complex ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020

Master Plan for New Facilities

2021

New Facilities

2022

New Facilities

2023

Amenities: Versluis/Dickinson Park is a sports complex made of two separate parks: Dickinson Field is to the north and Versluis Park is to south. The main entrance to the site is from Douglas Avenue. The park features softball and teeball ﬁelds including bleachers, ﬁeld lights, restrooms, and drinking fountains.

Barrier Free Assessment: Parking lots adjacent to the fields allow handicapped persons to park close by. Many of the fields have paved or gravel paths to allow wheelchairs access to the field.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in expanded and improved walking trails in Versluis/Dickinson, in amongst the sports facilities. General comments for parks in this region were to increase security, including adding emergency phones and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the parks.

Action Plan: Organized team sports are popular for all ages. As the only major sports complex in the city, it is recommended that the softball ﬁelds be maintained throughout.

Aspirations: It is recommended that the City pursue adding improved multi-use ﬁelds on the south half of the park to host a wider variety of activities. Master planning for new facilities will begin in 2020 with implementation in 2021-2022.

2024-2029 COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTH SIDE ACTION PLAN

West Douglas Park

A D D R ES S

1720 W. North Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Douglas S I ZE :

16 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

Maintain as Green space

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: West Douglas Park is a forested green space with no amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: There are no accessible connections on the exterior of the park or to the interior of the park.

Public Input: Residents envisioned a trail connection between West Douglas Park and the Fairmount Dog Park. A soapbox derby start/ ďŹ nish line was also suggested for this area.

Action Plan: Ongoing maintenance is required around the exterior of the park so that perimeter roadways are clear. A tree and wildlife inventory should be taken of the area to determine the existing conditions.

Aspirations: Minimal improvements should be made to West Douglas Park and tree canopy should be maintained. Dead or diseased trees and brush should be removed to facilitate new growth. Walking paths should be made to connect residential areas and educational materials should be provided to learn about the natural habitat.

The Northeast Planning Area consists of 2.77 square miles or 11% of the total city area and is made up of two neighborhoods: Burke Acres and Eastside. Three parks are located in the Northeast region: Rockwell Park Sherwood Park Spring Valley Park These parks make up 191.49 acres of parkland, or 28% of the total parkland in the City.

Northeast Planning Region Action Plan

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Northeast Demographic Report A basic demographic analysis is provided to understand the speciﬁc characteristics of the Northeast Park Planning Region. Population

Age

The population density (persons/acre) for the Northeast region is lower than that of the City overall. The City has 4.72 persons/acre, and the Northeast region has 3.45 persons/acre. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 31.3, compared to the City’s 8.63.

The median age of the Northeast region’s population is higher than the median age of the City. Table 19: Median Age Comparison, 2010

Table 16: Population, 2016 NORTHEAST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

2010

% OF TOTAL

Figure 10: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010 50% 45%

Northeast Region

40%

City of Kalamazoo

NORTHEAST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

35%

32.9

26.5

+6.4

30% 25%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

20%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings:

10%

Households

• • • • •

2016

6,122

75,885

Similar to population percentage, the Northeast region makes up 7% of the total households in the City. Table 17: Households, 2016

2016

NORTHEAST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

2,082

28,557

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature families) Over 65 (Retirement)

PRE SCHOOL

The table below compares the age structure of the speciﬁed region with that of the City of Kalamazoo.

NORTHEAST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

Median Income

Pre School

483

4,787

The median income of the Northeast region is slightly below the City’s median income.

School Aged

1,517

15,573

Family-Forming

1,832

33,389

Mature Families

1,324

13,520

Retirement

781

6,993

TOTAL

5,937

74,262

2010

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

$ 31,809

$ 34,767

-$2,958

Source: US Census Bureau, 2000 Census and ESRI 2018 Forecast

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

Table 20: Population Distributed by Age Structure, 2010

NORTHEAST REGION

5% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Table 18: Household Median Income Comparison, 2010

15%

The graph above indicates the breakdown of age groups in the Northeast region is more evenly distributed than that of the city as a whole. The age group with the highest percentage is the family-forming group.

Race Identifying the racial makeup of a community is important when determining the types of recreation facilities that are recommended for the community. As indicated below, Whites and Blacks or African Americans are strongly represented in the Northeast region. Figure 11: Race, Northeast Region, 2010

White Black or African American Two or more races Some other race American Indian and Alaskan Native Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

51% 38% 6% 3% 1% 0% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTHEAST ACTION PLAN

Northeast Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the Northeast Park Planning Region. Table 21: Public Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within Northeast Region BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

WALKING TRAIL

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

QUANTITY

Spring Valley Park

Rockwell Park

Spring Valley Park

Rockwell Park

Spring Valley Park

Rockwell Park

Spring Valley Park

Rockwell Park

Sherwood Park

LOCATIONS

AMENITY

Rockwell Park

RE COM M E NDE D SE RVI CE ARE A BOUNDARY

Comparison to State and National Standards

Mini Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

Table 22: Northeast Region Park Land Acreage Analysis

It is also essential to consider the type of parks, their location, and their distribution throughout the Northeast Region. When evaluating parks and recreation service areas, it is important to closely consider where the residents in the region live. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classiﬁcation to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left.

PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

NORTHEAST REGION RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN NORTHEAST REGION

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

1.53

- 1.53

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

12.24

10.3

- 1.94

Community Parks

5.0

30.61

- 30.61

The table to the right evaluates the Northeast region’s park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reﬂect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. While the comparison above may indicate deﬁciency in several categories, when the types of parks and the amenities of each is considered, especially Spring Valley Park, the Northeast region is well served by parks and recreation facilities.

Local Parks Subtotal

7.25

44.38

10.3

- 34.08

Natural Resource Area

Variable

Large Urban Park

Variable

Regional Parks

10.0

Sports Complex

Variable

Special Use

Variable

Total

> 15.25

61.22

181.19

+ 119.97

> 105.60

191.49

+ 85.89

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NORTHEAST ACTION PLAN

Northeast Region Underserved Areas The Northeast Park Planning Region has two parks that are “worth walking 10 minutes to get to” – Rockwell and Sherwood. Spring Valley Park is a regional gem, but it is so large that walking to it is impractical, as destinations within it could be a 15 to 20-minute walk from the park boundary. The Rose Park Veterans Memorial is a community asset, but not an active recreational opportunity. As shown on the map, the northeast side near Rockwell and Sherwood is well-served by parks in walking distance, but the far northeastern portion of the Planning Region has only Spring Valley Park, and even that is more than 10 minutes away from the most northerly streets. To reduce underserved areas in the Northeast Planning Region, the Parks Department will do the following: • Pursue upgrades to Spring Valley Park that place parks amenities at the edges of the park, near key entrance points, particularly on the north side of the park. • Upgrades to the amenities at Verburg Park would also serve northeast side residents, particularly those who live too far west to be within a 10-minute walk of Rockwell or Sherwood. • Work with the County Land Bank and other partners to identify opportunities for acquisition, although this is not as high a priority as upgrading amenities at Spring Valley.

Sherwood Park 56

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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Connectivity and Mobility to Parks The Northeast Park Planning Region has important sidewalk gaps near parks. Rockwell is not reached by sidewalks on any adjoining street, and there are no sidewalks on Wallace Avenue adjacent to Sherwood Park. Mt. Olivet Road only has sidewalks on the north/ west side of the street, not adjacent to Spring Valley Park, and Brook Drive, which also provides access to Spring Valley Park, has no sidewalks at all. The Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan envisions bicycle infrastructure on Riverview and Mt. Olivet Roads, which would improve access to Spring Valley Park, as well as a trail through the park itself. That plan also envisions a bicycle loop along E. Michigan Avenue, E. Main Street, and Wallace Avenue that would serve Sherwood Park. There are no plans in Imagine Kalamazoo for improved non-motorized access to Rockwell Park (although it is only two blocks from E. Main Street). Therefore, the mobility priorities in the Northeast Planning Region are: • Implementing the Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan. • Constructing sidewalks along Wallace Avenue, from E. Michigan Avenue to Center Street, to improve access to Sherwood and Rockwell Parks. • Constructing sidewalks along Center Street from Hazard Avenue to Wallace Avenue, and along Trimble Avenue between Center Street and Humphrey Street, to improve access to Rockwell Park. • Improving pedestrian safety along Trimble Avenue where it cuts Rockwell Park into two pieces, including a signed and painted crosswalk. • Improving parking at Rockwell Park, including redesigning Trimble Avenue to better accommodate on-street parking. • Adding bicycle parking at Spring Valley Park. • Adding additional points of access to Spring Valley Park to allow it to better serve the surrounding residents.

Spring Valley Park 58

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTHEAST ACTION PLAN

Rockwell Park

A D D R ES S :

1106 Trimble Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Eastside S I ZE :

5.1 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018

Playground, Basketball, Pathway

2019

Restrooms

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

COST

Previously Expended

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Nestled in between Hazard Avenue and Trimble Avenue, Rockwell Park is located in a residential neighborhood. The park features, tennis courts on the west side of Trimble Avenue and a basketball court on the east. Future Rockwell Park improvements include adding dog amenities such as waste bags and additional accessible furnishings and water fountains.

Barrier Free Assessment: The recent improvements to Rockwell Park have increased the park’s accessibility through paved paths and accessible play surfaces.

Public Input: The fourth ﬁeld day event was held at Rockwell Park on July 26, 2018. Attendees to the event would like to see: • More and improved play equipment • A variety of activities including a splash pad, pickleball court, skateboard plaza, and swimming pool • Improvements to existing amenities including more BBQ grills, more seating, new fencing, more garbage cans, and more frequent lawn maintenance • Large scale improvements

include a neighborhood teen center, access to technology, and new and bigger bathroom. • New child-friendly bike riding area • New basketball hoops

Action Plan: The City should consider adding sidewalks along Trimble Avenue and Hazard Avenue. Future Rockwell Park improvements include accessible bathrooms, and accessible drinking fountains. Aspirations: Building and surface maintenance should be completed on an annual basis. Updated restrooms are planned for 2019. Rockwell Park is also an ideal location for additional programming.

NORTHEAST ACTION PLAN

Sherwood Park

A D D R ES S :

300 Wallace Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Eastside S I ZE :

5.2 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Community Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

Amenities: Sherwood Park is situated on a wooded lot with mature trees and is most suited for nature walks. Additionally, the park features a playground, picnic benches, and bike racks.

Barrier Free Assessment: The playground and picnic area is accessible using a paved path connected to the on-street parking.

Public Input: General comments for parks included adding emergency phones, permanent restrooms, doggy waste bags, and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the parks.

Master Plan

The Eastside Neighborhood Plan draft recommends the following:

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

$8,000 (for plan) + implementation costs

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

• Increase green space, tree canopy, and address other environmental issues • Enhance and connect neighborhood parks and trails • Improve picnic facilities, including tables and grills

Action Plan: Sherwood Park should strive to increase accessibility by building sidewalks on Oonah Place and Wallace Avenue and adding handicap parking signage to the on-street space closest to the park entrance on Oonah Place.

Aspirations: The City should continue to monitor health of trees and begin an active tree management program to ensure longevity of the park as a shaded space. The City should also explore additional amenities to add to the park such as a dog run or a mini disc golf course. A master planning process is intended to begin in 2021 with implementation in 2022.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

NORTHEAST ACTION PLAN

Spring Valley Park

A D D R ES S :

2600 Mt. Olivet Road N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Burke Acres S I ZE :

181.19 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Regional/Metropolitan Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: As the largest park in the City, Spring Valley attracts visitors from across the region. The park features 3.2 miles of paved trail, a tree walk, ﬁshing dock, canoe launch, disc golf course, pavilions, and playscapes.

Barrier Free Assessment: Spring Valley Park features a paved shared use path around the perimeter of the lake which is connected to park amenities such as benches, pavilions, and playscapes. The pavilion is zero-step entry.

Public Input: During the public engagement sessions Spring Valley Park received a couple of speciﬁc comments. The ﬁrst was to clean up the lake, and the second was to add a sidewalk entrance to the park at Brook Drive. General comments which apply to Spring Valley included adding emergency phones, adding doggy waste bags, and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the park.

Action Plan: Spring Valley Park offers a wide variety of amenities, and continued maintenance of the park is of upmost importance.

Aspirations: Future improvements are to be determined in the later years of the planning period.

The Central Planning Area consists of 1.43 square miles or 6% of the total city area and is made up of three neighborhoods: Central Business District (CBD), Stuart, and Vine. Eight parks are located in the Central region: Axtell Creek Bronson Park Davis Street Park Dutton Street Park East Gateway Park Grant Park Rose Park Veterans Memorial South Westnedge Park These parks make up 12.92 acres of parkland, or 2% of the total parkland in the City.

Central Planning Region Action Plan

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Central Demographic Report A basic demographic analysis is provided to understand the speciﬁc characteristics of the Central Park Planning Region. Population

Age

The population density (persons/acre) for the Central region is almost double that of the City overall. The city has 4.72 persons/acre, and the Central region has 8.51 persons/acre. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 1.66, compared to the City’s 8.63.

The median age of the Central region’s population is slightly below the median age of the City.

70%

Table 26: Median Age of the Central Area Comparison, 2010

Table 23: Population of the Central Region, 2016 CENTRAL REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

7,792

75,885

10%

Figure 12: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010

2010

CENTRAL REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

50%

26.4

26.5

- .1

40%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

30%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings:

20%

Households

• • • • •

2016

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2016

CENTRAL REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

3,656

28,557

13%

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature families) Over 65 (Retirement)

PRE SCHOOL

Table 25: Household Median Income Comparison, 2010

2010

CENTRAL REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

$ 22,929

$ 34,767

- $11,838

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

The chart below compares the age structure of the speciﬁed region with that of the City of Kalamazoo. Table 27: Population of the Central Region Distributed by Age Structure, 2010

The median income of the Central region is below the City’s median income.

10% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Median Income

Central Region City of Kalamazoo

60%

CENTRAL REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

Pre School

367

4,787

School Aged

873

15,573

Family-Forming

5,051

33,389

Mature Families

1,439

13,520

Retirement

520

6,993

TOTAL

8,250

74,262

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

The age group with the largest percentage is persons in the family-forming age group. Over 60% of the population in this region is within the familyforming age group. This exceeds the City’s 45% for this age group.

Race The Central region is primarily White, with 75% of the population. Figure 13: Race, Central Region, 2010

White Black or African American Two or more races Some other race American Indian and Alaskan Native Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

75% 17% 4% 2% 1% 1% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Central Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the Central Park Planning Region. Table 28: Public Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within the Central Region BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

WALKING TRAIL

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

QUANTITY

Davis Street Park

Axtell Creek

Davis Street Park

South Westnedge Park

Davis Street Park

Dutton Street Park

Rose Park Veterans Memorial

LOCATIONS

AMENITY

Davis Street Park

RE COM M E NDE D SE RVI CE ARE A BOUNDARY

Comparison to State and National Standards

Mini Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

Table 29: Central Region Park Land Acreage Analysis

It is also essential to consider the type of parks, their location, and their distribution throughout the Central Region. When evaluating parks and recreation service areas, it is important to closely consider where the residents in the region live. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classiﬁcation to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities. The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left.

PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

CENTRAL REGION RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN CENTRAL REGION

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

1.95

9.38

+ 7.43

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

15.6

3.54

- 12.06

Community Parks

5.0

39.0

- 39.00

The table above evaluates the Central region’s park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reﬂect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. The comparison above indicates deﬁciencies in several categories. The challenge in this region is a lack of dedicated park space. The largest park in the region is Bronson Park with 3.62 acres. This region consists of mini and neighborhood parks. However, the service area and 10-minute walk area are well covered as shown in the following map.

Local Parks Subtotal

7.25

56.55

12.92

- 43.63

Natural Resource Area

Variable

Large Urban Park

Variable

Regional Parks

10.0

Sports Complex

Variable

Special Use

Variable

Total

> 15.25

78.0

134.55

12.27

- 78.00

- 121.63

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Central Region Underserved Areas Most of the Central Park Planning Region is well-served by walkable parks. Only a portion of the Stuart neighborhood and some corners of the Vine neighborhood are not served. There are several parks “worth walking 10 minutes to get to” – Bronson, Davis, South Westnedge, and Axtell Creek. A continuous street grid also helps residents get to parks. Because this section of the City is well-served, it is not the priority of the Parks Department at this time to add parks in the Central Park Planning Region.

Bronson Park 68

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Connectivity and Mobility to Parks The Central Planning Region has sidewalks nearly continuously throughout. All parks are well-served by sidewalks. The Planning Region is also the convergence of many bicycle routes planned for in Imagine Kalamazoo, and all parks are served by bike routes (Dutton is one block off the Park Street bike route, all others are directly on bike routes). Therefore, the mobility priorities in the Central Planning Region are: â&#x20AC;˘ Implementing the Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan. â&#x20AC;˘ Work to make all major corridors in the Central Planning Region true Complete Streets, with a particular focus on the major one-way corridors (Michigan, Kalamazoo, Westnedge, and Park).

South Westnedge Park 70

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Axtell Creek

A D D R ES S :

530 Crosstown Parkway N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Vine S I ZE :

3.54 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

2024-2029

To Be Determined

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Axtell Creek Park is located between Pioneer Street on the north and Crosstown Parkway to the south and west. The creek and associated green space separate the residential neighborhood to the north and the commercial area to the south. The park has park benches and picnic tables throughout in addition to a barbeque grill next to the playground. The playground and swings are well maintained and are shaded by nearby trees. Visitors to the site may use on-street parking on Pioneer Street. The park is well served by sidewalks and shared

use paths connecting the park with the surrounding area. Barrier Free Assessment: The paved paths throughout the park support accessibility, however a curb-cut should be made on Pioneer Street where the park path meets with the city sidewalk. A visitor entering from the residential area or parking on Pioneer Street must go almost to Westnedge Avenue to ﬁnd a curb-cut. Additionally, picnic tables should include a wheelchair space.

Public Input: The Vine Neighborhood Plan draft has identiﬁed the following goals for parks: • Increase access to healthy food options • Improve network of edible landscaping • Improve biodiversity and sustainability • Increase outdoor recreation opportunities Action Plan: Signage should be improved at the Pioneer Street and West Crosstown Parkway entrances for passersby to identify the park.

The park is located adjacent to a high-rise apartment complex on West Crosstown Parkway. Access paths should be maintained throughout. Aspirations: While Axtell Creek Park and the creek itself are well maintained in their current state, improvements could be made to the creek located between South Westnedge Avenue and South Park Street. Just east of South Westnedge from Axtell Creek Park the creek was relocated to a culvert. A former drive-through bank currently sits on the creek.

Beyond the bank site the creek emerges and creates a water retention area. The city should consider redeveloping the former bank site to bring the creek above ground and extend Axtell Creek Park using a shared use path along the creek. This type of improvement could be a catalyst for further improvements at the nearby South Westnedge Avenue/West Crosstown Parkway intersection in addition to elevating Axtell Creek Park from a Neighborhood Park to a Community Park which this region does not have.

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Bronson Park

A D D R ES S :

200 W. South Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Central Business District S I ZE :

3.62 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Furnishings, Lighting, Signage, Honor Walk

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

2019: $850,000 2020: To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

Amenities: This urban park is served by many amenities. The park has benches throughout, several well-maintained lawns, and large shade trees.

Barrier Free Assessment: Bronson Park is highly accessible with paved paths throughout, and amenities (benches and waste receptacles) are located along the paved paths. Sidewalks line the park on each side and intersect with curb cuts at each street crossing. Crosswalks are signaled and striped with warning strips. Sidewalks on adjacent blocks support connectivity to the park, in addition to having nearby handicap parking.

Public Input: Public input was collected during the Lunch Time Live event at Bronson Park. The following comments were received: • Overall satisfaction with the current programming, but participants would like to see more events at Bronson Park and other City parks • Participants would like to see nighttime events for older kids and adults • Participants also described their frustration with smokers in the park and targeting the homeless population Amenity suggestions include:

• Permanent bathrooms • More shelters for protection from the elements • Play equipment designed for small children • BBQ grills • New water feature General comments which apply to Bronson Park included adding emergency phones, adding doggy waste bags, and bringing electricity and technology such as wireless internet to the park. Bronson was identiﬁed as the top most visited park during the community survey.

Action Plan: Wayﬁnding signage should be maintained on site to ensure visitors are aware of the amenities provided. Signage should also direct visitors to nearby shops, restaurants, and parking. Amenities should be monitored for adequacy such as receptacles and bicycle parking. Aspirations: Park improvements are set to be implemented in 2019. These will include furnishings, lighting, signage, and an honor walk. Additional improvements are yet to be determined for 2020.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Davis Street Park

A D D R ES S :

901 Davis Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Vine S I ZE :

1.05 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018

Skate Plaza, Shelter, Gaga Pit, Playground, Furnishings

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

COST

Previously Expended

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Davis Street Park recently received amenity improvements that included a skate plaza, gaga pit, playground, and paved pathways throughout. Non-recreation amenities include a pavilion, picnic tables, park benches, waste receptacles, and doggy waste stations. Davis Park also has large shade trees and green spaces for passive recreation.

Barrier Free Assessment: Davis Street Park is lined by sidewalks on the perimeter. Interior paths connect the amenities to the street, and the intersection of Davis Street and Grant Street has ramps with warning strips.

Public Input: Residents suggested Davis Street Park should get new bathrooms, new walking trails, and a child-friendly bike riding area. The Vine Neighborhood Plan draft has identiﬁed the following goals for parks: • Increase access to healthy food options • Improve network of edible landscaping • Improve biodiversity and sustainability • Increase outdoor recreation opportunities

Action Plan: Davis Street Park should consider adding signage along Davis Street and Grant Street identifying “children at play” in addition to striped crosswalks at that intersection.

Aspirations: Long-term improvements to Davis Street Park should include accessible restrooms and accessible water fountains. Facilities maintenance should be a top priority.

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Dutton Street Park

A D D R ES S :

224 W. Dutton Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Vine S I ZE :

0.69 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

To Be Determined

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

Amenities: Dutton Street Park is located within a residential neighborhood with easy access via on-street parking, sidewalks, and paved paths. The park features a central green space and a mediumsized play structure.

Barrier Free Assessment: Amenities at Dutton Street Park are accessible using sidewalks and paved paths throughout the interior of the park. Benches and the play structure are located near the paved path for additional ease of access.

Public Input: Residents speciﬁcally mentioned the need to add picnic tables, restrooms, and a big kid play structure at Dutton Street Park. The Vine Neighborhood Plan draft has identiﬁed the following goals for parks: • Increase access to healthy food options • Improve network of edible landscaping • Improve biodiversity and sustainability • increase outdoor recreation opportunities.

• Locate a community garden at Dutton Street Park

Action Plan: Dutton Street Park should strive to increase accessibility by extending the paved path to the road and create a curb cut directly adjacent to the park.

Aspirations: The City’s planned improvements to Dutton Park are yet to be determined. However, Dutton Park should strive to become a park “worth walking 10 minutes to.” In addition to the amenities mentioned in the public input, installing a pavilion and basketball court would increase patronage of the park as well as add amenities currently lacking in the Central region.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

East Gateway Park

A D D R ES S :

309 E. Water Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Central Business District S I ZE :

0.5 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

2024-2029

To Be Determined

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: East Gateway, the ﬁrst of three in the city, serves as an entrance, welcoming visitors to Kalamazoo. The park features a Kalamazoo masonry monument.

Barrier Free Assessment: East Gateway is curbed on all sides and does not have pedestrian crossing connections. The interior of the gateway is landscaped.

Public Input: Public input from the region identiﬁed the following goals for the parks: • Increase access to healthy food options • Improve network of edible landscaping • Improve biodiversity and sustainability • Increase outdoor recreation opportunities Additional input, speciﬁc to neighborhood parks, will be collected during neighborhood planning.

Action Plan: East Gateway Park should continue to be maintained including seasonal or landscaping displays that is changed throughout the year.

Aspirations: As an entrance to the Central Business District neighborhood of the Central region, East Gateway Park could incorporate additional signage, monuments, or displays that are unique to the CBD neighborhood.

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Grant Park

A D D R ES S :

925 Grant Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Vine S I ZE :

0.65 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

Maintain as Green space

Amenities: Grant Park is a wooded green space with no amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: There are no accessible connections on the exterior of the park or to the interior of the park.

Public Input: Residents envisioned additional playgrounds in this area.

Actions: Ongoing maintenance is required around the exterior of the park so that perimeter roadways are clear. A tree and wildlife inventory should be taken of the area to determine the existing conditions.

Aspirations: Minimal improvements should be made to Grant Park and tree canopy should be maintained. Dead or diseased trees and brush should be removed to facilitate new growth. Walking trails as well as picnic facilities should be considered for this park.

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

Rose Park Veterans Memorial

A D D R ES S :

645 E. Michigan Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Central Business District S I ZE :

0.56 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018

Irrigation

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

2024-2029

To Be Determined

COST

Previously Expended

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended; Post 2024: Private Donations (Kalamazoo Sunrise Rotary Endowment)

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Rose Park Veterans Memorial is located on the Kalamazoo River adjacent to the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. Sidewalks through the interior of the park connect the trail with the memorial. Visitors to the site must park at a nearby business and walk in.

Barrier Free Assessment: While the park is largely accessible due to the paved paths throughout, connections to the park should be considered for accessibility. The park is directly adjacent to E. Michigan Avenue and persons with a disability may have a difficult time crossing the street to access the park.

Public Input: The community survey concluded that walking and bike trails facilities were the greatest unmet need. Rose Park Veterans Memorial’s proximity to the KRVT should be utilized to the furthest extent possible.

Action Plan: All pedestrian crossings should be improved with ramps with warning pads, lighted or ﬂashing signals, and timed crosswalk signals. Signage should also be included on-site to address access for parking and the park’s connectivity via pedestrian crossings and the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail.

Aspirations: Park maintenance and beautiﬁcation should continue to be a priority for Rose Park Veterans Memorial. The City’s planned improvements to Rose Park Veterans Memorial are yet to be determined.

South Westnedge Park

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

A D D R ES S :

1101 S. Westnedge Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Vine S I ZE :

2.31 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Furnishings

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

$3,000

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Operating Funds

Amenities: South Westnedge Park offers paved paths throughout a central shaded green space. Large shade trees and park benches create a pleasant atmosphere within an urban neighborhood.

Barrier Free Assessment: South Westnedge Park is serviced by sidewalks along the perimeter and through the interior in addition to ramps and warning strips at the intersection of Park Pl. and South Westenedge Streets.

Public Input: Public comments include a request to have more playgrounds in the Vine neighborhood. Other frequently received comments applicable to South Westnedge Park are: • Offer dog amenities such as waste stations • Technology improvements such as wireless internet • Recycle bins in addition to waste receptacles • More programming

Action Plan: As a centrally located park in the Vine neighborhood and the city, the City should strive to improve the park by adding amenities like those listed in the public comments and also improve accessibility by offering accessible picnic tables and a marked midblock crossing at Park Place and Newell Place. The City should also incorporate South Westnedge Park into the recommended tree maintenance program to ensure the trees are trimmed regularly and replaced as needed.

Aspirations: The City has programmed improvements to furnishings for 2019. The City should consider increasing this amount to include the other improvements described.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

CENTRAL ACTION PLAN

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

The Edison Planning Area consists of 2.79 square miles or 11% of the total city area and is made up of one neighborhood: Edison. Six parks are located in the Edison region: Hays Park Mayorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Riverfront Park Reed Street Park South Gateway Park Southside Park Upjohn Park These parks make up 99.15 acres of parkland, or 15% of the total parkland in the City.

Edison Planning Region Action Plan

EDISON ACTION PLAN 1257+6,'(

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

0,/:22'

EDISON ACTION PLAN

Edison Demographic Report A basic demographic analysis is provided to understand the speciﬁc characteristics of the Edison Park Planning Region. Age

Population The population density (persons/acre) for the Edison region is similar to that of the City overall. The city has 4.72 persons/acre, and the Edison region has 4.79 persons/acre. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 11.6, compared to the City’s 8.63.

The median age of the Edison region’s population is slightly above the median age of the City.

EDISON REGION

2010

POPULATION

EDISON REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

2016

8,568

75,885

11%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Households Similar to population, the Edison region makes up 10% of the total households in the City. Table 31: Households, 2016

2016

30.2

Edison Region City of Kalamazoo

40% CITY OF KALAMAZOO

26.5

DIFFERENCE

+ 3.7

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

35% 30% 25% 20% 15%

To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings: • • • • •

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature families) Over 65 (Retirement)

10% 5% 0% PRE SCHOOL

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

EDISON REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

The chart below compares the age structure of the speciﬁed region with that of the City of Kalamazoo.

2,982

28,557

10%

Table 34: Population Distributed by Age Structure, 2010

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

50% 45%

Table 33: Median Age Comparison, 2010

Table 30: Population, 2016

Figure 14: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010

AGE STRUCTURE

EDISON REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

Pre School

790

4,787

School Aged

2,357

15,573

Family-Forming

3,178

33,389

Mature Families

1,855

13,520

Retirement

553

6,993

TOTAL

8,733

74,262

Race As shown below, the Edison region is fairly diverse with nearly 50% of the population represented as African American, some other race, or two or more races. Figure 15: Race, Edison Region, 2010

Median Income The median income for the Edison region is below that of the city as a whole. Table 32: Household Median Income Comparison, 2010

2010

EDISON REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

$ 29,254

$ 34,767

- $ 5,513

White Black or African American Some other race Two or more races American Indian and Alaskan Native Asian Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

50% 32% 9% 8% 1% 0% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

The most signiﬁcant variations from the city’s population age groups is that the Edison region has higher percentages of pre school and school aged children, but a noticeably lower percentage of family-forming aged persons.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

EDISON ACTION PLAN

Edison Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the Edison Park Planning Region. Table 35: Public Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within the Edison Region BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

WALKING TRAIL

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

QUANTITY

Hays Park

Upjohn Park

Hays Park

Upjohn Park

Southside Park

Mayors’ Riverfront Park

Southside Park

Mayors’ Riverfront Park

Hays Park

Reed Street Park

Mayors’ Riverfront Park

LOCATIONS

AMENITY

Mayors’ Riverfront Park

The Kalamazoo Farmer’s Market and the Youth Development Center are additional amenities located in this region RE COM M E NDE D SE RVI CE ARE A BOUNDARY

Comparison to State and National Standards

Mini Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

It is also essential to consider the type of parks, their location, and their distribution throughout the Edison Region. When evaluating parks and recreation service areas, it is important to closely consider where the residents in the region live. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classification to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities. The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left. The table to the right evaluates the Edison region’s park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reflect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. While the comparison above may indicate deficiency in several categories, when the types of parks and the amenities of each is considered, especially Upjohn Park, the Edison region is adequately served by parks and recreation facilities. Like the City as a whole, the region is mostly lacking in community and regional parks, but as described in the Other Amenities section of the plan, the City of Portage’s Portage Creek Bicentennial Park is just south of the Edison region, at the southwest corner of Kilgore Rd. and Lovers Ln. This is a large community park that extends south along Lovers Ln. An analysis of the parks’ service area is shown in the following map.

