Parks and Recreation Advisory Board

Agenda Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Thursday, October 2, 2025, 7:00 p.m. City Hall Commission Chambers Room 121 203 South Troy Street Royal Oak, MI 48067 Anyone planning to attend the meeting who has need of special assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is asked to contact the city clerk’s office at 248-246-3050 at least two (2) business days prior to the meeting. Pages 1. Meeting Called to Order 2. Approval of Agenda 3. Approval of Minutes 3 4. Public Comment 5. Reports a. Staff Report – Nicole McEachern b. City Commission Comments - Commissioner Kolo 6. Business Items a. Gunn Dyer Park Improvements and Future CDBG Funded Park Projects 6 Recommended Motion: Motion to recommend the City Commission approve the Gunn Dyer Park Improvement Concept Design [as presented or with modifications as follows...] b. Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) For discussion purposes only. No action necessary. Resources: Recreation Master Plan https://www.romi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/34899/2023-27-Recreation- Master-Plan Capital Improvement Plan https://www.romi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/40163/_ADOPTED-CIP- Full-book-2025-26 7. Items Not on the Agenda 8. Upcoming Events • Farmers Market Centennial Celebration - Harvest Festival and Food  Truck Rally – Wednesday, October 8, 4-8 p.m. • Lockman Park Grand Reopening and Ribbon Cutting, Thursday, October 9, 4 pm. 9. Adjournment 10. Next Meeting: November 6, 2025 Page 2 of 8  Minutes Parks and Recreation Advisory Board September 4, 2025, 7:00 p.m. City Hall, Room 122 203 S. Troy Street Royal Oak, Michigan 48067 Present: Sarah Kindinger Brigitta Burguess Tony Rennpage Sue Wells Hannah Holliday Ryan Danescu Ian McKinney Brandon Kolo Absent: Perry Abbey _____________________________________________________________________ 1. Meeting Called to Order Meeting called to order at 7:00 pm. 2. Approval of Agenda Resolution Number: Motion to approve Moved by: Ryan Danescu Seconded by: Sue Wells Motion Adopted 3. Approval of Minutes Resolution Number: Motion to approve minutes of the August 7, 2025 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting. Moved by: Hannah Holliday Seconded by: Ian McKinney Motion Adopted 4. Public Comment 1 Page 3 of 8   Kathryn Maigey spoke regarding Pickleball Courts at Whittier Park about noise concerns and parking constraints. Suggested having police be stationed there at peak season to issue noise ordinance, timed locks, or timed lights. 5. Reports 5.a Staff Report – Nicole McEachern McEachern Introduced new Recreation Coordinator, Meghan Veiga. McEachern shared the following updates: Administration  The vacant Clerk position closed. Interviews are being held this week. Estimated start date is late September/early October.  Alayna Brasch (City Manager Fellow) is temporarily filling in for the vacant Clerk position. Her last day is September 12. We wish her well in her new position with Wayne, MI as Assistant to the City Manager.  The Chef position and Administrative Assistant positions for the Senior Center have been posted. Interviews will be scheduled this month.  Winter Insight publication process is underway. Recreation  Fall programs are underway, notably Four Seasons Preschool, Adult Softball League, and Adult Volleyball League. Park/Facilities  Senior Center had its soft reopening on August 25. Programs are starting to move back to the facility from their temporary locations.  Salter Center roofing project has been awarded. Project is estimated to be completed in the fall.  Clawson Park Improvements are on track for substantial completion in October.  Gunn Dyer Park improvement design process has begun. We plan to bring concepts to the October Park Board meeting.  Red Run Park playground replacement design process has begun. We had a site meeting last week. Replacement is tentatively scheduled for October. 5.b City Commissioner Report - Commissioner Brandon Kolo 2 Page 4 of 8   Commission had its first ever all-female Commission meeting.  City did amazing job with Dream Cruise and Arts Beats and Eats.  School Board is expanding Churchill to house preschool offerings and will close Addams Early Childhood Center. 6. Business Items 6.a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) - Nicole McEachern McEachern presented a high level overview of the Recreation Maser Plan process and the proposed projects drafted for 2026-2027 in the five year Capital Improvement Plan. The plans are available on the city website. There was no formal action made. Proposals were presented for informational purposes only. The board will discuss CIP again at the October meeting. 7. Items Not on the Agenda 8. Upcoming Events 9. Adjournment Meeting adjourned at 8:21 pm. Resolution Number: Motion to adjourn Moved by: Brandon Kolo Seconded by: Hannah Holliday Motion Adopted 10. Next Meeting: October 2, 2025 3 Page 5 of 8  Royal Oak Parks and Recreation 203 S Troy Street Royal Oak, MI 48067 248.246.3180 MEMORANDUM DATE: September 17, 2025 TO: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board FROM: Nicole McEachern, Parks and Recreation Director Joseph Murphy, Planning Director SUBJECT: Gunn Dyer Park Improvements and Future CDBG Funded Park Projects BACKGROUND Nearly every five years, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) provides communities across the country with data sets to determine which census block groups within their jurisdiction have a relatively greater percentage of low- to moderate-income residents compared to averages. The data helps determine potential activities that will indirectly benefit those living in qualifying census block groups. On June 6th,2024 HUD released its notice and related data based on the results of the American Community Survey 2016-2020 5-year estimates. A new map illustrates qualifying census block groups. It’s worth noting that prior data was based on the results of comprehensive decennial census efforts. The new data is based on samplings over time, pooled together, weighted, and processed as a whole dataset. In prior years, the city expended Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds on capital improvements within qualifying census block groups. Based on the service area of the activity, it’s presumed