Rochester Hills Seeks to Inform Residents about City Parks and 'Staycations'

Think there's nothing to do in Rochester Hills?

Leaders of the city's parks and forestry department point to an 88-page document that will make you think again.

It's the city's Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and it's the basis for a series of ongoing public forums intended to inform residents — and seek their input — on the multitude of outdoor options available around town.

Residents can view the plan and give their feedback at a forum from 4 to 8:30 p.m. today at .

Why the master plan?

Update's to the master plan will enable the city to apply for grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust, said the city's director of parks and forestry Mike Hartner.

“The [Department of Natural Resources] requires an approved master plan if you're going to submit and be eligible for any grants,” he said.

A parks and recreation master plan survey is available online, along with the draft for the new master plan (click here to download the plan).

The plan will be submitted to the DNR. It provides general demographics, goals and objectives, capital improvement plans and maps of the city, Hartner said.

“This kind of a map lets people see, first off, the spacial arrangement of the city, but also, hopefully, they see that there's a lot going on in the city. You always hear, 'There's nothing to do,' ” he said.

Hartner said that Rochester Hills parks have topped more than a million visitors in the last two years. With rising gas prices, he said people are enjoying recreational activities at home and having “staycations.”

“That's a great term,” Hartner said, “and folks have discovered that the Clinton River is a huge recreational resource.”

The Clinton River Watershed Council will host the first Clinton River Steelhead One-Pattern Fishing Tournament on March 25, Hartner said, and the third "Paddlepalooza" event will take place in June.

“There'll be 150 kayaks and canoes on the river in June, celebrating a resource that has cleaned up and is in our backyard,” he said.

What the residents say

At a recent forum, some Rochester Hills residents provided input on the master plan.

“I think we have some fabulous park property,” said Melinda Hill, resident and member of the Friends of the Clinton River Trail.

Hill said that she would like better access to some of the passive park properties, like Riverbend Park, which is undeveloped and has no place for parking.

“I wouldn't mind seeing a little development, as long as it's the appropriate type of development,” she said.

Resident Carol Donovan said she would like to see as much nature left alone as possible.

“I don't want to see any more building. I don't want to see baseball courts, I don't want to see soccer courts,” she said. “I don't want to see any more building on what green, natural space we have left in the city.”

Hartner said the parks division has always had a good working relationship in sharing resources and making things a combined effort with the the .

“In our community, there's a whole litany of mom-and-pop leagues and organizations that are run for soccer, baseball or cricket. So, they provide a lot of services. Rochester Hills has centered on the facilities,” Hartner said.

“We've built the parks, provided the open space, made the parking lots and restrooms and all the things that you need to have, and then let the recreation providers, whether it's the regional providers — RARA or OPC — or the individual mom-and-pops — the Rochester Youth Soccer League — facilitate services.”

Hartner said there is a lot of intermingling between the different leagues and people who want to use the facilities.

“Everybody doesn't have to have their own special buildings and little fiefdoms. We've said, 'We'll build it, they'll find it,' ” he said.