Table 36: Edison Region Park Land Acreage Analysis PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

EDISON REGION RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN EDISON REGION

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

2.14

1.62

-0.52

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

17.14

14.16

- 2.98

Community Parks

5.0

42.85

19.08

- 23.77

Local Parks Subtotal

7.25

62.13

34.86

- 27.27

Natural Resource Area

Variable

Large Urban Park

Variable

Regional Parks

10.0

85.7

- 85.7

Sports Complex

Variable

Special Use

Variable

64.29

+64.29

Total

> 15.25

99.77

- 48.68

> 147.83

EDISON ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

EDISON ACTION PLAN

Edison Region Underserved Areas The Edison Park Planning Region has four parks that are “worth walking 10 minutes to get to” – Upjohn, Reed Street, Southside, and Hays. Mayor’s Riverfront Park is an important regional asset, but the playground, which is deep inside the park, is the only amenity aimed at the local neighborhood. It is also located in an industrial area. As shown on the map, the western and southern parts of the Planning Region are well-served with parks in walking distance. But the eastern portion is not well served at all. To reduce underserved areas in the Edison Planning Region, the Parks Department will do the following: • Work with the County Land Bank and other partners to identify opportunities for acquisition, to construct a neighborhood park east of James Street and north of Lay Blvd.

Hays Park 86

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

EDISON ACTION PLAN

Connectivity and Mobility to Parks The Edison Park Planning Region is wellserved by sidewalks overall, but there are important sidewalk gaps near parks. Factory Street and Miller Road adjacent to Hays Park do not have sidwalks, and neither do Fulton and Buena Vista Streets, which provide access to Hays Park from the west. Additionally, Palmer Avenue adjacent to Southside Park only has sidewalks on the south side of the street. Recommendations include: • Implementing the Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan, and adding a connection to Southside Park. • Constructing sidewalks in the Hays Park area, particularly along Factory Street. • Improving the pedestrian environment along Palmer Avenue near Southside Park. • Improving parking at Hays, Southside, and Reed Street Parks, through road designs better suited for safe and efficient onstreet parking.

Hays Park 88

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

EDISON ACTION PLAN

Hays Park

A D D R ES S :

2001 Miller Road N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Edison S I ZE :

10.33 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018

Playground, Pathway, Furnishings

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

COST

Previously Expended

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Hays Park recently underwent renovations which added new playscape equipment, a swingset, accessible picnic tables, bike parking, waste receptacles, and park benches along a new paved path. The park is situated next to a wooded area that lends a theme to the play equipment. Large shade trees are also found throughout the park.

Barrier Free Assessment: Hays Park was recently reconﬁgured to increase accessibility. The paved path reaches the playscape area, accessible park benches, and waste receptacles.

Public Input: Speciﬁc comments related to Hays Park were: • A break in the fence to allow for another entrance • A basketball court • A community garden • More playground equipment The Edison Neighborhood Plan draft recommends the following: • Become ADA accessible • Add technology improvements • Plant edible trees/ shrubs and community gardens

• Add or promote existing programming in parks • Improve signage • Ensure there are safe, accessible way to access parks Action Plan: While the Edison region’s parks supply a wide variety of recreation amenities for the residents, the region (and the City) does not have a nature education component. As Hays Park has taken on a nature theme, this would be an ideal location to add information and educational amenities.

Aspirations: As the park recently underwent renovations, no improvements are planned during the planning period. However, should the City have additional funding become available the amenities requested in the public comments as well as the action plan should be incorporated.

Mayors’ Riverfront Park

EDISON ACTION PLAN

A D D R ES S :

251 Mills Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Edison S I ZE :

64.29 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Special Use ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

Playground

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

Amenities: Mayors’ Riverfront Park is best known for Homer Stryker Field, the home of the Kalamazoo Growlers. It also features the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail (KRVT) through the interior park. The trail is a barrier free, shared use path that extends throughout the region. Other amenities include a pavilion, playscape, and location on the Kalamazoo River.

Barrier Free Assessment: Amenities throughout the park are barrier free including Homer Stryker Field, the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, and the park pavilion. The pavilion is zero-step entry.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in outdoor ﬁtness equipment in Mayor’s Riverfront Park. General comments applicable to the park include technology upgrades such as wireless internet, dog friendly areas and amenities, and more shade trees. Mayors’ Riverfront Park is one of the top three most visited parks according to the community survey.

Action Plan: Make sure KRVT has signage located in the park. Promote KRVT link between Mayors’ Riverfront Park, Spring Valley Park, and Verburg Park. Maintain existing facilities, place trash cans on-site, install bike racks, place benches and picnic tables along trail, and add water fountains. Aspirations: The City has identiﬁed Mayors’ Riverfront Park to receive a new playground in the extended planning years (2024-2029). In addition to a new playground,

the City could form a partnership with Kalamazoo River Watershed Council to create water trail on Kalamazoo River between Verburg Park and Mayors’ Riverfront Park. The partnership could encourage a vendor to operate a kayak rental from either park. The partnership could seek grant funding to build improvements such as accessible kayak launch, rest rooms, kayak lockers, and green infrastructure to improve water quality.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

EDISON ACTION PLAN

Reed Street Park

A D D R ES S :

1700 Portage Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Edison S I ZE :

1.52 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Playground, Shelter, Pathway, Furnishings

2020 2021

Barrier Free Assessment: While sidewalks are on the perimeter of the park (on Portage St. and Reed Ave.), there are no paved paths on the interior of the park. There are no other accessible amenities.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in a community garden and basketball court, as well as upgraded playground equipment at Reed Street Park. A general comment was received requesting more parks in the Edison region/ neighborhood. The Edison Neighborhood Plan draft recommends the following:

2022 2023 2024-2029

Amenities: Reed Street Park has a central green space, a small playground, large shade trees, and a grill for barbequing. The park also has decorative planters along the sidewalk on Portage St.

COST

$300,000 - $400,000

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

• Become ADA accessible • Add technology improvements • Plant edible trees/ shrubs and community gardens • Add or promote existing programming in parks

Action Plan: To help address the public comment related to parks in the Edison region, the City should improve the playground and play surface at Reed Street Park and install additional amenities such as accessible picnic tables, pavilion, a paved path connecting to the sidewalk, and a doggy waste station.

Aspirations: The City has identiﬁed that Reed Street Park will receive improvements listed in the action plan in 2019.

EDISON ACTION PLAN

South Gateway Park

A D D R ES S :

Crosstown Parkway / Burdick Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Edison S I ZE :

0.1 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

To Be Determined

COST

To Be Determined

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

Amenities: South Gateway Park features a large monument, street trees, brick pavers, and landscaping. The park is a decorative addition to the region.

Barrier Free Assessment: South Gateway has crosswalks, ramps, and warning strips at all street intersections which connect to the paved path on the interior.

Public Input: The Edison Neighborhood Plan draft recommends the following: • Become ADA accessible • Add technology improvements • Plant edible trees/shrubs and community gardens • Add or promote existing programming in parks • Improve signage • Ensure there are safe, accessible way to access parks

Action Plan: South Gateway Park should continue to be maintained including seasonal or landscaping displays that is changed throughout the year.

Aspirations: Maintain the South Gateway as an attractive entranceway to downtown Kalamazoo, in order to promote placemaking and neighborhood quality.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

EDISON ACTION PLAN

Southside Park

A D D R ES S :

2100 Race Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Edison S I ZE :

3.73 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

2023

Master Plan

2024-2029

Implement Master Plan

COST

$8,000 (for plan) + implementation costs

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Southside park includes a soccer ﬁeld, pavilion, playground, picnic and park benches.

Barrier Free Assessment: While Southside Park is largely accessible by an interior paved path, there are poor connections to the park at the intersection of Palmer Ave. and Race St. and to the soccer ﬁeld at the west end of the park. There is also some topography to the site which may make it difficult for persons with mobility issues to navigate.

Public Input: The second field day event was held at Southside Park on June 23, 2018. Specific comments related to Southside Park include: • Overall satisfaction with the paved paths • Add a restroom • Add benches to the soccer/ football field • New child-friendly bike riding area • Could be a good location for a spray pad • Update playground

Action Plan: The adequacy of parking and accessible amenities should be monitored at Southside Park. The ball ﬁeld and large pavilion make Southside Park an ideal location for large gatherings, which could overwhelm the available parking. The park should further improve accessibility by providing a marked cross walk across Palmer Ave. and accessible play surfaces for the play equipment.

Aspirations: The City has identiﬁed Master Plan improvements for Southside Park in 2023-2024.

EDISON ACTION PLAN

Upjohn Park

A D D R ES S :

1000 Walter Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Edison S I ZE :

19.08 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Community Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Master Plan

2024-2029

Relocate Pool, Sports Field, Dog Park

COST

$8,000,000 (approximate)

FUNDING SOURCE

To Be Determined

Amenities: As shown in the pictures, Upjohn Park offers a wide variety of active recreation amenities for the Edison region. Under the recreation facilities for the Edison region, Upjohn Park is listed under almost every category. In addition to basketball courts, soccer ﬁeld, tennis courts, pavilions, playground equipment, picnic facilities, and restrooms, Upjohn Park has a pool, dedicated parking, skate park, and furnishings throughout.

Barrier Free Assessment: Upjohn Park was also designed with accessibility in mind. A paved path extends throughout the park connecting the parking lot, swimming pool, playscape, and basketball court. The playscape is ADA accessible (as shown above).

Public Input: Two public comments were received for Upjohn Park: need new playground at Upjohn Park and lower prices at Kik Pool, especially for the family rates. Additionally, general comments applicable to Upjohn Park include technology upgrades such as wireless internet, dog friendly areas and amenities, and more shade trees. Residents also expressed anticipation for the new regional trail connection through the park.

Action Plan: Due to the number of amenities available to the community, maintenance for Upjohn Park is very important. Upjohn Park could increase accessibility by including accessible furnishings (picnic tables and water fountains), and provide additional shade trees near the tennis courts, skate park, and basketball court. Aspirations: The City has identiﬁed long term (2023-2024) improvements to Upjohn Park including relocating the pool,

adding a sports field and a dog park. In addition to these amenities, the City could explore opportunities to tie the park to the Portage Creek which runs along the western border of the park. The creek could provide an educational amenitiy if improvements were made such as adding native plantings, wildlife habitat, butterfly garden, bat houses, and a lookout pier. The City has also identified Upjohn Park to receive a community garden and public orchard in 2020.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

EDISON ACTION PLAN

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

The Milwood Planning Area consists of 4.87 square miles or 19% of the total city area and is made up of one neighborhood: Milwood. Three parks are located in the Milwood region: Emerald Drive Park Milham Park Nelbert Park These parks make up 82.72 acres of parkland, or 12% of the total parkland in the City.

Milwood Planning Region Action Plan

MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

Milwood Demographic Report A basic demographic analysis is provided to understand the speciﬁc characteristics of the Milwood Park Planning Region. Population

Age

The population density (persons/acre) for the Milwood region is below that of the City overall. The City has 4.72 persons/acre, and the Milwood region has 2.57 persons/acre. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 10.3, compared to the city’s 8.63.

The median age of the Milwood region’s population is above the median age of the City.

2016

7,998

MILWOOD REGION

Milwood Region City of Kalamazoo

40% CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

35% 30%

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

2010

% OF TOTAL

75,885

11%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Households Similar to population, the Milwood region makes up 10% of the total households in the City. Table 38: Households, 2016

2016

50% 45%

Table 40: Median Age Comparison, 2010

Table 37: Population, 2016 MILWOOD REGION

Figure 16: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010

MILWOOD REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

3,419

28,557

10%

34.8

26.5

+ 8.3

25%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

20%

To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings:

10%

15%

• • • • •

5% 0%

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature families) Over 65 (Retirement)

PRE SCHOOL

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

The chart below compares the age structure of the speciﬁed region with that of the City of Kalamazoo.

Race Figure 17: Race, Milwood Region, 2010

Table 41: Population Distributed by Age Structure, 2010 Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

MILWOOD REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

Median Income

Pre School

633

4,787

The median income of the Milwood region is well above that of the City as a whole.

School Aged

1,215

15,573

Family-Forming

3,003

33,389

Mature Families

1,703

13,520

Retirement

1,133

6,993

TOTAL

7,687

74,262

Table 39: Household Median Income Comparison, 2010

2010

MILWOOD REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

$ 44,432

$ 34,767

+ $9,665

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

White Black or African American Two or more races Some other race Asian American Indian and Alaskan Native Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

80% 13% 4% 2% 1% 0% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

The Milwood region has a higher percentage of pre school, mature families, and retirement aged persons than the city as a whole.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

Milwood Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the Milwood Park Planning Region. Table 42: Public Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within the Milwood Region BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

WALKING TRAIL

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

QUANTITY

Milham Park

Emerald Drive Park

Milham Park

LOCATIONS

AMENITY

Emerald Drive Park

Milham Park

RE RE COM COM MM EE NNDE DE DDSE SE RVI RVI CE CEARE ARE AABOUNDARY BOUNDARY

Comparison to State and National Standards

100

Mini Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

Table 43: Milwood Region Park Land Acreage Analysis

It is also essential to consider the type of parks, their location, and their distribution throughout the Milwood Region. When evaluating parks and recreation service areas, it is important to closely consider where the residents in the region live. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classiﬁcation to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities. The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left.

PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

MILWOOD REGION RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN MILWOOD REGION

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

0.72

- 1.28

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

- 16.0

Community Parks

5.0

15.17

- 24.83

The table to the right evaluates the Milwood region’s park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reflect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. While the comparison above may indicate an overall deficiently in park acreage, Emerald Drive Park and Milham Park provide many of the recommended recreational amenities. Specific improvements for each park are listed in the individual section to follow.

