Renaming Winchell ParkThere is a proposal, initially brought forth by residents, to rename Winchell Park after concerns were raised about Alexander Winchell, the parks namesake. Winchell was a University of Michigan professor of physics, civil engineering, geology and paleontology. A U of M committee reviewed Winchell’s work and noted that “by both contemporary standards and even in the context of Winchell’s day, his most notable work — the 1880 book titled, ‘Preadamites, or a Demonstration of the Existence of Men before Adam’ — was unambiguously racist and out of step with the university’s own aspirations in those times.” In this time of national reflection and dialogue on racial justice, the Parks Advisory Commission (PAC) is facilitating a process to rename the park in honor of an individual that celebrates racial diversity and social equity.
A subcommittee of PAC, including community members, selected six potential candidates to rename Winchell Park after.
Click here to review the biographies of these exceptional individuals and help choose a new name for the park. The survey will remain open until Aug. 30. Once the survey is completed a resolution will be taken to PAC recommending a name change for Winchell Park. From there a resolution will be presented to Ann Arbor City Council for their consideration and final vote.
To participate take the online survey. When you open the survey click the image of the person you are voting for. Thank you!
August 16, 2021 Eisenhower Park --UPDATEThank you to everyone who participated in the trail project survey which closed on August 1st. To view the survey response summary and learn about the upcoming on site meeting click here. You can also review the July notice and project communication here.
Next steps: Parks will host an onsite meeting at Eisenhower Park (back of Churchill Downs Park) on Wednesday, September 1st from 5:30-6:30 pm to address questions and concerns. If you would like to provide additional comments or feedback, please contact Erika at 734.794.6445 or [email protected].
Temporary closure of the Border to Border Trail
A segment of the
Border to Border Trail from Gallup Park to Mitchell Field is in need of repair as part of ongoing maintenance. Work is scheduled to start the week of Aug. 15 and is expected to be complete in mid-November (weather permitting).
Signs and barricades will be installed to safely direct users away from the construction zone. The City of Ann Arbor asks that trail users follow the posted detour as they ride, walk, rollerblade and commute along this path. While the temporary closure is an inconvenience to users, the replacement of the pathway is intended to provide longer-term durability. Improvements to the trail will include replacing the existing asphalt surface with a new concrete surface, widening the path to 10 feet and updating site furnishings. We thank you for your patience as we make these improvements to this important and popular stretch of path.
Any questions can be directed to Landscape Architect/Park Planner Adam Fercho at
[email protected].
Playground redesign project updates
In the fall of 2020 Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation staff gathered public input on potential playground renovations at Bromley and West parks via an online survey and online public meetings. The final design includes elements presented in the public meeting, as well as incorporates feedback from the community and outlines a preliminary schedule for spring/summer construction at these two sites.
West Park playground closure
The playground at West Park is currently closed for construction improvements. Construction started Monday, Aug. 9 and is expected to conclude by Friday, Aug. 27. We apologize for the inconvenience, and cannot wait for you to see the new improvements, including natural play equipment and a larger sandbox.
The Bromley Park playground improvement project has been completed! Thank you for your patience while the playground was shut down during construction. The new playground has natural play structures, a new sandbox and upgraded swings. The new swing set has an expression swing which allows parents to swing with their toddlers face-to-face.
BROMLEY PARK:
• The natural playscape elements of a timber dome, clamber logs and stone steppers, as well as a formalized sand play area with logs and boulders.
• Removing the existing blue fire pole climber.
• Replacing and expanding the swing set in place to add an expression swing seat in addition to two belt seats and two tot seats. The existing pathway entrance at each end of the playground will be modified with a ramp into the wood chips for improved ADA access.
• Two new benches will be added to the playground.
Construction is anticipated to begin in mid-May, take approximately three weeks, and be completed in June. During this time, the playground may be closed to the public.
View the Bromley Park design here.
WEST PARK:
• The natural playscape elements of a log crawl tunnel, clamber logs and stone steppers will be added to an expanded east end of the playground.
• This expanded east end will also include a new sand play area with boulders, logs and a new sand digger.
• The existing dolphin sculpture and merry-go-round will remain in place but have woodchip surfacing around them instead of sand to meet ADA standards.
• A new large shade tree will be added to the center of the playground with boulders and log seats surrounding it.
• Two new benches will be added to the shadier east end of the playground.
Construction is anticipated to begin in mid-May, take approximately three weeks, and be completed in June. During this time, parts of the playground may be closed to the public.
View the West Park design here.
Thank you again for your participation in this process. If you have any questions, please contact the Park Planners Hillary Hanzel ([email protected]) and Adam Fercho ([email protected]).
Community input wanted: Eisenhower Park
July 8, 2021
There has been resident driven interest in establishing a wood chipped path through Eisenhower Park, to connect Churchill Downs Park to Northbrook Drive ( map below). The Adopt-a-Park program is reviewing a special park project application in which permission is being sought for volunteers to cut brush and put down woodchips to identify a walking path. As part of the review process, we are looking for neighbor input. Please visit the survey to provide feedback anytime before August 1, 2021: Eisenhower Park path survey.
