A master plan to guide the long-term development of Oakwood Lake Park was unanimously approved by the Oxford Township Board last week.
“I think the plan is awesome,” said Parks and Director Ron Davis.
Striking a “balance” between what the environmentally sensitive 300-acre site on East Oakwood Road is “able to support” in terms of development and what recreational opportunities the public wants was the ultimate goal of the plan, according to Lucy Fortin, of the Ann Arbor-based Carlisle/Wortman Associates, the township planning firm that drafted and presented the master plan.
Comprised of 70 percent wetlands, two lakes (Oakwood Lake and Rossman Lake), five distinct ecosystems and the headwaters of the South Branch of the Flint River, Don Wortman, of Carlisle/Wortman Associates, said it was a “challenge” to “evaluate the recreational uses” and “determine what is the best fit” for the site.
“It’s a special site,” Wortman said. “A special site requires a special plan.”
The park land was purchased in 1999 using a $1.5 million grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The only cost to Oxford taxpayers was the $11,000 in property taxes the parks and rec. department was required to pay.
Picnicking, hiking, nature interpretation, fishing, hunting, archery and mountain biking were outlined in the master plan as the primary recreational uses for the future park.
The plan calls for two picnic areas including picnic shelters, restrooms, site furnishings, play equipment, fishing decks, pathways and boardwalks. The estimated combined cost for these areas is $265,000.
Mountain bike trails, pathways and trail interpretive displays will also be added for an estimated cost of $12,000.
Making the park accessible to the public will require west and east entry gates, driveways, parking lots, signage, landscaping and a small building for a concession, all of which will cost an estimated $135,000, according to the plan.
To control the site’s deer population, bow hunting will be allowed on a lottery and seasonal basis.
However, allowing hunting will require 2* miles of fencing to be installed around the park’s entire perimeter at an estimated cost of $138,000, Davis said.
An archery range is also included in the plan, however, a cost has yet to be determined.
Some members of the public ? particularly those from the Detroit Sportsmen’s Congress (DSC) ? previously expressed their desire to see a shooting range located in the park.
However, Fortin noted that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Land and Water Management Division “is generally opposed to establishing a shooting range over wetlands.”
Fortin said the “use of lead shots could expose the township to potential liability,” lead to “significant environmental impact on water quality and wildlife” and lead to “extreme” clean-up costs.
“I have a problem with putting a shooting range in a wetlands area,” said Supervisor Bill Dunn, noting that he’s an avid hunter and shooting enthusiast. “I would like to see at all costs any shooting over the headwaters of the Flint River” avoided.
Dunn cited recent events at Woodhull Lake, where 23 swans have been found dead since March 18 near the Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club in Independence Township. Preliminary tests indicated many of the swans died after ingesting lead shot that had fallen into the adjacent Clinton River.
Davis said the park will contain no shooting range within its boundaries, however, the township and DSC are looking into partnering to develop a range on some property the sportsmen’s group owns adjacent to the park site.
According to the plan, the shooting range would be open to the public and operated by the DSC, but would need to be fenced off separately from the park for safety reasons.
A formal agreement between the DSC and township would have to be drafted “to specify regulations regarding the development, management and operation” of the range, the plan stated.
“At minimum, management of the shooting range should include, but not be limited to: The use of non-toxic shots (such as steel or synthetic shots); limiting shooting dates; the development of an environmental stewardship plan according to the NSSF and EPA Best Management Practice Manual; and the establishment of any other management guidelines as required by the township,” the plan stated.
As for how long it will take to implement “everything in the master plan,” Davis said “realistically a minimum of 10 years” given the current department budget. “It’s going to take time,” he told the board. “It could be 10 (years), it could be five (years). But I don’t want to be unrealistic.”
“Keep in mind the Parks and Recreation (Department) is not going to put all our efforts into this 300-acre park,” Davis added. “There are other parks that need our attention.”
Township board members were very complimentary of the new park and its master plan.
“I think it’s a very nice passive park,” Dunn said. “I think it will be enjoyed well after all of us are gone.”
Township Trustee Pat Fitchena called the park a “jewel.” “This 300 acres is going to be part of Oxford history for the next half-million years, I hope,” she said.
However, Fitchena noted that in order to develop this new park, the parks and rec. department is going to need more revenue.
She said the amount of millage property taxpayers pay for parks and rec. services is “minimal” when compared to the amount of park land (479 acres) the township owns.
Fitchena noted the parks and rec. tax levy of 0.8885-mill is less than the 1.4550-mill residents pay for library operations.
“I honestly believe that without an increase in millage,” the residents “must come together” and “take an active role” in developing Oakwood Lake Park like they did with the privately-funded Kids Kingdom playground project, she said.
Dunn said he will look into getting some materials for the park donated by private parties and utilizing free labor from Oakland County Jail’s trusty program.