under HUD regulations to indirectly benefit all residents living in the qualifying census block group. Area benefit activities have included improvements to public infrastructure like street trees, sidewalks, crosswalks, roads, street lighting, fire hydrants, neighborhood scale park features such as playground equipment, exercise equipment, ball fields, and walking paths, etc. The city’s parks system has been the recipient of CDBG investments. Over the past twelve years, the city commission has authorized $7.2 million of the city’s CDBG funds on park improvements. Parks will undoubtable compete for future CDBG funds. Within the city’s recreation master plan, each of the city’s parks are classified by their size and service area into three primary categories: mini-parks, neighborhood parks, and community parks. Depending on the scale of the park and its amenities, the document outlines the suggested service area below. park type amenity service area mini-park ¼ mile or less neighborhood park ¼ - ½ mile community park ½ - 3 miles Typical park improvements include new or improved playground equipment, fitness equipment, pathways, limited parking, ball fields, tennis courts, drainage improvements, landscaping, etc. These facilities dominate the city’s mini-parks and neighborhood parks. Community scale parks are larger in scale and often include facilities intended to serve a larger population. Their area benefit is designed to serve more than just those living in the immediate neighborhood. Many of park facilities are outdated or deteriorated and need to be replaced. The city’s recreation master plan identifies system-wide and park-specific actions. The document also establishes a goal to increase and diversify access to parks. It recognizes the need to enhance pedestrian and cyclists’ access to the parks and recreation facilities. Page 6 of 8  Page 2 of 3 Federal regulations require that CDBG-funded public facilities and improvements benefit those living in qualified census block groups that are primarily residential in nature. The funded activity must have a service area boundary that does not extend beyond the census block group boundary. In recent past, staff have been asked to research the eligibility of expending CDBG funds on improvements in community scale parks. Representatives from HUD have affirmed various ineligible projects based on the service area of the park. Staff suggest that recommended improvements be limited to known eligible projects. Numerous mini-parks and neighborhood parks are in need of improvements that will benefit those living in the immediate neighborhood. Community scale parks within the qualifying census block groups include Cummingston Park, Memorial Park, Quickstad Park, and Worden Park. Different funding sources should be researched for improvements at these community scale parks. The following parks are geographically located within qualifying census block groups and would have eligible projects based on service area: Neighborhood Parks: Gunn Dyer Park, Miller Park, Upton Park Mini Parks: Westwood Park, Rotary Park PRIORITIZATION FOR FUTURE CDBG FUNDED PARK PROJECTS At the December 2024 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, members prioritized CDBG park improvements in the future as listed in the chart below. 2024 Park Board Ranking Project Description Estimate (1 highest priority, 2 lowest priority) Located on the city’s north end, Upton Park (3.86 acres) has eight pickleball courts. The park is challenged by flooding Upton Park issues and a lack of trees. It was identified as a location for a $850,000 Improvements 1 new pavilion with restrooms. Long-term, the pickleball courts are recommended to be reconstructed. Located south of 13 Mile and west of Coolidge, Gunn Dyer Park (2.36 acres) is challenged by flooding issues. Feedback in Gunn Dyer Park the planning process identified the need for better, accessible $750,000 2 Improvements access to the soccer field. Play structure was removed for safety concerns. Westwood Park (1.03 acres) offers two swing sets, two play structures, and a multipurpose field. It is near William Westwood Park Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak and the Berkley border. The $750,000 3 Improvements park is challenged by outdated play equipment and the field requires maintenance. The spiral slide at Westwood is damaged and closed off for safety reasons. Rotary Park (0.8 acres) is located directly south of the Royal Oak Golf Course at 13 Mile Road between Coolidge and Rotary Park Crooks. Surrounded by nearby apartment buildings, the park $500,000 4 - tied Improvements has no built amenities but offers a future opportunity for seating or public art. Miller Park (1.51 acres) is located within walking distance of William Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, near Coolidge and 13 Miller Park Mile. The park has playground equipment and a multipurpose $750,000 4 - tied Improvements field. It was identified as a location for adult exercise equipment. The play structure has been updated within the last 10 years. GUNN DYER PARK 30% DESIGN The Rehab Board of Appeals prioritized Gunn Dyer Park over Upton Park as the next project. Nowak & Fraus Engineers submitted the low bid response for requests for survey, design and construction inspection services. The contract was Page 7 of 8  Page 3 of 3 awarded by City Commission at their June 23, 2025 meeting. The total estimated cost is $892,937, and the project budget is $750,000. The current design is $142,937 over budget, as follows: Category Cost Demolition & Site Improvements $199,350.00 Baseball Diamond / Soccer Fields Improvements $179,240.00 Playground Improvements $251,720.00 Other Project Costs $107,000.00 Subtotal: Construction Costs $737,310.00 NFE Survey, Design, Construction Supervision Fees $105,627.00 OCWRC Permits, Testing, Advertisement, Miscellaneous $50,000.00 Total Estimated Cost (30% Design Phase) $892,937.00 Note: This estimate does not include funding for potential change orders during construction. Concept Plan: Proposed Improvements at Gunn Dyer Park Request for Feedback Staff is seeking feedback from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on the 30% design for Gunn Dyer Park. Feedback is also requested from the Board regarding prioritization for future CDBG funded park projects. Page 8 of 8