Local Parks Subtotal

> 7.25

16.45

- 41.55

Natural Resource Area

Variable

Large Urban Park

Variable

66.83

+66.83

Regional Parks

10.0

- 80.0

Sports Complex

Variable

Special Use

Variable

Total

> 15.25

> 138

- 55.28

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MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

Milwood Region Underserved Areas The Milwood Park Planning Region has just one park “worth walking 10 minutes to get to” – Emerald Drive Park. While Milham and Blanche Hull Parks are regional assets, they are not designed to be easily walked to, and they are very large, with amenities deep within their boundaries, a 5-10 minute walk from the entrance to the park. Nelbert Park is small and hard to access (and has no amenities) Most of the Planning Region is poorly served by City Parks. In some areas, school facilities, such as those at Milwood and Greenwood Elementary Schools, Milwood Middle School, and Loy Norrix High School ﬁll the gaps. In other areas, there are no public green spaces or recreational amenities. To reduce underserved areas in the Milwood Planning Region, the Parks Department will do the following: • Partner with the School District to ensure public access to facilities, and pursue joint investments in community assets. • Upgrade amenities at Emerald Drive Park to ensure it can function as a true neighborhood park. • Work with the County Land Bank and other partners to identify opportunities for acquisition, to a neighborhood park near Cork Street and Portage Avenue.

Milham Park 102

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

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103

MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

Connectivity and Mobility to Parks The Milwood Park Planning Region is well-served by sidewalks overall, except near its two largest parks, Milham and Blanche Hull. The Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan envisions the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail (KVRT) running through Blanche Hull Park. Upgrades to Blanche Hull will take advantage of that new amenity and access point. Bicycle infrastructure is also planned along Lovers Lane, serving Milham Park (and serving Blanche Hull if a new Lovers Lane entrance was opened up), and along Cork Street serving Emerald Drive Park. Therefore, the mobility priorities in the Milwood Planning Region are: • Implementing the Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan, including providing amenities and connections within Blanche Hull Park. • Opening a Lovers Lane entrance to Blanche Hull Park. • Providing a pedestrian and bicycle connection from Blanche Hull to Milham Park, across Lovers Lane. Providing a pedestrian and bicycle connection from Loy Norrix High School to Milham Park, across Kilgore Road. • Ensuring that the bicycle infrastructure along Lovers Lane envisioned Imagine Kalamazoo takes the form of a shared-use path that can also serve pedestrians trying to walk to Blanche Hull and Milham Parks.

Blanche Hull Park 104

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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105

MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

Emerald Drive Park

A D D R ES S :

3200 Emerald Drive N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Milwood S I ZE :

15.75 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Community Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

Master Plan

2022

Implement Master Plan

2023

Master Plan

2024-2029 COST

$258,000

FUNDING SOURCE

106

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Emerald Drive Park can be broken up into two different parts: • The northern section is a walking path connecting E. Cork St. along Emerald Dr. to just south of Lakeway Ave. The path has large shade trees and connections midway that make an ideal path for residents in the immediate neighborhood as well as the employees of the nearby industrial center.

• The southern park is largely made up of a soccer ﬁeld accessible from Penway St. • Neither park has dedicated parking and the path the north part of park does not connect directly to the southern half. Barrier Free Assessment: While the northern half of the park is accessible using the walking path, the southern half is not. There are no sidewalks along Penway St. or paths to the interior of the park.

Public Input: There were several comments received regarding Emerald Drive Park: • Add a dog park or dog run (multiple comments) • Add tennis courts • Add water fountains/water bottle ﬁll station • Community garden • Playground equipment

Action Plan: Emerald Drive Park is considered a park worth a 10-minute walk to get to. The City should build upon this image by improving the nonmotorized connections to the park and within. Aspirations: The City has planned park improvements for 2021-2022. Among those improvements the City should consider the following (in addition to those listed in the Public Comment section): • Improve the designated crosswalk across E. Cork St. including new paint or brick pavers

• Install signage, mile markers, and simple work out equipment along the path • Extend the paved path from the northern part of the park into the southern half • Build sidewalks along Penway St., as well as install signage and crosswalks to identify the park • Install permanent furnishings along the walking path and near the soccer ﬁeld

MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

Milham Park

A D D R ES S :

400 E. Kilgore Road N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Milwood S I ZE :

66.83 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Large Urban Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Master Plan

2020

Implement Master Plan

2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

$2,000,000

FUNDING SOURCE

$1,000,000 Parks Department Funds, $675,000 Private, $300,000 DNR

Amenities: Milham Park is largely a scenic area with the Portage Creek running through it. The main pavilion, dedicated parking, a playground, restrooms, and picnic facilities are located off the main entrance on E. Kilgore Rd. The interior of the park features walking paths throughout with pavilions and additional picnic facilities intended for passive recreation. The large shade trees, stone bridges, natural walkways, and various wildlife add to the beauty of the park.

Barrier Free Assessment: The front of the park, adjacent to the main parking area, is largely accessible and most of the walking paths are paved, however some areas on the interior of the park may be more difficult to reach. Public Input: There were numerous comments received about improvements for Milham Park. They are: • Bring back the rocket ship play structure to Milham Park

• Need to spend whatever it takes to bring Milham Park back to it’s 1940’s and 1950’s glory • Fix Milham Park and clean out pond. Put Milham Park back to it’s old glory days • Renovate Milham Park with a splash pad (two comments received) • Renovate Milham Park • Keep art at Milham Park • Milham Park is one of the top three most visited parks according to the community survey.

Action Plan: As the comments say, Milham Park should be improved and brought back to its former glory. The City should improve the amenities while maintaining and enhancing the natural beauty of the park. Aspirations: The City anticipates improvements will be made in 201920. Those improvements should include: • Signage at East Kilgore Road/ Lovers Lane intersection to identify Milham Park as a destination

• Extend signage across Lovers Lane to create link between Blanche Hull and Milham Park • Like Upjohn Park, Milham Park should incorporate Portage Creek as a thoughtful amenity by adding native plantings, wildlife habitat, butterﬂy garden, bat houses, and a lookout pier • Add signage throughout the park educating walkers about the natural features they are encountering

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

107

MILWOOD ACTION PLAN

Nelbert Park

A D D R ES S :

3002 Nelbert N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Milwood S I ZE :

0.72 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

108

No Planned Improvements

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Nelbert Park is a large grassy area located between Konkle St. and Nelbert St. just south of Milwood Middle School.

Barrier Free Assessment: Nelbert Park is largely unimproved and has no dedicated parking or paved paths.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in a community garden at Nelbert Park. A Neighborhood Plan will be developed. Input will be collected during the neighborhood planning phase, and that will inform future improvements to the parks. Park improvement meetings will take place starting one year before planned improvements.

Action Plan: As the only mini-park in the Milwood region, Nelbert Park would serve as a great green space for dog walkers. Additionally, because it is located adjacent to a school, Nelbert Park would be an ideal location for a community garden. These are both amenities the surrounding community can manage and take ownership of relieving the City of additional maintenance.

Aspirations: The City currently has no improvements planned for Nelbert Park during the planning period. The City should consider adding the amenities listed in the Action Plan.

The South Planning Area consists of 3.39 square miles or 14% of the total city area and is made up of three neighborhoods: Southside, Westnedge Hill, and South Westnedge. Two parks are located in the South region: Blanche Hull Park Crane Park These parks make up 80.07 acres of parkland, or 12% of the total parkland in the City.

South Planning Region Action Plan

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

SOUTH ACTION PLAN

South Demographic Report A basic demographic analysis is provided to understand the speciﬁc characteristics of the South Park Planning Region.

Population

Age

The population density (persons/acre) for the South region is similar to that of the City overall. The City has 4.72 persons/acre, and the South region has 4.79 persons/acre. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 7.70, compared to the City’s 8.63.

The median age of the South region’s population is above the median age of the City.

2016

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

10,400

75,885

14%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Households Similar to population, the South region makes up 16% of the total households in the City. Table 45: Households, 2016

2016

SOUTH REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

4,443

28,557

16%

Table 47: Median Age Comparison, 2010

2010

SOUTH REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

34.8

26.5

+ 8.3

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings: • • • • •

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature families) Over 65 (Retirement)

The chart below compares the age structure of the speciﬁed region with that of the City of Kalamazoo.

SOUTH REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

714

4,787

The median income of the South region is well above that of the City as a whole.

School Aged

1,659

15,573

Family-Forming

3,598

33,389

Mature Families

2,335

13,520

Retirement

1,203

6,993

TOTAL

9,509

74,262

2010

$ 46,532

$ 34,767

+ $ 11,765

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

25% 20% 15% 5% 0% PRE SCHOOL

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

Race

Pre School

% OF TOTAL

30%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

Median Income

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

South Region City of Kalamazoo

10%

Table 48: Population Distributed by Age Structure, 2010

SOUTH REGION

45% 35%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Table 46: Household Median Income Comparison, 2010

50% 40%

Table 44: Population, 2016 SOUTH REGION

Figure 18: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010

Figure 19: Race, South Region, 2010

White Black or African American Two or more races Some other race Asian American Indian and Alaskan Native Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

80% 12% 4% 2% 1% 0% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

As generally represented in the southern regions, the South region has a higher percentage of mature families and retirement aged persons than the city as a whole.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

111

SOUTH ACTION PLAN

South Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the South Park Planning Region. Table 49: Public Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within the South Region BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

WALKING TRAIL

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

QUANTITY

LOCATIONS

AMENITY

Crane Park

Blanche Hull Park Crane Park

RE COM M E NDE D SE RVI CE ARE A BOUNDARY

Comparison to State and National Standards

112

Mini Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

Table 50: South Region Park Land Acreage Analysis

It is also essential to consider the type of parks, their location, and their distribution throughout the South Region. When evaluating parks and recreation service areas, it is important to closely consider where the residents in the region live. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classiﬁcation to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities. The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left.

PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

SOUTH REGION RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN SOUTH REGION

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

2.6

- 2.6

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

20.8

10.43

- 10.37

Community Parks

5.0

- 52.0

The table to the right evaluates the South region’s park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reﬂect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. While the comparison above indicates a deﬁciency in several parks categories, the main concern is the lack of variety in the types of amenities offered by the parks in the region. Only tennis courts and walking trails are available. However, based on the demographic analysis, these amenities may be adequate for the population of this region. Further analysis of the suitability of each park is listed in the individual sections to follow.

Local Parks Subtotal

7.25

75.4

10.43

- 64.97

Natural Resource Area

Variable

69.64

+ 69.64

Large Urban Park

Variable

Regional Parks

10.0

104

- 104.0

Sports Complex

Variable

Special Use

Variable

Total

> 15.25

> 179.4

80.07

- 99.33

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

113

SOUTH ACTION PLAN

South Region Underserved Areas The South Park Planning Region has just one park “worth walking 10 minutes to get to” – Crane Park, which is in the far northern portion of the Planning Region. The Kleinstuck Preserve, owned by Western Michigan University, does provide some green space and amenities, and there are some school facilities, but overall walkable park spaces are not available, particularly south of Cork Street/Whites Road. Kalamazoo Country Club is a private facility that adds green space, but no public amenities. To reduce underserved areas in the South Planning Region, the Parks Department will do the following: • Upgrade amenities and improve access at Blanche Hull Park, so it offers more amenities to the immediate neighborhood. • Pursue partnerships with Hackett Catholic High School to allow public use of facilities.

Blanche Hull Park 114

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

115

SOUTH ACTION PLAN

Connectivity and Mobility to Parks The South Park Planning Region has a disconnected sidewalk system, although Crane Park is served by a continuous sidewalk network that reaches as far south as Fairview Avenue and as far east as Burdick Street. Blanche Hull Park is not safely accessible on foot from nearby neighborhoods. The sidewalk on busy Burdick Street only exists on the west side of the street, and there is no sidewalk along Pratt or Kilgore Roads, the only streets that connect through to Westnedge Avenue and neighborhoods further west. The Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan envisions the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail (KVRT) running through Blanche Hull Park. Upgrades to Blanche Hull will take advantage of that new amenity and access point. Bicycle infrastructure is also planned along Burdick Street. But no bicycle infrastructure is planned to connect to Crane Park. The main bike route through that area will run not on Westnedge Avenue, but on Bronson Blvd and Crosstown Parkway. Therefore, the mobility priorities in the South Planning Region are: â&#x20AC;˘ Implementing the Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan, including providing amenities and connections within Blanche Hull Park. â&#x20AC;˘ Providing a connection between the planned Bronson Blvd/ Crosstown Parkway bike way and Crane Park. Improving pedestrian access to Blanche Hull Park, through sidewalks on Kilgore Road and/or other east/west corridors.

Crane Park 116

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

117

SOUTH ACTION PLAN

Blanche Hull Park

A D D R ES S :

4225 S. Burdick Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

South Westnedge S I ZE :

69.64 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Master Plan

2020

Implement Master Plan

2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

118

COST

$ 1,975,000.00

FUNDING SOURCE

$250,000 Parks Department Funds, $1,400,000 Private, $300,000 DNR

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Blanche Hull Park is a natural haven for the City. It is the third largest park in the City and is the largest natural resource area. The park features walking trails beneath large shade trees and along the Portage Creek. It is accessible by car and on-street bike lanes on South Burdick Street. The park has dedicated parking from which you can enter access the trails.

Barrier Free Assessment: The Blanche Hull Park parking lot allows ample room for handicap parking and there is a paved trail head at the parking lot. However, many of the trails on the interior of the park are not paved.

Public Input: A Neighborhood Plan will be developed. Input will be collected during the neighborhood planning phase, and that will inform future improvements to the parks. Park improvement meetings will take place starting one year before planned improvements.

Action Plan: The City should improve the amenities while maintaining and enhancing the natural beauty of the park. Aspirations: The City anticipates improvements will be made in 20192020. Those improvements should include: • Signage at East Kilgore Road/ Lovers Lane intersection to identify Blanche Hull Park as a destination • Extend signage across Lovers Lane to create link between

Blanche Hull and Milham Park • Like Upjohn Park, Blanche Hull Park should incorporate Portage Creek as a thoughtful amenity by adding native plantings, wildlife habitat, butterﬂy garden, bat houses, and a lookout pier • Add signage throughout the park educating walkers about the natural features they are encountering

SOUTH ACTION PLAN

Crane Park

A D D R ES S :

2001 S. Westnedge Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Westnedge Hill S I ZE :

10.43 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Pathways,Tennis Courts, Furnishings, Landscaping

2020

Amenities: Crane Park features tennis courts, grassy lawn, paved walking trails, and shade trees throughout.

Barrier Free Assessment: Crane Park has perimeter sidewalks ensuring ease of access for the surrounding neighborhood, as well as paved paths on the interior of the park.

Public Input: Comments received related to Crane Park: • Replace the lilac bushes • Don’t add picnic facilities • Don’t allow parking on Grandview Avenue

2021

Additional input will be collected during the neighborhood planning phase and that will inform future improvements.

2022 2023

Action Plan: Crane Park has much potential for improvement based on its size alone. Crane Park is an ideal location to add recreation amenities lacking in the region such as a pavilion, picnic facilities, and permanent furnishings. Additionally, the City might include public art among the walking trails as well as signage which identiﬁes the species in the landscape.

Aspirations: The City has identiﬁed improvements to existing amenities at Crane Park for 2019. Amenities listed in the Action Plan should also be considered, however all improvements should be thoughtfully incorporated into the natural landscape of the park.

