CITY OF MONROE Parks and Recreation Master Plan THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Acknowledgements Mayor and City Council 2014 Robert Clark, Mayor William Sisk Kelly Vinning Jeffery Hensley Gloria Rafko John Iacoangeli Jeremy Molenda Mayor and City Council 2013 Robert Clark, Mayor Brian Beneteau Willie Hall Jeffery Hensley James Kansier Jerry McKart Jeremy Molenda George Brown, Manager Charles Evans, Clerk Daniel Swallow, Community Development Patrick Lewis, Engineering and Public Services Loretta LaPointe, Recreation Manager Figures and Tables Regional Destinations vi Built Features 4 Demographic Dashboard 6 Demographic Framework 7 Natural Features 8 Historic Assets 10 Organization Chart 12 Parks and Recreation Current Year and Projected Annual Budget 14 Monroe Multi-Sports Complex Annual Budget 14 Project Title: Munson Park 15 Project Title: Hellenberg Field 15 Project Title: Munson Park Phase III 16 Project Title: Hellenberg Field 16 Project Title: Dick Waters Swimming Pool Renovation 17 Project Title: Riverwalk Extension Project 17 Recreation Program Attendance Records, 2006-2012 18 New Programs Since 2011 19 Park Facilities Overview 22 Other Parks in the Monroe Region 23 Park Classification System 24 Park Maintenance Rating System 24 Park Accessibility Rating System 24 Existing Recreation Facilities 26 Existing Park Classification 27 Existing Parks Maintenance Rating 28 Park Maintenance Rating 29 Maintenance Rating by Park Type 29 Existing Parks Accessibility Rating 30 Accessibility Rating 31 Maintenance Rating by Park Type 31 Greenways Plan 40 2007-2012 Action Plan Projects Status Report 42 Recreation Systems Plan 2007-2012 43 History Corridor - East Master Plan Overall Plan 44 Parks and Non-motorized Infrastructure 46 Mill Race Park Plan 47 Who responded to the survey? 50 Top 10 Most Visited Parks 51 Existing Parks Average Use Level 52 Average Park Use Rating 53 Top Ten Most-Maintained Parks 54 Top Ten Least-Maintained Parks 54 What actions can we take to achieve our goals? 57 Characteristics of Millennials and How to Engage Them in Parks 60 Five-Year Action Plan 70 Contents Introduction 1 Planning Process 2 Community Description 5 Administrative Structure 13 Parks Inventory 21 Previous Planning 41 Public Input Process 49 Current Issues in Recreation 59 Cornerstones 63 Action Plan 69 Appendix A 73 Appendix B 79 Appendix C 103 Appendix D 151 Detroit Institute of Arts The Henry Ford Museum Lower Huron Metropark Willow ONTARIO, Metropark CANADA Oakwoods Metropark WASHTENAW CO. WAYNE CO. Fort Malden MONROE CO. Lake Erie Metropark Pointe Mouillee Cabelas State Game Area River Raisin Sterling State Park National Battlefield Park Erie State Game Area MONROE CO., MICHIGAN L a k e E r i e LUCAS CO., OHIO Maumee Bay State Park Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial LUCAS CO. Toledo Zoo WOOD CO. OTTAWA CO. Fort Meigs 0 5 10 20 Regional Destinations Miles Huron-Clinton Metroparks Other Regional Destinations Township Boundary Washtenaw County Parks Detroit International Wildlife Refuge Road Wayne County Parks MDNR Monroe County Parks Regional Destinations CITY OF MONROE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN | 1 Introduction As social demographics, economic conditions, specific directives for the next five years to work and community attitudes are constantly in flux, toward these goals. it is necessary to regularly update a City’s plan for the future of its recreation system. In August This plan is written for the City of Monroe Parks and of 2013, the City of Monroe commissioned an Recreation Department. The City of Monroe has an update of their Parks and Recreation Master Plan. extensive parks system, with public lands spread In order to address the changes that have occurred throughout the city and neighborhoods. Though in years since the 2007 Recreation Systems Plan the focus of this plan is on the recreation programs was approved, a collaborative planning process and facilities available owned and operated by the was undertaken involving input from community City, regional recreation assets that are utilized by members, City officials, and planning consultants citizens of Monroe are also described. to develop a vision for the future. Through this process, the City of Monroe can gain a clearer The City of Detroit is approximately 40 miles north understanding of the facilities they operate and the of Monroe, while the City of Toledo is about 25 citizens they serve through parks and recreation miles to the south. Both of these cities are easily programs. accessible via I-75. M-50 provides the City with a connection to US-23, which runs through Ann This plan includes a detailed inventory of the Arbor about 40 miles northwest of Monroe. US-24 parks and recreation assets in the City of Monroe, (Telegraph Road) provides the citizens of Monroe a reporting of the administrative structure of the with convenient access to Dearborn, Southfield and parks and recreation decision-making processes various other communities in Wayne and Oakland in the City, a description of the public input and Counties. Telegraph Road also provides direct planning process, an outline of the City’s recreation access to I-275, which creates an alternative route goals and objectives, and an action program with to I-75 through Wayne and Oakland Counties. 