Belle Isle as a State Park? [UPDATE: Snyder Withdraws Offer]

[313WX]

That's a bet I'll gladly take. In April of 2013, if there are not concrete, tangible improvements to both the operations and the aesthetics of Belle Isle, II will eat crow. What the state has done with Tri-Centennial/Milliken State park has been wonderful compared to when it was St. Aubin park owned by the city.

It's true that the state has did a nice job with Tri-Centennial park. However, comparing it to Belle Isle is like comparing NYC to Grand Rapids. It's going to take a lot more money and upkeep to maintain a park the size of Belle Isle. I mean the state isn't necessarily swimming in money either, and they do have higher priorities than maintaining most in Lansing nor their representatives will use. The money's going to be coming out of the same general fund evert state-owned park uses. What I would propose instead is Instituting a fee, but instead leave the ownership in the city's hands and transfer management to a non-partisan board, where Detroiters elect three citizens, each county a elects one and the state elects one. The only duty these members have is to oversee the park part time with a small yearly stipend to tote.I