2024-2029 COST

$585,000

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

119

The Southwest Planning Area consists of 3.77 square miles or 15% off the total city are ea and is made up of ďŹ ve neig ghborhoods: Oakla and/Winchell, Colony Farm, Parkview Hills, Oakwood, and Hill Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Brook. Eight parks are located in the Southwest region: Angling Park Canyon Park Glen Park North Glen Park South Hillside Park Lake/Kensington Park Springmont Park Woods Lake Park These parks make up 14.8 86 acres of parkland, or 2.2 2% of the total parkland in the City.

Southwest Planning Region Action Plan

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Southwest Demographic Report A basic demographic analysis is provided to understand the speciﬁc characteristics of the Southwest Park Planning Region. Population

Age

The population density (persons/acre) for the Southwest region is similar to that of the City overall. The City has 4.72 persons/acre, and the Southwest region has 3.13 persons/acre. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 1.97, compared to the City’s 8.63.

The median age of the Southwest region’s population is above the median age of the City.

2016

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

7,559

75,885

10%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Households Similar to population, the Southwest region makes up 12% of the total households in the City. Table 52: Households, 2016

2016

SOUTHWEST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

3,345

28,557

12%

50% 45%

Southwest Region City of Kalamazoo

40%

Table 54: Median Age Comparison, 2010

Table 51: Population, 2016 SOUTHWEST REGION

Figure 20: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010

2010

35%

SOUTHWEST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

40.8

26.5

+ 14.3

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

30% 25% 20% 15% 10%

To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings: • • • • •

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature families) Over 65 (Retirement)

5% 0% PRE SCHOOL

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

Race

The chart below compares the age structure of the speciﬁed region with that of the City of Kalamazoo.

Similar to the other southern regions, the Southwest region is less diverse than the city as a whole. 85% of the population is white while 9% of the population is African American.

Table 55: Population Distributed by Age Structure, 2010 Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Figure 21: Race, Southwest Region, 2010 SOUTHWEST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

Median Income

Pre School

468

4,787

The median income of the Southwest region is well above that of the city as a whole.

School Aged

1,202

15,573

Family-Forming

2,342

33,389

Mature Families

1,974

13,520

Retirement

1,305

6,993

TOTAL

7,291

74,262

Table 53: Household Median Income Comparison, 2010

2010

SOUTHWEST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

$ 57,134

$ 34,767

+ $22,367

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

White Black or African American Two or more races Asian Some other race American Indian and Alaskan Native Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

85% 9% 3% 2% 1% 0% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

As generally represented in the southern regions, the Southwest region has a higher percentage of mature families and retirement aged persons than the city as a whole.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

123

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Southwest Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the Southwest Park Planning Region. Table 56: Public Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within the Southwest Region BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

WALKING TRAIL

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

QUANTITY

Woods Lake Park

LOCATIONS

AMENITY

Woods Lake Park

Springmont Park

RE COM M E NDE D SE RVI CE ARE A BOUNDARY

Comparison to State and National Standards

124

Mini Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

Table 57: Southwest Region Park Land Acreage Analysis

It is also essential to consider the type of parks, their location, and their distribution throughout the Southwest Region. When evaluating parks and recreation service areas, it is important to closely consider where the residents in the region live. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classiﬁcation to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities. The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left.

PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE PER 1,000 RESIDENTS

SOUTHWEST REGION RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN SOUTHWEST REGION

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

1.89

8.52

+ 6.63

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

15.12

6.34

- 8.78

Community Parks

5.0

37.8

- 37.8

The table to the right evaluates the Southwest region’s park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reﬂect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. The comparison above indicates a deﬁciency in all of parks categories, and furthermore, the demographic analysis supports the main concern: this region does not offer enough park acreage. However, the facilities analysis does indicate the region is fairly well served by recreation amenities. Further analysis of the suitability of each park is listed in the individual sections to follow.

Local Parks Subtotal

7.25

54.81

14.86

- 39.95

Natural Resource Area

Variable

Large Urban Park

Variable

Regional Parks

10.0

Sports Complex

Variable

Special Use

Variable

Total

> 15.25

75.6

> 130.41

14.86

- 75.6

- 115.55

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

125

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Southwest Region Underserved Areas The Southwest Park Planning Region has just one park “worth walking 10 minutes to get to”—Woods Lake Park. Asylum Lake, owned by Western Michigan University, is also a popular amenity, but overall walkable public park spaces are not available. The Parkview Hills neighborhood does have park spaces that are available to its residents, but not to the public at large. To reduce underserved areas in the Southwest Planning Region, the Parks Department will do the following: • Pursue partnerships with Western Michigan University to add neighborhood amenities to Asylum Lake. • Work with the County Land Bank and other partners to identify opportunities for acquisition, to construct a neighborhood park in or near the Oakwood neighborhood, with more amenities than Springmont Park.

Woods Lake Park 126

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

127

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Connectivity and Mobility to Parks The Southwest Park Planning Region has sidewalks in only a few places, including portions of the Oakwood neighborhood and streets near Oakland Drive. Woods Lake Park is somewhat served by sidewalks – the sidewalks along Oakland Drive end at the park entrance and do not continue across the frontage. There is also a crosswalk in the area that is not ADA accessible. The Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan envisions bicycle infrastructure on key corridors in the Oakland/Winchell neighborhood, including Winchell Avenue, Chevy Chase Blvd, and Wellington Road, which will connect to the existing bike lanes on Oakland Drive and provide access to Woods Lake Park. Bike infrastructure is also planned along Portage Avenue. Therefore, the mobility priorities in the Southwest Planning Region are: • Implementing the Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan. • Improving pedestrian and bicycle access to Woods Lake Park. • Ensuring that Oakland Drive is a true Complete Street, designed to be safe and efficient for pedestrians and cyclists throughout the entire corridor.

Springmont Park 128

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

129

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Angling Park

A D D R ES S :

2501 Angling Road N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Hill N’ Brook S I ZE :

1.85 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

No Planned Improvements – Maintain as Green space

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

130

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Angling Park is located along West Portage Creek beside Angling Road in southwest Kalamazoo. Angling Park is a green space with no amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: There are no accessible connections on the exterior of the park or to the interior.

Public Input: General comments were received regarding connectivity and parks in the region. The public wants to see: • Designated pedestrian crossing across Parkview Avenue west of Oakland Drive • Sidewalks added to northside of Parkview Avenue • Expand the amount of open space in the Hill N’ Brook neighborhood.

Action Plan: Ongoing lawn maintenance is required. However, some lawn might be replaced with rain gardens, bioswales, and native plantings so as to reduce impacts on water quality and wildlife habitat. Aspirations: Long-term improvements to the park might include measures to increase accessibility. The City might acquire additional easement around the creek to create a shared use path. A volunteer organization might be utilized to build an accessible

ﬂoating lookout to better enjoy the natural features of the creek. The park and Angling Road should be connected to the city bicycle path network using an improved shoulder or separated shared use path. However, paved improvements to the site should be used sparingly to maintain the natural landscape and on-site drainage.

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Canyon Park

A D D R ES S :

2915 Wellington Road N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Oakland / Winchell S I ZE :

1.2 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

No Planned Improvements – Maintain as Green space

Amenities: Canyon Park is a wooded green space with no amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: There are no accessible connections on the exterior of the park or to the interior of the park.

Public Input: General comments were received regarding connectivity and parks in the area. The public wants to see: • Designated pedestrian crossing across Parkview Avenue west of Oakland Drive • Sidewalks added to northside of Parkview Avenue • Expand the amount of open space in the Oakwood neighborhood.

Aspirations: Minimal improvements should be made to Canyon Park and tree canopy should be maintained. Dead or diseased trees and brush should be removed to facilitate new growth. Walking trails as well as picnic facilities should be considered for this park. A trail network should be considered to connect Canyon Park, Glen Park North, Glen Park South, Hillside Park, and Lake / Kensington Park.

COST FUNDING SOURCE

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

131

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Glen Park North

A D D R ES S :

2731 Wellington Road N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Oakland / Winchell S I ZE :

0.9 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

No Planned Improvements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Maintain as Green space

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

132

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Glen Park North is a wooded green space with no amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: There are no accessible connections on the exterior of the park or to the interior of the park.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in making Glen Park North a respite area, with benches and other amenities.

Aspirations: Minimal improvements should be made to Glen Park North and tree canopy should be maintained. Dead or diseased trees and brush should be removed to facilitate new growth. Walking trails as well as picnic facilities should be considered for this park. A trail network should be considered to connect Canyon Park, Glen Park North, Glen Park South, Hillside Park, and Lake / Kensington Park.

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Glen Park South

A D D R ES S :

2700 Parkview Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Oakland / Winchell S I ZE :

2.06 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

No Planned Improvements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Maintain as Green space

Amenities: Glen Park South is a wooded green space with no amenities just to the south of Glen Park North.

Barrier Free Assessment: There are no accessible connections on the exterior of the park or to the interior of the park.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in making Glen Park North a respite area, with benches and other amenities.

Aspirations: Minimal improvements should be made to Glen Park South and tree canopy should be maintained. Dead or diseased trees and brush should be removed to facilitate new growth. Walking trails as well as picnic facilities should be considered for this park. A trail network should be considered to connect Canyon Park, Glen Park North, Glen Park South, Hillside Park, and Lake / Kensington Park.

COST FUNDING SOURCE

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

133

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Hillside Park

A D D R ES S :

2920 Brooklyn Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Oakland / Winchell S I ZE :

1.4 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

No Planned Improvements – Maintain as Green space

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

134

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Hillside Park is a wooded green space with no amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: There are no accessible connections on the exterior of the park or to the interior of the park.

Aspirations: Aspirations: Minimal improvements should be made to Hillside Park and tree canopy should be maintained. Dead or diseased trees and brush should be removed to facilitate new growth. Walking trails as well as picnic facilities should be considered for this park. A trail network should be considered to connect Canyon Park, Glen Park North, Glen Park South, Hillside Park, and Lake / Kensington Park.

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Lake/Kensington Park

A D D R ES S :

2435 Kensington Drive N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Oakland / Winchell S I ZE :

0.88 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

1 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Amenities: Lake / Kensington Park features a lakefront green space and look out pier. This park is an ideal location for ﬁshing. Barrier Free Assessment: Lake / Kensington Park largely inaccessible. The park offers no paved or hard surfaces to access the ﬁshing pier or lakefront.

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

No Planned Improvements

FUNDING SOURCE

No Planned Improvements

Public Input: No speciﬁc comments were received related to Lake / Kensington Park, but the quality of the lake and accessibility around it were discussed in detail. In regards

to Woods Lake, the public wants to see:

In regards to connectivity in the area, the public wants to see:

• Native plantings added to beautify the lake and add a low maintenance element • Prevention and limitation of the amount of salt run-off into the lake • Improve lake quality after being impacted by salt run-off • Dredge shallow parts of lake • Removal of lily pads from east end of Woods Lake to allow for ﬁshing and boating

• Designated pedestrian crossing across Parkview Ave. west of Oakland Dr. • Sidewalks added to north side of Parkview Ave. There were also several comments received requesting to expand the amount of open space in the Oakwood neighborhood.

Action Plan: As identiﬁed in the public comment, Lake / Kensington Park should strive to improve accessibility and connectivity with the surrounding neighborhood. As a green space on a lake, this is a great alternative to visiting Woods Lake Park.

Aspirations: The City does not have any planned improvements for Lake / Kensington Park during the planning period. However, if the City does receive additional funding small improvements such as permanent furnishings and a paved or hard surface path could encourage more visitors to the park. Large improvements that should be considered improving the connectivity of the surrounding neighborhoods.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

135

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Springmont Park

A D D R ES S :

2416 Springmont Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Oakwood S I ZE :

0.23 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019

Furnishings, Playground

2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

136

COST

$40,000

FUNDING SOURCE

CDBG

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Springmont Park is a tot lot occupying a residential lot. The park offers a fenced in green space, slide, swingset, park benches and picnic table. Large shade trees are on the perimeter.

Barrier Free Assessment: Springmont Park has a perimeter sidewalk along Springmont Ave. but there are no hard surfaces on the interior of the park.

Public Input: General comments were received regarding connectivity and parks in the area. The public wants to see: • Designated pedestrian crossing across Parkview Ave. west of Oakland Dr. • Sidewalks added to northside of Parkview Ave. • Expand the amount of open space in the Oakwood neighborhood. The Oakwood Neighborhood Plan draft identiﬁes the Springmont Park

to complete sidewalk in front of the tot lot and upgrade the playground equipment. Action Plan: Springmont Park is an important asset to the surrounding neighborhood, and the City should strive to make Springmont Park a park worth a ﬁve minute walk.

Aspirations: The City plans to make improvements to the furnishings and playground at Springmont Park in 2019. These should be combined with accessibility improvements such as accessible paths, picnic facilities, play structure, and signage near the park signifying “kids at play.”

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

Woods Lake Park

A D D R ES S :

2900 Oakland Drive N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Oakland / Winchell S I ZE :

6.34 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018

Restroom, Shelter, Playground, Pathways, Overlook, Fishing Area, Parking

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

Previously Expended

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

Amenities: Located off of Oakland Drive in south west Kalamazoo. Woods Lake Park has a recently installed playground, a swimming beach on Woods Lake, new restrooms, drinking fountains, and pavilion. Barrier Free Assessment: Improvements were made to make Woods Lake Park accessible. The main parking area is above the park, located at street level. However, a driveway leads to the lake below where only handicap vehicles are allowed. Paved paths connect the parking lot with a large pavilion, accessible restrooms, and water fountains.

Public Input: Two engagement sessions were held at Woods Lake Park. The ﬁrst was on July 10, 2018 and the second was held on August 14, 2018. These sessions were well attended and numerous comments were received regarding the park, the lake, and connecting to the surrounding neighborhoods. In regards to Woods Lake Park, the public wants to see: • Native plantings • Add a retaining wall • Alternative to steps/less steps • Splashpad • Beginner/learn to swim area

In regards to Woods Lake, the public wants to see: • Native plantings added to beautify the lake and add a low maintenance element • Prevention and limitation of the amount of salt run-off into the lake • Improve lake quality after being impacted by salt run-off • Dredge shallow parts of lake • Removal of lily pads from east end of Woods Lake to allow for ﬁshing and boating

In regards to connectivity in the area, the public wants to see: • Designated pedestrian crossing across Oakland Dr. • Sidewalks added to west side of Oakland Dr. There were also several comments received requesting to expand the amount of open space in the Oakwood neighborhood. Action Plan: As one of only two city parks with beach access, the City should continue to promote Woods Lake Park and program appropriate activities.

Aspirations: Woods Lake Park recently underwent improvements to the restrooms, shelter, playground, pathways, overlook, ﬁshing area, and accessible parking area next to the shelter. Continued maintenance of the equipment and facilities should be completed. Future improvements to Woods Lake Park should focus on improving the quality of the lake and improving the connectivity of the surrounding area.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

137

SOUTHWEST ACTION PLAN

138

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

The West Plan nning Are ea consistss of 3.7 77 square milles or 15% of th he total citty arrea a and is mad de up of ďŹ ve e neig ghborhoods: Westtwood, Arcadia, Knolllwood, WMU/KRPH, and West Main Hill. Eleven parks are located in the West re egion: Academy Green Colllege Park Hend derson Gree en Hend derso on Park Hende erson Tot Lot Jones Park k Lovell Stre eet Park West Main Parrk West Gatew way Park Frays Park Knollwood Park Th hese park ks mak ke up 38.6 61 acres of parkland, or 6% of the total parkland in the City.

