List of 77 City Parks to close.

**kraig** · June-24-10, 01:46 PM

Is this real or politics?

http://www.freep.com/assets/freep/pdf/C4160023624.PDF

**bailey** · June-24-10, 01:52 PM

Ok, logistical question. How does the city "close" a park that has no fence? Are they just not going to mow it...etc?

Also, if 77 parks need to be shuttered, why is the City still fighting the Eliza Howell heirs?

**hamtown mike** · June-24-10, 01:53 PM

"wow" if true. I wonder if "closed" will mean "Unattended" or no longer maintained. If they actively try to close Palmer Park, that is, trying to keep people out, there will be a shit storm.

Is this city authority? State? I thought Fort Wayne was a protected site.

**iheartthed** · June-24-10, 02:02 PM

And they want to level neighborhoods to make more parks that they apparently can't maintain?

**kraig** · June-24-10, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by hamtown mike

"wow" if true. I wonder if "closed" will mean "Unattended" or no longer maintained. If they actively try to close Palmer Park, that is, trying to keep people out, there will be a shit storm.

Is this city authority? State? I thought Fort Wayne was a protected site.

You bring up some good thoughts. When one really looks at the city's logic on this [[not able to properly maintain the parks). The conclusion can be made that the parks have been closed for years anyway. So what's the difference?

**gnome** · June-24-10, 02:25 PM

Close Riverside Park? They don't mow it now, haven't cared for it for years and if it wasn't for a few dedicated souls, it would already be in the clutches of Maroun and Company.

**JBMcB** · June-24-10, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

And they want to level neighborhoods to make more parks that they apparently can't maintain?

The idea there is, if you can clear out an entire neighborhood, then you don't have to maintain the streets, sidewalks, streetlights, traffic lights, water mains, sewer lines, storm drains, and gas lines.

**Carey** · June-24-10, 02:57 PM

This seems like politics. The list puts pressure on city council to compromise. The council and mayor still have until July 1, right? Bing already has said how many EMS employees will be laid off if they can't reach an agreement.

**pkbroch** · June-24-10, 03:35 PM

How in the H**L do you close Palmer Park.

Evict the Profit making Golf Course, managed by American Golf.

Evict the 12th. Precinct or not mow the grass around it.

Close Pontchartrain/Hamilton Rd. so people can't get to their homes.

Put barbed wire across the streets, and close off Second and Covington.

What a stupid idea. I hope this is just a political ploy.

**stromberg2** · June-24-10, 04:07 PM

Close Rouge Park and Palmer? I must be seeing things. Fort Wayne? This is fucked up. The list looks like every single park in Detroit! Detroit Rises, indeed!

Stromberg2

**LEOQUEEN** · June-24-10, 04:25 PM

Insanity. Pure, unadulterated insanity.

**Detroitnerd** · June-24-10, 04:26 PM

They probably want to sell them but don't want to say it.

**EastsideAl** · June-24-10, 05:06 PM

This looks completely and totally impractical, and really just plain mean. By 'closed' I gather they mean 'abandoned and unmaintained', since most of these parks are open to street and cannot really be 'closed' in any real sense.

In looking at the list it is hard to tell what exactly they would be leaving 'open'. Other than a few parks downtown what the hell is left? Belle Isle, Chandler, Howell, Balduck... what else?

Even if some of these parks are 'saved' as part of the brinksmanship that is obviously being played out here, holding them, and by extension the neighborhoods they serve, hostage is a cruel game. And 'closing' [[again, really abandoning) any of the city's big parks would be terrible thing to do.

**showstoppa** · June-24-10, 06:01 PM

here's an idea. Can't the city get people/organizations/ church groups to adopt these parks get maintain them ? basic things like cleaning, painting, or other small things of that nature.

**fareastsider** · June-24-10, 06:20 PM

Does anyone know of a list online of all of the city of Detroit parks?

**R8RBOB** · June-24-10, 06:30 PM

You know that this is kinda of funny. The city is going "close" city parks. Now perhaps I love the good old days when the city of Detroit used to have a Parks and Recreation dept and the Parks and Recreation dept. would send a employee to the various parks in the city to work with the kids. That employee would have sports equipment so the kids can play basketball or football. They would have beads and strings for the kids to make bead necklaces and bracelets. Anyone remember those summer showers by the fire hydrants. Yep, Parks and Recreations had the sprayer to screw onto the hydrant. I remember one park located on Blaine and Linwood, the city would provide lunch. [[Okay, the sandwiches weren't the best but it's the thought that counts) And of course, the city would mow the grass and bring out the swings every spring and remove them every fall.

Now Dave Bing is threatening to "close" the parks. The city has not spent any money in the parks for years. To think he could threaten the City Council with shows that he is too suburban for Detroit. I voted for Bing but he and his administration still think the city provide for these parks. Maybe he should go visit some of the parks and see the conditions before he could threaten the closure of 77 parks.

**JBMcB** · June-24-10, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by showstoppa

here's an idea. Can't the city get people/organizations/ church groups to adopt these parks get maintain them ?

I think that would be considered "union busting."

