New citywide park signage, playground upgrades at Ashton Park, new beach restrooms, and improvements at Jupiter Garden and Hannah Park are just some of the park projects on deck in Traverse City. The Ticker has details on those and other proposed upcoming projects, plus more Parks and Recreation updates – including two events returning to the Boardman Lake Loop Trail this summer and a major master plan rewrite.

Parks Projects
New signs will start appearing in parks across Traverse City this May as the city begins a major update to create a “consistent and recognizable brand for city parks,” according to Parks and Recreation Superintendent Michelle Hunt.

City commissioners in December approved a $187,010 contract with Image 360 for the fabrication and installation of new parks signs citywide. Installation is scheduled for late May and will continue for several months, with the parks along Grandview Parkway – Clinch Park, the Open Space, Sunset Park, and the Senior Center – getting their new signs last once the road reconstruction is complete. The signs, designed by local firm Corbin Design, include “new park identification monuments, information kiosks, guide signs, trail markers, and regulatory markers,” Hunt wrote in a project memo. 

City Commissioner Tim Werner asked about the color palette and the decision to move away from the city’s traditional blue-and-white scheme. Hunt said the design was narrowed down with public input and favored a “design aesthetic that integrates with the natural environment.” The signs are intended to “be different and refresh what we have had for so long,” she said. In response to Werner’s questions about the size and location of signs – and his hope they wouldn’t just be vehicle-oriented but visually geared toward pedestrians and cyclists as well – Hunt confirmed a site visit had been made to every park to confirm optimal placement. Most signs will be placed in new locations, she said, adding that the signs can also be easily changed out to accommodate changing rules and regulations over the years.

Parks and Recreation commissioners Thursday also reviewed the latest design for Ashton Park in Slabtown Neighborhood, which is set to get new play structures and playground equipment. The site’s existing slide will need to be removed for safety reasons, as will the monkey bars. That removal will likely happen this spring ahead of potential summer construction. ADA pathways, natural playscapes, a sand pit, special play areas for young children, and other amenities are planned for the site.

City commissioners last week approved purchasing two new restroom buildings to be installed at West End Beach and the volleyball courts, covered in part by a state grant. Those buildings are expected to arrive this fall. At Jupiter Gardens – located along the TART Trail in Oak Heights Neighborhood – covered seating and a water bottle filling station surrounded by perennial flower beds are planned to be installed in late summer.

Hannah Park will receive a new overlook and stairs; the existing overlook was damaged during the adjacent bridge reconstruction, and the stairs down to the river are obsolete. Since they can’t be fixed up to ADA requirements and can’t be removed since they act as a stabilizer for the hill, the city plans to cover the stairs with soil and native plantings and build a new set of wooden stairs near the Perry Hannah statue down to the river. A new overlook will also be installed at the bridge. That project is planned to go out to bid this fall.

Hunt also shared a list of other projects with Parks and Recreation commissioners Thursday that could soon be budgeted. Those will include bathroom upgrades at multiple parks, including refurbishing the interior and exterior doors and siding, new roofs, high-efficiency plumbing, LED lighting, light timers, new partitions, and automatic door lock timers where needed. A wayfinding signage project for Hickory Meadows/Hickory Hills/Hickory Forest, a trail feasibility and design study for mountain bike trails at Hickory, and a data modernization and mapping project at Oakwood Cemetery – leading to the creation of an interactive database and map for public use – are also in the works.

Other TC Parks and Recreation updates...
> Two race events using the Boardman Lake Loop Trail will return in summer 2024. Parks and Recreation commissioners Thursday approved an application for Loop the Lake, a four-mile urban trail race around Boardman Lake debuted by the Traverse City Track Club in 2023. Last year’s race took place in June, but the 2024 Loop the Lake will be held July 13. Also returning is Up North Pride’s Rainbow Run, a color fun run and fundraiser around the Boardman Lake Loop Trail. The 2024 Rainbow Run will take place on June 22. Both events are held in partnership with TART Trails.

> Parks and Recreation is about to undergo a significant planning effort to create a new master plan. The update, budgeted at $150,000, will bring many parks that have their own separate plans (Hickory Hills), have plans that haven’t been updated in decades (Oakwood Cemetery), or have undergone recent expansions (Brown Bridge Quiet Area) into one cohesive document to guide maintenance and improvements. “It’s time that we look at the parks division as a whole instead of segmented properties,” Hunt said. The plan is expected to be included in the city’s 2024-25 budget – which will be approved by commissioners by June – with Parks and Recreation then going out to bid to hire a consultant to lead the update. Public input is expected to be a key part of the process.

> Part of the new master plan could address an issue Parks and Recreation commissioners have been exploring – improving accessibility at public parks. Commissioners have been looking in particular at beach accessibility, with options ranging from more Mobi-mats (wheelchair beach access mats) to track chair rentals similar to those available at Sleeping Bear Dunes. “Our population up here is getting older,” said Parks and Recreation Commissioner Scott Morey. “We want people to still be able to enjoy these beautiful spaces we have, so making sure these are as accessible as possible for as many people as possible is just great work to do.” Hunt said the new master plan could include evaluations of the accessibility conditions at all parks along with recommended upgrades to improve those conditions.

> Finally, Michigan’s record warm winter meant Hickory Hills Ski Park was only open for 46 days this season, according to Hunt. While that’s on the low end for a park average, Hunt said it was still a good season. The lodge’s food and concessions program was a success and will return next year, Hunt said. The city is also looking at purchasing helmets to include in all ski rentals in future seasons to improve safety at the park, according to Hunt.