West Planning Region Action Plan

WEST ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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WEST ACTION PLAN

West Demographic Report A basic demographic analysis is provided to understand the speciﬁc characteristics of the West Park Planning Region.

Population

Age

The population density (persons/acre) for the West region is above that of the City overall. The City has 4.72 persons/acre, and the West region has 8.62 persons/acre. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 1.90, compared to the City’s 8.63.

The median age of the West region’s population is below the median age of the City.

60%

Table 61: Median Age Comparison, 2010

50%

Table 58: Population, 2016

2016

WEST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

20,808

75,885

27%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

The population density (persons/acre) for the North region is similar to that of the city overall. However, the park acres per 1,000 residents in the region is 21.4, compared to the city’s 8.63.

2010

Figure 22: Age Structure as a Percentage of the Whole, 2010

WEST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

40%

22.5

26.5

- 4.0

30%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census and 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

To compare age structure, the population is divided into the following groupings:

Households

• • • • •

Similar to population, the West region makes up 21% of the total households in the City.

The chart below compares the age structure of the speciﬁed region with that of the City of Kalamazoo.

Table 59: Households, 2016

2016

Under 5 (Pre School) 5 to 19 (School Aged) 20 to 44 (Family-Forming) 45 to 64 (Mature families) Over 65 (Retirement)

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

% OF TOTAL

6,033

28,557

21%

Pre School

WEST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

574

4,787

School Aged

4,919

15,573

Median Income

Family-Forming

11,880

33,389

Mature Families

1,471

13,520

Retirement

953

6,993

TOTAL

19,797

74,262

10% 0% PRE SCHOOL

SCHOOL AGED

FAMILY-FORMING

MATURE FAMILIES

RETIREMENT

The West region is predominantly white with 79% of the population, but also 12% of the population is African American and 4% of the population is Asian. Figure 23: Race, West Region, 2010

White Black or African American Asian Two or more races Some other race American Indian and Alaskan Native Native Hawaiian and Other Paciﬁc Islander

79% 12% 4% 3% 2% 0% 0%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

Table 60: Household Median Income Comparison, 2010

2010

20%

Race

Source: US Census Bureau, 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

The median income of the West region is well below the median income of the City as a whole.

West Region City of Kalamazoo

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

Table 62: Population Distributed by Age Structure, 2010

WEST REGION

70%

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

WEST REGION

CITY OF KALAMAZOO

DIFFERENCE

$ 26,733

$ 34,767

- $8,034

As expected, because this region is the home of Western Michigan University, the predominant population age groups for the West region are school aged and family-forming.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2010 Census

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

141

WEST ACTION PLAN

West Park Service Analysis The table below shows the publicly owned facilities available in the West Park Planning Region. Table 63: Public Owned and/or Operated Recreation Facilities within the West Region BASEBALL / SOFTBALL FIELDS

BASKETBALL COURTS

SOCCER FIELD

TENNIS COURTS

PAVILIONS

PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT

WALKING TRAIL

PICNIC FACILITIES (TABLES AND GRILLS)

NATURE EDUCATION

RESTROOMS

SKATE PARK

QUANTITY

Henderson Tot Lot

Knollwood Park

Frays Park

Henderson Tot Lot

Knollwood Park

Frays Park

Henderson Tot Lot

LOCATIONS

AMENITY

Woods Lake Park

Henderson Tot Lot

RE COM M E NDE D SE RVI CE ARE A BOUNDARY

Comparison to State and National Standards

142

Mini Parks / Neighborhood Parks 0.25 – 0.5 miles Community Parks / Natural Resource Area 0.5 – 3.0 miles Large Urban Parks / Regional Parks / Sports Complex / Special Use 30 minute driving time

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

AC R EAGE AN ALYS IS

It is also essential to consider the type of parks, their location, and their distribution throughout the West Region. When evaluating parks and recreation service areas, it is important to closely consider where the residents in the region live. The MDNR establishes a recommended service area for each park classification to determine the areas in the community that are lacking easy access to parks and facilities. The service area boundary for each type of park is shown to the left. The table to the right evaluates West Region park acreage in comparison to national guidelines for communities throughout the State. However, the standards are general in nature and do not reflect the quality of the facilities, the character of the community or other local differences that affect community recreation facility needs. Thus, in evaluating the results, the actual conditions and trends present in the City must be taken into account. The comparison above indicates a deficiency in all of parks categories, and furthermore, the demographic analysis supports the main concern: this region does not offer enough park acreage. In summary, the region occupies 15% of the total area, 27% of the total population and 6% of the total parkland. However, the facilities analysis does indicate the region is fairly well served by recreation amenities, in addition to those other amenities provided. Further analysis of the suitability of each park is listed in the individual sections to follow.

Table 64: West Region Park Land Acreage Analysis PARK CLASSIFICATION

NRPA GUIDELINE ACREAGE WEST REGION PER 1,000 RESIDENTS RECOMMENDED ACREAGE

ACTUAL ACREAGE IN WEST REGION

SURPLUS/ DEFICIENCY

Mini-Parks

0.25

5.2

7.87

+ 2.67

Neighborhood Parks

2.0

41.6

11.04

- 30.56

Community Parks

5.0

104

19.7

- 84.3

Local Parks Subtotal

7.25

150.8

38.61

- 112.19

Natural Resource Area

Variable

Large Urban Park

Variable

Regional Parks

10.0

Sports Complex

Variable

Special Use

Variable

Total

> 15.25

- 208.0

208

> 358.8

38.61

- 320.19

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

143

WEST ACTION PLAN

West Region Underserved Areas The West Main Hill neighborhood is one of the best served neighborhoods for walkable parks in the City, with the Henderson Tot Lot in walking distance for most of the neighborhood (though awkward to access due to its location on an alley). There is also a nearby Kalamazoo Township Park, and smaller green spaces such as Henderson Park, and Lovell Street Park. The rest of the West Park Planning Region, however, only has two parks “worth walking 10 minutes to get to” – Knollwood Park and Frays Park. However, they are far apart from each other, and outside of their ﬁve minute walk zones, there are no walkable parks. Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College have recreational facilities, but those are designed for students and employees of the schools. There are also public school facilities in the Planning Region (Arcadia Elementary School and Linden Grove Middle School). To reduce underserved areas in the West Planning Region, the Parks Department will do the following: • Pursue partnerships with the School District and the Universities to allow public use of campus facilities. • Work with the Planning Department to require amenities for residents in new residential developments.

Frays Park 144

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

WEST ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

145

WEST ACTION PLAN

Connectivity and Mobility to Parks The West Park Planning Region has sidewalk in the West Main Hill neighborhood, but only sparsely through the rest of the Planning Region. Frays Park is not served by sidewalks, nor is Knollwood Park. The Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan envisions bicycle infrastructure along Academy Street in West Main Hill, which would serve the parks in that area, but planned bike routes along Stadium Drive and Howard Street/Arboretum Parkway would not serve any parks. Therefore, the mobility priorities in the West Planning Region are: • Implementing the Imagine Kalamazoo non-motorized trails plan. • Construct sidewalk near Frays Park, particularly on Piccadilly and Stafford Roads. • Improve pedestrian access to Knollwood Park, particularly on Lafayette Avenue and Westbrook Street.

West Main Park 146

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

WEST ACTION PLAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

147

WEST ACTION PLAN

Academy Green

A D D R ES S

1520 Academy Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

0.17 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

No Planned Improvements – Maintain as Green space

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

148

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Academy Green is a green space with no amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: The park is accessible by way of a sidewalk adjacent to Academy Street. A curb cut at the corner of Henderson and Academy allows pedestrians access to the park.

Public Input: Residents envisioned making Academy Green into an active recreation area, with a community garden and playground.

Action Plan: Located in a residential neighborhood, the sidewalk surrounding Academy Green has the potential to be well used. The Green would be an ideal location to place a park bench to allow walkers a place to rest.

Aspirations: This park has the potential to be a shared community space. Neighbors should be encouraged to use the space as a community garden including perennial native plantings, annual ﬂower beds, and a produce garden. If successful, the City might consider improving the sidewalk and installing a water faucet. Allowing the neighbors to take over the space would reduce the City’s role in maintaining the property, and create an added amenity to the neighborhood.

WEST ACTION PLAN

College Park

A D D R ES S :

840 W. Michigan Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

1.01 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

Amenities: College Park is a green space with paved paths throughout.

Barrier Free Assessment: College Park has crosswalks, ramps, and warning strips at all street intersections which connect to the paved path on the interior.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in outdoor ﬁtness equipment in College Park.

Action Plan: South Gateway Park should continue to be maintained including using seasonal or landscaping displays that are changed throughout the year.

Aspirations: Some lawn should be replaced with rain gardens, bioswales, and native and perennial plantings so as to improve water quality, improve aesthetics, and minimize lawn mowing.

No Planned Improvements – Maintain as Green space

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

149

WEST ACTION PLAN

Frays Park

A D D R ES S :

4400 Canterbury Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Westwood S I ZE :

11.04 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

4 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018

Pathways, Furnishings, Tennis Courts, Pickleball

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

150

COST

Previously Expended

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Located in between Piccadilly Rd. and Stafford Rd., Frays Park has a recently installed pathways, tennis court, pickleball, and furnishings. Additionally, there is a large green space with shade trees throughout. To enter the park, there is street parking on Piccadilly Rd. and Stafford Rd., with a nonmotorized path entrance from Canterbury Ave. The main entrance to the park is from Piccadilly Rd. at Canterbury Ave.

Barrier Free Assessment: The improved paths and accessible play surfaces have increased the accessibility of Frays Park. The City is encouraged to add accessible furnishings such as picnic tables, water fountains, and accessible play equipment.

Public Input: Comments speciﬁc to Frays Park were received: • Improve maintenance • Build a splash pad • Add soccer nets to Frays Park Additional input will be collected during the neighborhood planning phase and that will inform future improvements to the parks.

Action Plan: Due to recent improvements at Frays Park, maintenance of the facilities should be a priority.

Aspirations: Should the City pursue additional improvements to Frays Park, as a park “worth walking 10 minutes to get to”, permanent restrooms, a pavilion, and permanent nets or a back stop for a ball ﬁeld are worthwhile amenities.

WEST ACTION PLAN

Henderson Green

A D D R ES S :

1300 Grand Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

1.4 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

No Planned Improvements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Maintain as Green space

Amenities: Henderson Green is a green space with no amenities

Barrier Free Assessment: Curb cuts and the sidewalk to the west allow access to the park, however, there are no connections to the interior of the park.

Action Plan: Lawn maintenance should be the short-term goal for this park. Additionally, the sidewalk at the southwest corner of the park should be extended across to the east.

Aspirations: A park bench should be located along the sidewalk and lawn should be replaced with rain gardens, bioswales, and native and perennial plantings so as to improve water quality, improve aesthetics, and minimize lawn mowing.

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

151

WEST ACTION PLAN

Henderson Park

A D D R ES S :

1500 Grand Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

0.71 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

152

COST

No Planned Improvements

FUNDING SOURCE

No Planned Improvements

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Henderson Park is a triangular park located at the point of Prospect St. and Grand Ave. It features a green space of mowed lawn, community garden, pollinator garden, and shade trees throughout.

Barrier Free Assessment: There are no sidewalks surrounding the park or crosswalks to the park. The park has largely ďŹ&#x201A;at terrain, but the interior of the park is unimproved with no paved paths.

Action Plan: Henderson Park should continue to offer surrounding neighborhoods an open green space suitable for walking and passive recreation and incorporate landscaping or monuments that are unique to the neighborhood. This is an ideal location for the community garden and the variety of plantings should be expanded upon.

Aspirations: The City has no planned improvements for Henderson Park. However, the City should consider minor improvements such as a sidewalk along Grand Ave., park benches along the paths, educational recreation such as chess boards, and a pedestrian crossing across Grant Ave.

WEST ACTION PLAN

Henderson Tot Lot

A D D R ES S :

1601 Henderson Court N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

1.1 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

ACTION PLAN 2014-2018

Playground, Basketball, Pickleball, Gaga Pit, Shelter, Furnishings

2019 2020 2021 2022

Amenities: Located in the cul-desac of Henderson Ct, Henderson Tot Lot has a recently installed playground, basketball court, pickleball, gaga pit, pavilion, and furnishings.

Barrier Free Assessment: Upgraded playground equipment, furnishings, and design allows for additional accessibility, although some portions of the playground are not accessible.

Public Input: Residents enjoy this park’s children’s facilities, but asked that more facilities be added for all ages, including a community garden and outdoor ﬁtness equipment.

Action Plan: With the recent improvements at Henderson Tot Lot, maintenance of the facilities should be a priority.

Aspirations: Henderson Tot Lot should strive for complete connectivity to the surrounding neighborhood including a connected sidewalk network. Additionally, as recommended by public input, Henderson Tot Lot should consider improvements that include activities for adults..

2023 2024-2029 COST

Previously Expended

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

153

WEST ACTION PLAN

Jones Park

A D D R ES S :

1601 Academy Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

1.6 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

No Planned Improvements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Maintain as Green space

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST FUNDING SOURCE

154

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Jones Park is a green space with minimal amenities.

Barrier Free Assessment: Curb cuts and the sidewalk on the north allow access to the park, however, there are no connections to the interior of the park.

Action Plan: Lawn maintenance should be the short-term goal for this park. Additionally, the sidewalk should be extended around the perimeter of the park.

Aspirations: Park benches and picnic facilities should be located along the sidewalk. Some lawn should be replaced with rain gardens, bioswales, and native and perennial plantings so as to improve water quality, improve aesthetics, and minimize lawn mowing.

WEST ACTION PLAN

Knollwood Park

A D D R ES S :

4400 Canterbury Avenue N E I GH BO R H O O D :

Westwood S I ZE :

11.04 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Neighborhood Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018

Pathways, Furnishings, Tennis, Courts, Pickleball

2019 2020 2021

Master Plan

2022

Implement Master Plan

2023 2024-2029 COST

$ 10,000 for plan + implementation costs

FUNDING SOURCE

Parks Department Funds/ Grants

Amenities: Knollwood Park features a wooded disc golf course, which is one of two in the city. There is a large green space, a playground, picnic tables, and paths throughout. Access to the park is from on-street parking on Lafayette Ave. or dedicated parking off of Westbrook St.

Barrier Free Assessment: Though there are paths throughout, many of them are not paved, and persons may have difficulty reaching the amenities on the interior of the park.

Action Plan: Knollwood Park is considered “a park worth walking 10 minutes to”. The disc gold course is a desirable amenity, especially due to the Park’s proximity to WMU and Kalamazoo College, however improvements should be considered to encourage increased activity at the park.

Aspirations: The City will begin Master Planning efforts for Knollwood Park in 2021-2022. Recommended improvements include paved paths throughout, permanent ball ﬁeld facilities, accessible play equipment and furnishings, restrooms, water fountains, a pavilion, disc gold course signage, and improved nonmotorized connections to the park both from Lafayette Ave. and Westbrook St.