**Zacha341** · June-24-10, 07:08 PM

Riverside has a gate that is let down put down after 10:00 PM. This is getting ridiculous. As crazy as Riverside park can get it is a great place to watch the freighter ships go by... and see the bridge and people actually fish there for food... I guess the gate will go down and the grass will not be cut... Gosh it is getting harder and harder to stay in the Detroit. Not to sound dismal, but where will people go to relax and catch a breeze...? What's left? Got to go to Canada just so see some water. Thank goodness I have a passport but I should not have to go to another country to visit a park!!!!!!

Originally Posted by bailey

Ok, logistical question. How does the city "close" a park that has no fence? Are they just not going to mow it...etc?

Also, if 77 parks need to be shuttered, why is the City still fighting the Eliza Howell heirs?

**Zacha341** · June-24-10, 07:10 PM

Yep, that might be perceived that way... insane as it is. This is truly getting to be a town under siege from multiple sources... no wonder the stress is so high. Thus, people going "off!"

Originally Posted by JBMcB

I think that would be considered "union busting."

**Zacha341** · June-24-10, 07:15 PM

I recall those folk coming to the parks like some black and white twilight zone snapshop with Rod Serling standing near by. I guess that's all been squandered by the scammers over the years that bled the cash cow dry so it is finally laying down skeletal!

It's all so ugly it's fugly! I mean these parks are an outlet for families and kids to have something constructive to do. All the recreation centers are closing, now the parks. Geesh! I did not want to be here when things got this bad...

Originally Posted by R8RBOB

You know that this is kinda of funny. The city is going "close" city parks. Now perhaps I love the good old days when the city of Detroit used to have a Parks and Recreation dept and the Parks and Recreation dept. would send a employee to the various parks in the city to work with the kids. That employee would have sports equipment so the kids can play basketball or football. They would have beads and strings for the kids to make bead necklaces and bracelets. Anyone remember those summer showers by the fire hydrants. Yep, Parks and Recreations had the sprayer to screw onto the hydrant. I remember one park located on Blaine and Linwood, the city would provide lunch. [[Okay, the sandwiches weren't the best but it's the thought that counts) And of course, the city would mow the grass and bring out the swings every spring and remove them every fall.

Now Dave Bing is threatening to "close" the parks. The city has not spent any money in the parks for years. To think he could threaten the City Council with shows that he is too suburban for Detroit. I voted for Bing but he and his administration still think the city provide for these parks. Maybe he should go visit some of the parks and see the conditions before he could threaten the closure of 77 parks.

**Zacha341** · June-24-10, 07:18 PM

It's getting edgy people... real edgy. What is BING THINKING! These closed parks will be come havens of more secreted crime than a little bit. The high grass will not conceal all... brave new world [[city) indeed.

Originally Posted by pkbroch

How in the H**L do you close Palmer Park.

Evict the Profit making Golf Course, managed by American Golf.

Evict the 12th. Precinct or not mow the grass around it.

Close Pontchartrain/Hamilton Rd. so people can't get to their homes.

Put barbed wire across the streets, and close off Second and Covington.

What a stupid idea. I hope this is just a political ploy.

LodgeDodger · June-24-10, 08:25 PM

Even though there isn't money, I do think this is political. It's similar to school districts who want a millage increase. What's the first thing placed on the chopping block? Buses.

So, I think Bing has published this list in order to get Detroiters to pay attention to what is going on. He's causing a disturbance in order to get Detroiters to put pressure on the City Council.

**pkbroch** · June-24-10, 08:43 PM

Just re-read the list and they list the Palmer Park Green belt Woodward/7 mile to the cemetery, Evergreen Cemetery, as a park closing.

Judging from that badly composed list, a copy of a copy, not in any comprehensive order, listing the Woodward green belt as a park is a joke. It is a 45-60 foot wide strip of grass along Woodward that fronts Palmer Woods.

When Palmer Woods was platted in 1915, house lots were also fronting Woodward. When Woodward was widened in the early 1920's the Woodward lots were 50-60% taken and the remaining land lacked the depth for Building restrictions. The lots hung in limbo for years then were deeded to the City of Detroit as a green belt to be maintained by DPW later Parks and Rec.

During the 1980's the City cut the green belt maybe twice to three times a year. Finally the Palmer Woods Assoc. took over cutting the green belt and has done so over the past 20 years. During the Archer and Kilpatrick administration some maintanance was done on the green belt, with the now defunct Forestry department doing a good job.

Even listing this as a park shows someone just picked names off a list of mostly west side parks and rec property list. Whoever compiled this list has no idea of what they are doing, which is par for the course in Detroit.

Retroit · June-24-10, 08:45 PM

With all the vacant land in the city, are many of these small parks really necessary? When a city is fully populated, it makes sense to set aside areas for recreation; but nowadays in Detroit, you could have your picnic or pick-up baseball game just about anywhere [[provided you're willing to harvest the grains).

**R8RBOB** · June-24-10, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by LodgeDodger

Even though there isn't money, I do think this is political. It's similar to school districts who want a millage increase. What's the first thing placed on the chopping block? Buses.

So, I think Bing has published this list in order to get Detroiters to pay attention to what is going on. He's causing a disturbance in order to get Detroiters to put pressure on the City Council.

It's all political. Bing know that he can't "close" a park no more he can close empty neighborhoods. The only reason the city can close Belle Isle is that Detroit Police blocks the entrance to the island. What Bing is say to City Council is this: if you don't give me the money I'm asking then I will no longer cut grass or tend to equipment in the parks.