2 | CITY OF MONROE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN Planning Process Description of the Planning Process The planning process for the City of Monroe Parks and Recreation Master Plan began in September of 2013 with an inventory of all existing parks and recreation facilities owned by the City. This inventory identified the recreation amenities in each park, the maintenance level of each park, and the accessibility rating. Each park was classified into a park category, and the service area of each park is described within the park classification. Select neighborhood parks were looked at in-depth to visualize the demographic makeup of their 1/4 mile radius service area. This information was used in determining the appropriate recreation facilities needed in each park. Following the recreation facilities inventory , the existing built and natural systems were mapped and analyzed. Throughout the preparation of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the public was consulted to determine their priorities for the future of Monroe’s parks, facilities, and programs. In October of 2013, a resident survey was distributed online and in paper form. The survey was advertized in a public notice in the Monroe Evening News, on the City’s website at www.monroemi.gov, the Monroe Recreation Department Facebook page, and a flyer that was distributed with leaf collection bags at City Hall. A copy of the survey can be found in Appendix C. In late October, two Community Vision Session workshops were held at City Hall. The purpose of these workshops was to sit down with community members and discuss what the citizens thought the City did well in terms of their parks and recreation services, what they could have done better, what they felt were the barriers to their success, what their ideal community would look like in the future, and what specific actions could be taken to achieve that vision. CITY OF MONROE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN | 3 Following the survey and vision sessions, the Monroe Recreation Advisory Commission (RAC) reviewed the information gathered during the inventory and community input processes and weighed in on what they felt were the priorities for the future of parks and recreation in Monroe. The RAC held a meeting to determine the goals, objectives, and action plan for the next five years. These goals and objectives were based on the information gathered and the demographic makeup of Monroe with the intent of improving the recreation system within the community. Once a draft plan was complete, the public review process began. The plan was available for public review from January 9th until February 7th at City Hall and on the project website. Public comments were collected and necessary changes to the plan were made. A public hearing was held during the City Council meeting at which the plan was formally adopted by the City of Monroe. Lake Monroe rie e E Lak Plum Creek CITY OF MONROE - PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN 0 1,000 2,000 4,000 Built Features Feet Data Sources: State of Michigan Geographic Data Library, City of Monroe City of Monroe Interstates Major Collectors Built Features Building Footprint Principal Arterials Local Roads Railroad Minor Arterials Not a certified public road CITY OF MONROE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN | 5 Community Description Built Features The community is also well served by rail. Three railroads (CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern The City of Monroe is located along the banks of Railway Company, and Canadian National the River Raisin in Monroe County, with Frenchtown Railway) run diagonally through town on north- Township, Monroe Township, LaSalle and Raisinville south routes. Though rail access is not as important surrounding it. as it was in earlier years, the rails have been vital in the development of the area. Major industrial The historic small town character of the city is facilities such as Automotive Holdings, Ltd. (FRA, apparent in the land development pattern, which Ford Motor Company and Visteon), Mac Steel, and had its beginnings in the long, narrow lots known Detroit Edison continue to use the rail lines. as French Ribbon Farms. Most streets form a grid Monroe Custer Airport provides service to private approximately parallel to Lake Erie, which was aircraft with a 5,000-foot runway. Airports are created when the downtown was first platted. ever more important for small aircraft as the major Residential areas include many homes constructed public facilities become increasingly crowded by in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mixed commercial air traffic. Custer Airport is classified by commercial and residential uses are closely integrated the FAA as a Class A General Aviation airport in near the downtown.