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

155

WEST ACTION PLAN

Lovell Street Park

A D D R ES S :

1101 W. Lovell Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

1.27 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

2 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

156

COST

No Planned Improvements

FUNDING SOURCE

No Planned Improvements

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: Lovell Street Park is a triangular park located at the point of W. Lovell St. and Eldred St. It features a green space, picnic benches, landscaping and shade trees throughout. The park also has a trail running adjacent to the railroad tracks which connects to the Western Michigan University campus southwest of the park.

Barrier Free Assessment: The park is accessible by way of a sidewalks and paved paths on all sides. An unimproved curb cut at the corner of W. Lovell St. and the railroad tracks. allows pedestrians access to the park. The interior of the park is unimproved with no paved paths.

Public Input: Residents expressed interest in a community garden and ďŹ&#x201A;exible outdoor seating at Lovell Street Park. Due to Lovell Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proximity to Kalamazoo College and Western University, technology improvements suggested for all the parks should be incorporated here.

Action Plan: Lovell Park should continue to offer surrounding neighborhoods an open green space suitable for walking and passive recreation and incorporate landscaping or monuments that are unique to the neighborhood.

Aspirations: The City has no planned improvements for Lovell Park. However, the City should consider minor improvements such as park benches along the paths, signage along the WMU trail, educational recreation such as chess boards, and an improved pedestrian crossing across W. Lovell St.

WEST ACTION PLAN

West Gateway Park

A D D R ES S :

Stadium Drive / Lovell Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

0.5 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021

Amenities: West Gateway Park features a large monument, street trees, brick pavers, and landscaping. The park is a decorative addition to the region.

Barrier Free Assessment: West Gateway has crosswalks, ramps, and warning strips at all street intersections which connect to the paved path on the interior. However, the monuments have step entry with no ramp access.

Action Plan: West Gateway Park should continue to be maintained including seasonal or landscaping displays that is changed throughout the year.

Aspirations: As an entrance to the West Main Hill neighborhood, West Gateway Park could incorporate additional signage, monuments, or displays that are unique to the West Main Hill neighborhood.

2022 2023 2024-2029 COST

No Planned Improvements

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

157

WEST ACTION PLAN

West Main Park

A D D R ES S :

800 W. Main Street N E I GH BO R H O O D :

West Main Hill S I ZE :

0.11 Acres CLASSIFICATION:

Mini-Park ACCES S I BI L I T Y SCORE :

3 ACTION PLAN 2014-2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024-2029

158

COST

No Planned Improvements

FUNDING SOURCE

Previously Expended

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Amenities: West Main Park is an urban pocket park at the intersection of West Main Street, Elm Street, and the railroad tracks. Amenities include park benches, a drinking fountain, and shade trees. On-site signage identiďŹ es the park. This park brings green space in to the urban landscape.

Barrier Free Assessment: The site has sidewalks along both Elm Street and West Main Street with a curb cut at the intersection. The surrounding area is connected via sidewalks. The site does have a park bench but it is located in the back, middle unreachable by sidewalks. The bench should be moved alongside the sidewalk to allow pedestrians a place to sit.

Public Input: Residents envisioned making West Main Park a rest area for people walking or biking through the city, inclduing adding a dog waste station, additional pathways, and outdoor ďŹ tness equipment.

Action Plan: The sidewalk should continue to be maintained to promote connectivity with the surrounding area, and the park bench should be moved alongside the sidewalk.

Aspirations: The environmental impact of the site could be enhanced. With the Arcadia Creek adjacent to the site, green infrastructure could be incorporated to improve drainage, water quality, and visual aesthetics.

IK2025 Five Minute Green Space Goal

FIVE MINUTE GREENSPACE GOAL

5-Minute Walk Analysis One of the goals of Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 is that all City residents should be within a five minute walk of public green space. Imagine Fun! supports that goal, and also includes a related goal–that all residents should be within 10 minutes of a park with significant active recreational amenities (a “park worth walking 10 minutes to”). But those two goals are different, and this section analyzes the existing inventory of public green space (both city and non-city owned) against the five minute standard. On the following pages are two maps. The first shows a quarter mile radius around each public green space in the City. The second shows vacant land that could, potentially, be acquired for more public green space. This document has detailed significant portions of the City that either do not meet the “10 Minutes to a Park worth walking 10 Minutes to” standard or the “5 Minutes to Green Space” standard – or both. The Parks and Recreation Department is committed to working with community partners to fill those gaps, in the following ways: Improve amenities in parks, as envisioned by this plan, to create more parks that are “worth walking 10 minutes to.” • Work with other City departments and other public entities (such as Kalamazoo Public Schools or Western Michigan University) to increase public access to green space that is not maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department. • Determine, when undeveloped land becomes available, if it would help fill a gap identified by this plan, and consider acquiring it if funding is available.

Woods Lake Park 160

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

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Background Information

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Description and Mission The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) is a City Commission appointed advisory board consisting of nine voting members, all of whom shall be residents of the City of Kalamazoo and at least two members shall be 15-17 years of age. The general duties of the board shall be to advise the City Manager and the City Commission regarding parks and recreation planning and programming. Applications for PRAB are available at the City Clerk’s Office or online through the City Clerk Department.

Description of Community Input Process The public engagement process for Imagine Fun! Involved events throughout the summer of 2018. McKenna and OCBA along with the Parks and Recreation Department at the City of Kalamazoo held four field day events specifically to discuss Imagine Fun! in addition to attending multiple lunch time live and movies in the park events. The four field day events were held on the following days: • June 12, 2018 at La Crone Park • June 23, 2018 at Southside Park • July 10, 2018 at Woods Lake Park • July 26, 2018 at Rockwell Park A fifth engagement session was held on August 14, 2018 at Woods Lake Park in order to collect feedback from the members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Members of the public were encouraged to attend. Each session was well attended by the public and. outreach efforts will continue as the Park Improvement Process is implemented. Imagine Fun! in recognition of Imagine Kalamazoo 2025, was informed by the input received for the Master Plan and the input by the individual neighborhood plans available as of 2018. Input from each source was incorporated into each park’s section.

164

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Description of Planning Process The City of Kalamazoo is pursuing Parks and Recreation Plan to organize and articulate the community’s vision. Citizen input played a critical role in the development of the Plan. As a result, recommendations described within the action plan reﬂect the needs and ideas of those who use the City’s parks and recreation facilities. The process included seven tasks that are discussed below. Task One: Community Description. The ﬁrst task was to obtain a description of the City of Kalamazoo’s demographic characteristics. These features include population characteristics such as age distribution and household size. The Community Description can be found in Chapter 1.

Task Two: Parks and Recreation Inventory.

Task Three: Administrative Structure and Funding.

The parks and recreation inventory includes written descriptions of facilities in the City of Kalamazoo, as well as recreational amenities operated by other entities in Kalamazoo County. The information includes the acreage, barrierfree accessibility, types of recreation facilities, and other descriptions of the physical attributes of the area’s facilities. The Inventory can be found in Chapter 2-9.

The administrative structure of the City’s parks and recreation facilities, and well as budget and funding information, can be found in Chapter 10.

Task Four: Public Participation.

Task Five: Analysis.

Task Six: Action Plan.

The following public participation methods were conducted throughout the process of preparing the Plan:

Based on the data collected in tasks one through four, the information was analyzed in accordance with national and state guidelines, local needs, the experience of City staff and consultants, the desires of the residents, and potential funding sources.

Taking into account the analysis, goals and objectives and public input results, a ﬁve-year plan was created. The Plan provides the City a checklist of what action is to be accomplished, when and where it will occur, who will accomplish it, how much it will cost, and potential funding sources. The Goals and Objectives and Action Plan of this plan can be found in Chapter 1.

• Public Outreach – The Imagine Fun! team collected in-person feedback at Lunchtime Live, Movies in the Park, and Field Day events during the summer of 2018. A summary of the input for each park is listed in the individual park sections, with full results in the Appendix.

Task Seven: Plan Completion and Adoption. The Park Committee approved the draft plan to be made available to the public on October 26, 2017. The Public Review Period lasted from October 26, 2017 to January 9, 2019. A Public Hearing was held by the City Council on January 21, 2018, and the plan was adopted that night.

• Survey – A survey was made available to City residents in the summer of 2018. Selected results can be found in Chapter 10, with full results in the Appendix. • Review Period – October 26, 2017 to January 9, 2019 • Public Hearing – January 9, 2019

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

165

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Park Improvement Process The process to improve a park in the City of Kalamazoo will follow the process listed below. A project like Davis Street Park or Henderson Tot Lot (small neighborhood parks) will begin approximately 12 months prior to the start of construction. The process to improve a larger park like Spring Valley Park or Milham Park will begin approximately 18 months prior to the start of construction.

PARK IMPROVEMNT PROCESS

Park projects will go out to bid in January whenever possible in order to secure the best possible construction pricing.

Plan & Design Review

Step 1: Initial Park Planning Meeting with Neighbors and City Residents

Step 2: Concept Plan Review with Neighbors and City Residents

Step 3: Design / Pre-construction - Final Review (meet if necessary)

Step 4: Construction

Vision – what do we want our park to become?

Plan – review the concept plan and determine if it meets expectations

Consult – make any minor adjustments as needed

Empower – neighbors and City residents to help design the park

Collaborate – with neighbors and residents to reﬁne the concept plan and create a ﬁnal park design

Inform – advise neighbors and City residents of key dates including start of construction, planned date for completion, and any issues or concerns that may arise, etc.

Bid/Award Construct Grand Re-opening

The initial meeting will be held in the respective park whenever possible. The City’s Master Plan, Imagine Kalamazoo 2025, and Neighborhood Plans will be consulted prior to the meeting with any relevant information shared with participants. The speciﬁc plans will also be available at the meeting. During this step, staff and consultant(s) will obtain information and develop a concept plan. This step includes a lot of brainstorming and no idea is a bad idea! Those who cannot attend this meeting are encouraged to submit their thoughts via e-mail or through their neighborhood association (if applicable).

166

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

Only minor “tweaks” are made at this step in the process as opposed to wholesale changes to the design and layout of the park.

During this step, neighbors and City residents make decisions that will shape a ﬁnal design of the park, including components like the size of a pavilion or playground, pathways, and amenities such as playground equipment, grills, courts (basketball, pickle ball, etc.)

Whenever possible, projects will go out to bid in January to secure the best possible price to construct. Any delays during step 3 could result in the project going to bid in the spring, which will result in higher prices to construct and may reduce the scope and/or amenities desired.

The second meeting will take place approximately 4-6 weeks after the Initial Park Planning meeting.

City staff will make any ﬁnal decisions as needed during step 3 to keep the project planning on track. The Design/Pre-construction (Final Review) meeting will be scheduled approximately 4-6 weeks after the Concept Plan Review meeting.

During this step of the improvement process, City staff will provide project updates to neighbors and residents.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Administrative Structure and Budget Budget Overview

Table 66: Overall Department Budgets since 2013

17.95%

1,523,880

688,079

-6.56%

768,641

22,247

85,000

0.00%

—

90,000

—

$ 2,020,881

$ 2,138,930

$ 2,262,268

$ 2,378,130

17.68%

$ 2,292,521

—

$ 57,240

$ 43,631

$ 55,269

0.00%

—

2017 PROJECTED

2018 ADOPTED

Personnel

$ 1,096,641

1,284,478

1,373,347

1,440,813

Operating

741,737

736,403

765,583

799,208

$825,695.00

Capital

107,707

—

2016

$849,507.00

Transfers

—

2017

$846,530.00

TOTAL

$ 1,946,085

$ 44,467

The revenue to Parks and Recreation comes from the General Fund which includes park and recreation user fees, special revenue grants for programs and contract fees for the Farmer’s Market.

2013

$966,473.00

2014

$954,848.00

2015

2018

$1,042,212.00

GENERAL FUND

SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS Personnel Operating

$ 244,129

$ 90,064

$ 950,174

$ 932,008

$ 890,000

0.00%

$ 900,056

$ 289,688

$ 90,064

$ 1,011,309

$ 975,639

$ 945,269

0.00%

$ 900,056

Personnel

$ 1,201

1,191

$ 1,191

—

0.00%

—

Operating

TOTAL ENTERPRISE FUND

The 36 parks and five facilities maintained represent 22,000 hours of tasks that need to be completed annually. Tasks include trash/litter/debris removal, restroom cleaning, planting flowers, preparing and weeding flower beds at gateways, irrigation repair, fence repair, tree pruning, leaf removal, snow removal, pool maintenance, playground equipment repair, athletic field turf management, and facility repairs. The division has 5.75 FTE and utilizes 15-20 seasonal staff to maintain the parks and facilities.

$ 16,289

$ 14,443

—

0.00%

—

Capital

—

0.00%

—

TOTAL

$ 17,490

$ 15,634

—

0.00%

—

Personnel

$ 1,142,309

$ 1,285,669

$ 1,431,778

$ 1,484,444

$ 1,570,320

15.62%

$ 1,523,880

Operating

$ 1,002,155

$ 840,910

$ 1,730,200

$ 1,731,216

$ 1,578,079

10.30%

$ 1,668,697

$ 108,799

—

3,895

$ 22,247

$ 85,000

0.00%

—

$ 90,000

—

$ 2,253,263

$ 2,126,579

$ 3,165,873

$ 3,237,907

$ 3,323,399

56.28%

$ 3,192,577

TOTAL BUDGET

Capital

RE C RE AT I ON S E RV I C E S

Transfers

Recreation Services provide expertise to create, develop and administer affordable recreational, cultural, educational, and leisure opportunities to beneﬁt and enhance the lives of City residents. The division oversees recreation operations, including the youth development center, aquatic facilities, recreation programs, education, and interpretive programming, and use and event permitting.

TOTAL

POSITION ALLOCATIONS

Youth development is a priority for the Recreation division, with staff focused on providing opportunities for youth to enhance their interests, skills and abilities through after school programs, summer camp, and programs like All Things Possible and Summer Youth Employment. The Farmers’ Market is also part of the Recreation Division’s responsibility. The market is operated by the People’s Food Co-op currently and operates from May through late November. The market attracts thousands of people weekly and hosts over 100 vendors each Saturday.

1,515,051

2017 AMENDED

BUDGET

Parks Division staff provides expertise for the care, maintenance, and safety of the department’s parks and facilities. The division also oversees the care and maintenance of the system’s ﬂeet and equipment. Additional areas of responsibility include contract management, park improvement project management, special event logistical support, and park security.

2019 PROJECTED

2017 ADOPTED

YEAR

PARK AN D FAC I L I T Y S E RV I C E S

2018/2017 ADOPTED VARIANCE

2016 ACTUAL

RE VE N U E

Department Description

Table 65: 2018 Adopted Budget – Parks and Recreation General Fund, Special Revenue, Enterprise Fund - City of Kalamazoo

BUDGET 2016

BUDGET 2017

ADOPTED

Number of Permanent Full Time Positions

11.0

14.0

Number of Permanent Part Time Positions

2.0

1.0

Table 67: Priority Based Budgeting Programs by Quartile QUARTER 1

$ 1,888,937 $ 1,159,052

QUARTER 2

$ 69,310

QUARTER 4 0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

$3,323,399

Personnel Cost

1,570,320

Non Personnel Cost

1,753,079

Department Programs

$ 206,070

QUARTER 3

Total Cost (Programs/Budget)

Governance

—

Community

Administration

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

167

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

168

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Private Recreational Amenities Name

Non-City Amenities in the Region There are many additional amenities located in the surrounding region and available to Kalamazoo residents but not operated by the City.

