By Lisa Carolin
Members of the Chelsea Parks Commission heard from Joe Ziolkowski, representative from the Main Street Park Alliance (MSPA) about all the environmental problems that have been discovered at the site, during the commission’s Dec. 6 meeting.
Although MSPA is in a purchase agreement with the current property owner, Magellan Properties, MPSA has 13 months to do its inspection. Samples were taken from various locations at the site during September and October with the help of a grant through the Washtenaw County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority for $65,000.
MSPA covered an additional cost of $35,000 and learned that there are three large oil tanks on the site, and that some of the oil is slowly migrating into the water.
Ziolkowski said MSPA’s number one priority is correcting the environmental problems on the property and is exploring bringing Federal Screw Works, the original property owner, back into the effort. He said MSPA didn’t realize the scope of the problem, nor the extent of the labor and expense to correct it, but he told Parks Commission members, “We all live here and want to see it resolved.”
Chelsea City Manager Roy Atkinson also spoke to the Parks Commission and addressed a Department of Natural Resources Spark Grant submission for expanding the Letts Creek trail system and ways for the Border-to-Border Trail to enter the Chelsea community. The Parks Commission approved a motion to apply for a grant for more than $700,000 and must be submitted by Dec. 19.
Also addressed at the meeting were the costs of putting in a pavilion in Timbertown in the spring of 2023. The estimate, depending on the size of the structure, is between $21,000 and $29,000.
A quote to build a pavilion in the dog park will be presented to Chelsea City Council in the near future. Bike racks for Pierce Park and Veterans Park are both expected to be built in the spring with financial help from 5 Healthy Towns.
The Parks Commission’s next regular meeting will be on Jan. 3 at 9 a.m.
