Dear Editor:
The Chelsea Area Friends for Recreation have a direct interest in the expansion of park lands as a non-profit that supports parks and recreation in the greater Chelsea community, and as an organization that has coordinated and provided free recreational opportunities and programming for Chelsea area residents.
We were greatly disappointed with the decision made on November 1, 2021, where the City Council declined to take action on the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Commission to dedicate the 7.7 acres that the City purchased on the corner of Trinkle and Freer. (See: https://www.city-chelsea.org/Portals/0/Complete%20Packet%2011_01_21_1.pdf and https://www.city-chelsea.org/Portals/0/Draft%20Minutes%2011_01_21.pdf ). The failure to dedicate this land is a missed opportunity but one that can still be seized. We are asking City Council to commit to the desired improvements that have been identified by the citizens of Chelsea that were approved repeatedly by the City Council.
The need for additional park land was first formally identified when drafting the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The parks commission identified that the City’s parkland did not grow commensurately with the City’s population. Timbertown, built in 1996 when Chelsea was still a village, was the last new park added to City’s inventory. Since that time, there has been significant population growth in the City of Chelsea, and the surrounding communities.
The City currently has roughly 32 acres of park. The City’s population, based on the most recent census data, is approximately 5,500 people. A traditional measure of determining appropriate parkland is 10 acres of parkland for every 1,000 people. Under this standard, the City should have approximately 55 acres of parkland. SEMCOG projections for the City show future additional growth with an estimated population of 6,271 people in 2040. These numbers are supported by the anticipated residential growth map created by the City of Chelsea and is a reason why City staff recommended the dedication of the Trinkle/Freer parcel as parkland on November 1, 2021. (See: https://www.city-chelsea.org/Portals/0/Complete%20Packet%2011_01_21_1.pdf; see also: https://chelseaupdate.com/letts-linear-park-trail-section-moving-forward/ ).
Parks are essential to maintaining the quality of life that is so important to the Chelsea community. They have a positive impact on the physical and mental health of community members with economic benefits to both business and residents. (See: https://www.nrpa.org/uploadedFiles/nrpa.org/Advocacy/Resources/Parks-Recreation-Essential-Public-Services-January-2010.pdf). An argument was made at the November 2021 council meeting that other cities are also deficient in parks and that Chelsea’s deficiency matches these other cities. This argument is inconsistent with the historic philosophy of Chelsea to be a leader by providing a higher than normal quality of life for its residents. Chelsea can and should do better.
The need for additional parks was yet again highlighted in the 2021-2025 Parks and Recreation Master Plan that was unanimously adopted by Council on November 1,2021. This plan outlined the proposed acquisition and dedication of land for parks and recreation, and specifically stated that the City, as a short-term goal, should dedicate the 7.7 acres that the City purchased in 2020 as park land.
As a long-term goal, the plan states that the City should develop and design indoor and/or outdoor facilities. (See Parks and Recreation Master Plan, 2021-2025, pp.15, 23, and 38). The community has repeatedly provided input that more facilities are needed. These include multi-purpose sports fields, outdoor sports courts (pickleball, basketball, etc.), skate parks, pools both indoor and outdoor, splash pads and indoor recreational facilities. (See Parks and Recreation Master Plan, 2021-2025, pp. 36-39, and survey).
We know from first-hand experience and observations as well as communications from other community members that many members of our community must travel to other communities to use these types of recreational facilities.
Contrary to what was suggested by some council members, there is no legal issue that would have prohibited the vote to dedicate the land. Instead, the legal issue was the timing of when the formal dedication by resolution could occur (before or after annexation; the property is contiguous to the City of Chelsea’s border and is in Lima Township). The action that was requested was to earmark the property for park land and to work towards meeting the goals of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan to provide more recreational facilities for the citizens of Chelsea.
The failure to approve dedication of this land as park land is even more surprising and disappointing when reviewing Council’s prior actions. This property was first identified by the Parks and Recreation Commission for acquisition in 2019 and brought to the attention of the City Council. It met Council’s approved plans for creating new parks and for providing parkland throughout the City of Chelsea.
In 2019, the Chelsea City Council discussed purchasing the property and discussed potential uses for the property which included park land and housing. On November 4, 2019, the Council approved an option agreement to purchase the land and also unanimously approved an amendment to the City’s budget so that the expense for the deposit of $5,000 be attributed to the Parks and Recreation Commission’s budget.
After completing its due diligence, the Council subsequently approved the purchase of the land for $450,000. Again, the City Council approved that the money used to purchase the property be attributed to the Parks and Recreation budget when it adopted the City’s 2020-2021 budget. (See: https://www.city-chelsea.org/Portals/0/2021-2022%20Budget%20Public%20Hearing%20Draft_1.pdf). Similarly, in the 2021-2022 budget adopted by council, the demolition of the house on the property was expensed to the Parks and Recreation budget. (See: https://www.city-chelsea.org/Portals/0/Final%20Budget%20Package_1.pdf).
Similarly, in the years preceding, the City has repeatedly included in its annual visioning goals to implement the City’s Park and Recreation Master Plan and specifically in 2021, the City Council’s visions included dedication of land for parks. (See: https://chelseaupdate.com/feb-10-chelsea-city-council-annual-visioning-session/; see also: https://chelseaupdate.com/chelsea-city-council-annual-visioning-session-presentation/ ). The Council’s failure to dedicate the land, after repeated attribution of funding to the Parks and Recreation budget to fund its purchase, has the potential to erode public trust surrounding its planning.
The planning has been done. The public input has been sought. It is very clear that additional park land and facilities are needed. The City Council’s own actions support that the land should be dedicated for park land.
Parks have broad support from our community. The dedication of this land as park land will be a positive action that can help bring our community together.
Chelsea Area Friends for Recreation support the creation of a new park and are willing to partner with the City to develop this property, including fundraising, to make this park a place where people can come to recreate and socialize. It is time now to do the right thing and take action to dedicate the 7.7 acres of land at the corner of Trinkle and Freer as park land.
We encourage others to reach out to City Council if they feel similarly and are a resident of the City of Chelsea, or surrounding community.
https://www.city-chelsea.org/City-Council/Council-Members
On behalf of the Chelsea Area Friends for Recreation (CAFR) Board of Directors
Kristina Martin
CAFR President