State Recreational Amenities

Address

Use

Adventure Centre

9123 W Q Ave, Mattawan, MI 49071

Adventure Center

Angels Crossing Golf Club

3600 E W Ave, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Golf Course

A Sportsman Dream Taxiderm

11511 S Sprinkle Rd, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Hunting

Bark Park Dog Park and Dog Day Care

6604 Lovers Ln, Portage, MI 49002

Dog Park

Battle Creek Farmers Market

14302 E O P Ave, Climax, MI 49034

Farmers Market

Bowling Alley

1946 E U Ave, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Bowling Alley

Celery Flats

7328 Garden Ln, Portage, MI 49002

Park

Crestview Golf Club

900 D Ave W, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Golf Club

Eastern Hills Golf Course

6075 E G Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49004

Golf Club

Golf Performance Academy

8536 Shaver Rd, Portage, MI 49024

Golf

Hayloft Theatre

7340 Garden Ln, Portage, MI 49002

Theater

Hickory Ridge Golf Course & Driving Range

65 N 30th St, Galesburg, MI 49053

Golf Course

Indian Run Golf Club

6359 Rs Ave E, Scotts, MI 4908

Golf Club

Jg Marine Recreational

6603 E U V Ave, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Boating

Jungle Joe's Family Fun Center

7255 S Sprinkle Rd, Portage, MI 49002

Bounce House

Kalamazoo College Athletic Complex

1600 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Athletic Complex

Kal Val Saddle Club

9853 S 34th St, Scotts, MI 49088

Horse Back Riding

Key Blooms Country Gardens

11304 S Sprinkle Rd, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Plant Sales

Kingdom Sports

8151 Merchant Pl, Portage, MI 49002

Soccer Field

Krichke Training Center

11695 S Sprinkle Rd, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Horse Training

Landmark Farm

7903 E N Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Horse Back Riding

Long Lake Roller Rink

4525 S Long Lake Dr, Portage, MI 49002

Roller Skating

NAME

ADDRESS

USE

Maple Hill Golf Course

16344 E C Ave, Augusta, MI 49012

Golf Course

Fulton State Game Area

Fulton, MI 49052

Hunting

Nazarene Camp Dining Hall

7926 Central St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Camp

13496 S 28th St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Campground

Gourdneck State Game Area

Portage, MI 49024

Nature Preserve

Oak Shores Resort Campground

Long Lake Boating Access

4599 Long Lake Dr, Portage, MI 49002

Boating Access

Olde Mill Golf Club

6101 W X Y Ave, Schoolcraft, MI 49087

Golf Club

Portage Skatepark

9010 S Westnedge Ave, Portage, MI 49024

Skate Park

Portage Soccer Club Practice Facility

8421 Coxs Dr, Portage, MI 49002

Practice Facilities

County Recreational Amenities NAME

ADDRESS

USE

Cold Brook County Park

14467 E MN Ave, Climax, MI 49034

Park

Kalamazoo Country Day School

4221 E Milham Ave, Portage, MI 49002

Day Care Center

Prairie View County Park

899 E U Ave, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Park

River Oaks County Park

9202 E Michigan Ave, Galesburg, MI 49053

Park

Scotts Mill Park

8451 S 35th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Park

Portage Soccer Complex

4422 Bishop Ave, Portage, MI 49002

Soccer Field

Ramona Park Softball Fields

Portage, MI 49002

Sports Field

Reformed Heritage Christian School

700 N Fletcher Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49006

School

Rollerworld

7491 Stadium Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Roller Skating

Schoolcraft United Methodist Church

342 N Grand St, Schoolcraft, MI 49087

Church

Schultz Western Trail Riding

13890 S 32nd St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Trail Riding

South County Players

501 E Hwy St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Performing Arts Players

Sky Zone Trampoline Park

5103 Portage Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49002

Trampoline Park

Stonehedge Golf Club

15530 M-89, Augusta, MI 49012

Golf Course

Timber Ridge

07500 23 1/2 St, Gobles, MI 49055

Ski / Winter Sports

Tomlin Son Racing LLC

13740 S 8th St, Schoolcraft, MI 49087

Racing Track

Ugly Rhino Orchard

5321 S 31st St, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Orchard

Vicksburg Outdoor Education

15510 Portage Rd, Vicksburg, MI 4909

School

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

169

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Public Recreational Amenities

170

Name

Address

Use

Lory Norrix High School

606 E Kilgore Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

School

Alamo Elementary School

8184 N 6th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

School

Oakland Drive Park

7650 Oakland Dr, Portage, MI 49024

Park

Alamo Little League

8590 W De Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Baseball Field

Palmer Memorial Nature Sanctuary

10720 Paw Paw Lake Dr, Schoolcraft, MI 49087

Nature Sanctuary

Markin Glen Park

5300 N Westnedge Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49004

Park

Paw Paw Prairie Fen Preserve

68032 Van Kal Ave, Mattawan, MI 49071

Nature Preserve

Al Sabo Land Bridge

Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Park

Portage Northern High School

1000 Idaho Ave, Portage, MI 49024

School

910 E Milham Ave, Portage, MI 49024

Park

Amberly Elementary School

6637 Amberly St, Portage, MI 49024

School

Portage Creek Bicentennial Park

Angling Road Elementary School

5340 Angling Rd, Portage, MI 49024

School

Portage Creek Bicentennial Park (Celery Flats)

7335 Garden Ln, Portage, MI 49002

Park

Aquaview Lift Station

496 E Eagle Lake Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Lift Station

Portage Central High School

8135 S Westnedge Ave, Portage, MI 49002

School

Asylum Lake Preserve

3836 S Drake Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Nature Preserve

Red Arrow Golf Course

1041 King Hwy, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Golf Course

Barton Lake Boat Launch

1299 Fishermans Ln, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Boat Launch

River Villa & Jan Schau Wildﬂower Walk

E Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Trail

Bishop's Bog Preserve

9920 S Westnedge Ave, Portage, MI 49024

Nature Preserve

Lexington Green Park

4750 Pittsford Ave, Portage, MI 49002

Park

Central Park

7800 Shaver Rd, Portage, MI 49024

Park

McLinden Nature Trails

7405 E H Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Trails

Central Middle School

8305 S Westnedge Ave, Portage, MI 49002

School

Meadow Run Dog Park

Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Park

Chipman Preserve

8395 E Main St, Galesburg, MI 49053

Preserves

Milham Park

400 E Kilgore Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

Park

Climax-Scotts Elementary School

11250 E Q R Ave, Scotts, MI 49088

Elementary School

Milwood Elementary School

3400 Lovers Ln, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

School

Climax-Scotts Jr./Sr. High School

372 S Main St, Climax, MI 49034

School

Nature's Way Preschool

4442 Oakland Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

School

Comstock Community Center

6330 King Hwy, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Community Center

Oshtemo Township Park

7275 W Main St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Park

Cooper's Island, Big Island Woods

131 W Eliza St, Schoolcraft, MI 49087

Park

Prairieville Township Gull Lake Park

15475 M-43, Hickory Corners, MI 49060

Park

Crum Park Farm

3500 N 37th St, Galesburg, MI 49053

Park

Rector Community Park & Trails

8271 W De Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Park

Davis Field

1903 W Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Park

Richland Township Park

7401 N 32nd St, Richland, MI 49083

Park

Flesher Field

3664 S 9th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Park

Sand Creek Preserve

N 2nd St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Preserve

Fort Custer State Recreation Area

5163 Fort Custer Dr, Augusta, MI 49012

Park

Schoolcraft High School

551 E Lyons St, Schoolcraft, MI 49087

School

Greater Kalamazoo Skating Association

5076 Sports Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Ice Skating

Schoolcraft Ladies Library

163 N Hayward St, Schoolcraft, MI 49087/

Library

City of Kalamazoo Recreation

234 W Cedar St, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Park

Schoolcraft Little League

13661 S 18th St, Schoolcraft, MI 49087

Field

Lillian Anderson Arboretum

W Main St, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Arboretum

Scotts Community Center

8450 36th St S, Scotts, MI 49088

Community Center

Galesburg-Augusta Middle School

750 W Van Buren St, Augusta, MI 49012

School

Sherwood Park

201-277 N Sherwood Ave, Plainwell, MI 49080

Park

Green Meadow Elementary School

6171 E Mn Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

School

States Golf Course

20 E W Ave, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Golf Course

Greenwood Elementary School

3501 Moreland St, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

School

Swan Park

50 V W Ave E, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Park

Gull Lake Public Access

Hickory Corners, MI 49060

Park

Sunset Lake Elementary School

201 N Boulevard St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

School

Hackett Catholic Prep High School

1000 W Kilgore Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

School

Sunset Lake Park

350 Page St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Park

Harbor West Parks

3458 Summersong Path, Portage, MI 49024

Park

Sutherland Park

251 Mills St, Kalamazoo, MI 49001

Baseball ﬁeld

Haverhill Elementary School

6633 Haverhill Ave, Portage, MI 49024

School

Thurl Cook Park

615-, 659 Glenview Cir, Plainwell, MI 49080

Park

Haverhill Park

6577 Hampton St, Portage, MI 49024

Park

Tobey Elementary School

8551 E Long Lake Dr, Scotts, MI 49088

Elementary school

Hicks Park

107-145 W Allegan St, Plainwell, MI 49080

Park

Urban Nature Park - Kalamazoo Nature Center

426 E Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Urban Park

Indian Lake Elementary School

11901 S 30th St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

School

Vicksburg Little League

300 N 4th St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Field

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary

12685 E C Ave, Augusta, MI 49012

Bird Sanctuary

Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center

101 E Prairie St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

Arts Center

Kalamazoo River Valley Trail

1009 S 35th St, Galesburg, MI 49053

Trail

Vicksburg Middle School

348 E Prairie St, Vicksburg, MI 49097

School

Kalamazoo Valley Community College

6767 W O Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

College / Sports Facilities

Wilkie Memorial Sanctuary

10500 Paw Paw Lake Dr, Mattawan, MI 49071

Nature Preserve

Kazoo School

1401 Cherry St, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

School

West Lake Nature Preserve

420 S Shore Dr, Portage, MI 49002

Nature Preserve

Kenyon Park

891 Lincoln Pkwy, Plainwell, MI 49080

Park

Wedel's Garden Center

5085 S 34th St, Kalamazoo, MI 49048

Garden Center

Kleinstuck Preserve/Nature Trail

2100 Stearns Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

Preserve

Western Michigan University

1903 Western Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo, MI 49008

University

Lake Center Elementary

10011 Portage Rd, Portage, MI 49002

School

Westﬁeld Park

4500 W Milham Ave, Portage, MI 49024

Park

Lakeview Parks

9345 Portage Rd, Portage, MI 49002

Parks

West Portage Little League

6669 S 12th St, Portage, MI 49024

Baseball Field

Leo J. Burch Park

442 N Grand St, Schoolcraft, MI 49087

Park

Woodland Elementary School

1401 Woodland Dr, Portage, MI 49024

School

Liberty Park

7585 S Westnedge Ave, Portage, MI 49024

Park

Wolf Tree Nature Trails

8829 W Kl Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49009

Nature Trail

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Partnerships with Other Entities The City of Kalamazoo Parks & Recreation Department works with a number of community partners to enhance parks and provide quality recreation programs. Partners include the Greater Kalamazoo Arts Council (Sunday Concerts in the Park), Kalamazoo United Day of Service (Frays Park cleanup), Kalamazoo Public Schools (Gym space for adult volleyball and youth programs), Western Michigan University (All Things Possible hosted at the Student Recreation Center), and Kalamazoo County Parks (KRVT Trail planning and maintenance) to name a few. The department values partnerships and relationships and understands that success is not possible without either.

MDNR Grant History PARK

Verburg Park

Blanche Hull Park

Milham Park

Southside Park

Upjohn Park

Arcadia Creek

Frays Park

Support from Volunteers The City relies upon and appreciates the work of community volunteers as a key aspect of maintaining a quality parks and recreation system. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board is made up entirely of volunteers, and some clean-up and maintenance work is occasionally handled by volunteers as part of community clean-ups. Volunteers are also crucial to the success of many of the Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s active recreation programs.

GRANT NUMBER/ YEAR

26-00773 1976 26-01060 V1 1978 26-01060 U1 1978 26-01060 W1 1978 26-00990 1978 TF87-200 1987 26-01477 1987

Kik Pool (Upjohn Park)

BF89-633

Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex

BF90-161

Vine Neighborhood Versluis/Dickinson Softball Complex Spring Valley Park

Upjohn Park

LaCrone Park

Woods Lake Park

1989

1990 TF94-033 1994 BF96-135 1996 CM00-394

TYPE OF GRANT

PROJECT ELEMENTS

AMOUNT

CURRENT CONDITION

Development

Picnic area, boat ramp, docks

$25,194.37

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Development

Footbridges, boardwalk, trails

$20,148.00

Grant application was withdrawn

Development

Shelter, play equipment

$30,207.00

Improvements are well-used, but some have deteriorated and need replacement

Development

Bathrooms, ice rink, tot lot

$40,296.00

Grant application was withdrawn

Development

Playground, picnic area, trail

$20,146.00

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Acquisition

Acquisition of Arcadia Creek

$500,000.00

Grant application was withdrawn

Development

Jogging Track, Picnic area, tennis courts

$126,369.00

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Development

Pool Renovations

$248,098.00

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Development

Concessions, restrooms, benches/ $268,678.00 grandstands, lighting

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Acquisition

Acquire 0.2 acres of land in the Vine Neighborhood

Land acquired and developed

Development

Concessions, restrooms, benches/ $500,000.00 grandstands, lighting

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Development

Playgrounds, trails, restrooms

$705,000.00

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Development

Skate park, tennis, basketball, sports ďŹ elds, walkways

$370,000.00

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Development

Restrooms, parking, trails, basketball

$100,000.00

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

Development

Grading, clearing, playground, furnishings

$363,200.00

Improvements are in good condition and used frequently

$37,500.00

2000 26-01649 2005 26-01703 2010 TF10-039 2010

2019 PARKS AND RECREATION PLAN CITY OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN

171

151 South Rose Street, Suite 920 Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007 T: (269) 382-4443 F: (248) 596-0930 www.mcka.com

John Jackson, AICP ..................................................................President Chris Khorey, AICP ...................................................... Project Manager Jennifer Neal .............................................. Assistant Project Manager Laura Haw, AICP ...........................................Community Engagement Alex Novak ..........................................................................GIS Specialist Carrie Leitner ..........................................................................Art Director

350 East Michigan Ave, #415 Kalamazoo, MI 49007 T: (269) 381-3357 F: (269) 381-2944 www.ocba.com

Sandra Bliesener ...................................................................... President Rachel Hughes-Nilsson ..................................................... Park Design