Royal Oak's Fries Park a Muddy Heavy Equipment Holding Site

ROYAL OAK, MI – Residents of a Royal Oak neighborhood who adopted a park two years ago and spruced it up with new trees and regular maintenance complained to city officials after heavy equipment rolled in last month

City officials told WXYZ-TV they’re using Fries Park, which is located at Greenfield and Normandy Roads, to temporarily store construction vehicles needed for water main work going on near Greenfield Road.

However embers of the Royal Oak Beverly Improvement Association, who adopted Fries Park, a couple of years ago, said topsoil has been dug up and trees have been razed.

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"We take this very seriously,” neighborhood association president Ted Page told the TV station. :We love our neighborhood, it's a beautiful place to live.”

"Whatever it is they couldn't put it down the drain, so they're gonna put it in my park instead,” Page said. “It's just upsetting.”

Huffington Post picked up Kevin Walsh’s blog post with a photo of holding area. In it, he said the transformation of the park for a heavy equipment staging area “was approved by the city without consulting neighbors” and that the contractor “cut down a flowering crabapple tree planted by the residents and family members of the lot’s donor.”

City engineer Matt Callahan downplayed residents’ concerns. He said the debris water is harmless, and that the staging area is only temporary.

» WXYZ-TV has more.

Image credit: Screenshot, WXYZ-TV