Midland County Parks and Recreation Master Plan 2014-2018 Midland County Recreation Plan 2014-2018 1 Adopted June 17, 2014 Midland County Parks and Recreation Master Plan: 2014-2018 Midland County Parks and Recreation Commission 2013-2014 Resolution recommending adoption by County Board of Commissioners Jim Sperling, Chair Kyle Nothstine Catherine Sias, Secretary Nicolas Finley Roy Green Richard Keenan Douglas Enos Matt McPherson Robert Sheets Eugene Smith County Parks & Recreation Director: Kim Haller Midland County Board of Commission 2013-2014 James Leigeb, Chair James Geisler Nicolas Finley, Vice Chair Richard Keenan Mark Bone Dan McGillivray Eric Dorrien County Administrator: Bridgette Gransden Prepared with assistance from: PM Blough, Inc., PO Box 102, Grand Haven, MI 49417 616.402.2398 Midland County Recreation Plan 2014-2018 2 Adopted June 17, 2014 Table of Contents I. Introduction.............................................................................................................. Page 4 II. Community Description ........................................................................................... Page 5 III. Administrative Structure ...................................................................................... Page 8 IV. Recreation Inventory ............................................................................................. Page 12 V. Community Input .................................................................................................. Page 39 VI. Goals and Objectives ............................................................................................Page 40 VII. Action Program........................................................................................................Page 43 VIII. Summary of the Planning Process and Adoption.....................................................Page 45 Appendices Appendix A – MDNR Grant Certification Forms Appendix B-2014 Midland County Parks Survey Appendix C – City of Midland Parks Midland County Recreation Plan 2014-2018 3 Adopted June 17, 2014 I. Introduction Midland County has developed a Recreation Plan to serve as a guideline to improve recreation facilities and develop new recreational opportunities. This plan replaces the previous plan, "Midland County Parks and Recreation Master Plan, 2009-2013." This plan is a revision of the previous plan completed with the assistance of Spicer, Inc., including both original information and new information as appropriate. The plan forms the basis to guide policy for implementation of improvements and new initiatives that will meet or exceed the recreational goals and interests of the Midland County community. The Midland County Parks and Recreation Commission provides the oversight for the operation and direction of the plan. This plan began with the evaluation of the existing parklands, facilities, operations and community data, followed by the inclusion of the public through public surveys, review, and comment. This input is a critical component to the plan, and, together, the voices of Midland County have united to develop a recreation plan to enhance the quality of life for everyone. This plan is meant as a guideline for future growth, development, and operation. The plan is intended to be updated and amended periodically in order to best reflect the goals, desires and needs of the community. Midland County Recreation Plan 2014-2018 4 Adopted June 17, 2014 II. Community Description Midland County is located in central Lower Michigan. See Figure 1. Adjacent counties include Gladwin County to the north, Bay and Saginaw Counties to the east, Isabella County to the west, and Saginaw and Gratiot Counties to the south. Organized in 1851, Midland County was settled as a lumbering and fur trading community. Outside of the urbanized area in and around Midland, the county remains largely rural with large stands of woodlands and agricultural lands. The City of Midland is the county seat. Midland County is home to the world headquarters of the Dow Chemical Company and major manufacturing facilities of Dow Corning Corporation, both Fortune 500 companies. Figure 1: Location of Midland County within the State of Michigan. Midland County Recreation Plan 2014-2018 5 Adopted June 17, 2014 County Population Midland County contains 16 townships, two cities, and one village. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Midland County was 83,629, an increase of 755 persons over the decade from 2000, indicating a slight growth rate even during the economic recession. The 1990 population was 75,651, showing a growth rate of approximately 9.5% from 1990 to 2000. Midland County Population Growth Based On 1990-2010 US Census Data 86000 84000 82000 80000 78000 76000 74000 72000 70000 1990 2000 2010 The population within the county is distributed with approximately half of the population lives within the City of Midland, while the other half is fairly evenly distributed throughout the county in rural and wooded areas. The age distribution of the population in 2010 based on the US Census provided data for the population distributed as follows: Under the age of 18 years 19,855 24.4% 20-24 years 5,287 06.4% 25-34 years 8,989 11.5% 35-49 years 17,515 21.5% 50-64 years 17,180 21.1% 65 years and older 12,384 15.1% The median household income based on the US Census data for the years 2008-2012 was $52,947. Approximately 12.2% of the population lives below the poverty level. Land Characteristics Midland County totals approximately 516.25 square miles or 338,000 acres with a density of 162 persons per square mile. There are large tracts of public or semi-public lands in the County. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) controls most of these lands with nearly 40,000 acres belonging to the Au Sable State Forest. The other public lands are largely County, City, and Township parks. The following map depicts the Conservation and Resource Lands (CARL) in Midland County, based upon mapping data from the Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited. The Pine, Chippewa, and Tittabawassee River are the three major rivers that flow through Midland County. They are complimented by Sanford Lake, which is actually a widened portion of the Tittabawassee River. The green shaded areas, on the map below, show publicly and privately held conservation and resource lands. The two bodies of open water in the southern portion of Midland County Recreation Plan 2014-2018 6 Adopted June 17, 2014 the County near the Tittabawassee River are a brine pond for Dow Chemical Company and a cooling pond for Midland Cogeneration Venture. (Source: The Nature Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited). Four major roads carry traffic across Midland County and to major destinations within the county. US-10 enters the east side of the county near Midland and heads to the northwestern corner of the county heading toward Clare. M-20 bisects the county, beginning on the eastern side at Midland and heading west to Mount Pleasant in Isabella County. M-18 and M-30 each head northward off of M-10 carrying traffic to Gladwin, Beaverton, the Edenville area and other points northward. Midland County Major Transportation Routes, Rivers, and Natural Areas Midland County Recreation Plan 2014-2018 7 Adopted June 17, 2014 Midland County Parks and Recreation Commission The Midland County Parks and Recreation Commission was formed under the provisions of the Michigan County, Regional Parks and Recreation Act, Act 261 of the Public Acts of 1965. The Parks and Recreation Commission is authorized to acquire land for public parks, preserves, parkways, playgrounds, recreation centers, wildlife areas, as well as lands reserved for flood control and other conservation purposes. The Commission is also authorized to plan, develop, maintain, and supervise such land, and to establish rules for the protection, regulation, and control of its facilities. All actions of the Midland County Parks and Recreation Commission are subject to the approval of the Midland County Board of Commissioners. The County Parks and Recreation Commission is comprised of ten members and include the Chairperson of the Midland County Road Commission, the Midland County Drain Commissioner, the Chairperson of the Midland County Planning Commission, and not less than one and no more than three members of the Midland County Board of Commissioners. The remaining four to six members (to total 10 Commissioners) are members of the Midland County community at-large. At-large members are appointed for three year terms by the Midland County Board of Commissioner. The Midland County Parks and Recreation Commission meets monthly. Midland County Recreation Plan 2014-2018 8 Adopted June 17, 2014 Management Structure and Staff The Midland County Parks Commission establishes policies, develops plans, approves grant applications and land acquisitions, establishes a budget, and approves fee structures. The Department of Parks and Recreation is responsible for operating and maintaining the parks, making the day-to-day decisions regarding financial expenditures, and implementing development plans. The Director of the Midland County Parks and Recreation Department oversees all activities and functions of the Department of Parks and Recreation. Three full-time employees, two 3/4 time employees, one 1/2 time employee, and 10 seasonal employees work under his direction. An organizational chart is shown below. Midland County Parks and Recreation Organization Chart Midland County Board of Commissioners Midland County