Bandemer Park/Barton Nature Area Pedestrian Connection Update
A public meeting by the City of Ann Arbor and the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission was held Wednesday, Dec. 2 about the proposed pedestrian tunnel beneath the railroad by Bandemer Park. If you have additional feedback before staff move onto the next steps on this project, please contact Adam Fercho, Park Planner at
[email protected] or call 734.794.6230 ext.42549.
View the
presentation.
Watch the
public meeting.
Review the
meeting summary.
Review the
feasibility report.
Gallup Park Vehicle Bridge, Park Road and Trail Online Public Meeting Held Nov. 12The vehicle bridge at Gallup Park has been identified for replacement and public input was sought for how Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation could improve the bridge and adjacent segments of the park road and the Border-to-Border trail. The scope of this project is limited to the area outlined in red on this aerial image below.
Update: The final report for the Gallup Park Vehicle Bridge, Park Road, and Trail is currently being prepared. Once complete, the project will be shared on the Park Planning webpage. It is expected to be complete by the end of Summer 2021.
View the
presentation.
Watch the
public meeting.
Burns Park Tennis Court Project/Survey Results
Thank you for participating in our recently released survey regarding the renovation of the Burns Park tennis courts. We received a tremendous amount of responses, further highlighting the value that the community places in its parks system! Your input is greatly appreciated and helps us to better understand community ideas, concerns and priorities. You can read the summary results here.
Update: The Burns Park Tennis / Pickleball Court Project was rebid in Summer 2021, with an anticipated completion of October 1, 2021. This project will involve replacing one tennis court with two pickleball courts, repairing the cracks in the existing surface, and repainting / restriping the entire court.
Any questions can be directed to Landscape Architect/Park Planner Adam Fercho at [email protected]. The city thanks trail users in advance for their patience.
Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Open Space (PROS) Plan 2016-2020
The 2016-2020 PROS Plan was adopted by City Council on Jan. 17, 2017. To view and read the plan, please click
FINAL 2016-2020 PROS PLAN.pdf (15MB).
The PROS Plan is the City’s vision for parks and recreation in Ann Arbor. The Plan provides an inventory of existing parks and facilities; describes the relationship between the park and recreation system, surrounding municipalities, and recreation providers; identifies park and recreation needs and deficiencies; and proposes major capital improvements for existing and new parks.
The 2016-2020 Plan facilitates discussion and evaluation of major issues, problems and potentials, sets priorities for the next five years, and identifies goals and objectives that reach further into the future. The plan establishes background information while delineating system needs that may qualify for state and federal grant funding. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) requires that all municipalities applying for recreation grants have a current plan on file with the MDNR and to update that plan every five year.
Public Engagement Process
• A public hearing was held Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Park Advisory Commission Meeting to be held in City Council chambers, 301 East Huron St. 2nd floor.
• Parks and Recreation received 1034 responses to the online survey. A survey summary was posted in February 2016.
• A public meeting was held on Wednesday, March 23 at the Ann Arbor Senior Center.
Bromley and West Park Playground Projects
Public input is being sought on improvements to the playgrounds at Bromely Park and West Park this fall. These projects are not full playground renovations, but rather improvements to a few areas and pieces of equipment. Options presented will include traditional playground equipment as well as natural play equipment. We look forward to hearing your input.
Bromley Park Presentation
West Park Presentation
Public Meeting Videos
Click to view the Bromley Park public meeting video and Bromley Park Summary .
Click to view the West Park public meeting video and West Park Summary.
For more information about either meeting, please contact Hillary Hanzel, Park Planner at [email protected] or call 734.794.6230 ext. 42548.
Burns Park tennis court project/survey sesults
Thank you for participating in our recently released survey regarding the renovation of the Burns Park tennis courts. We received a tremendous amount of responses, further highlighting the value that the community places in its parks system! Your input is greatly appreciated and helps us to better understand community ideas, concerns and priorities. You can read the summary results here.
Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Open Space (PROS) Plan 2016-2020
The 2016-2020 PROS Plan was adopted by City Council on Jan. 17, 2017. To view and read the plan, please click
FINAL 2016-2020 PROS PLAN.pdf (15MB).
The PROS Plan is the City’s vision for parks and recreation in Ann Arbor. The Plan provides an inventory of existing parks and facilities; describes the relationship between the park and recreation system, surrounding municipalities, and recreation providers; identifies park and recreation needs and deficiencies; and proposes major capital improvements for existing and new parks.
The 2016-2020 Plan facilitates discussion and evaluation of major issues, problems and potentials, sets priorities for the next five years, and identifies goals and objectives that reach further into the future. The plan establishes background information while delineating system needs that may qualify for state and federal grant funding. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) requires that all municipalities applying for recreation grants have a current plan on file with the MDNR and to update that plan every five year.
Public Engagement Process
• A public hearing was held Tuesday, Nov. 15 at the Park Advisory Commission Meeting to be held in City Council chambers, 301 East Huron St. 2nd floor.
• Parks and Recreation received 1034 responses to the online survey. A survey summary was posted in February 2016.
• A public meeting was held on Wednesday, March 23 at the Ann Arbor Senior Center.
