By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp.-Phase two of the Brandon Township Community Park master plan is in full swing with the recent addition of a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund. The fund was established by Congress in 1964 and uses zero taxpayer dollars, rather invests earnings from offshore oil and gas leasing for projects at the state and federal levels.
The grant announced last week, was awarded for $70,000, will be matched by the parks and recreation development money for a grand total of $140,000.

A slew of new park projects are now set to start hopefully in the spring and summer, along with the projects funded by a 2016 grant for $150,000. The matching grant funds will come from the cell tower funds. The township now receives close to $95,000 annually from all carriers on the cell tower. That money will be designated for yearly park maintenance, about $25,000, as well as for park development. The funds can procure matching DNR grants.
“I’m very pleased that we were awarded both grants,” said Kathy Thurman, township supervisor. “ This will allow us to complete the parking area for the ball field all at the same time. Hopefully we can get it all finished this year.”
The 2017 grant will go toward the parking lot, benches, a basketball court, sand volleyball court, an access pathway, solar lighting and more that will improve the park.
“These plans have been on the blueprints for the park since 2006,” said Fred Waybrant, township parks and recreation director. “We see a growing need for sand volleyball.”
This will be the third DNR grant that the township has received, the first in 2008, then again in 2016 and now 2017. With the 2008 grant the park was able to construct a sledding hill. The 2016 grant will mean baseball fields will be added.
“The reason why we’re getting the grants is that our park is universally accessible by design,” he said. “When you write a DNR grant, it goes by points, and one of the biggest areas to score points is if it’s accessible.”
About 1,400 youth in the community participate in the programs provided by the recreation department, and though that number is less than past years, it is consistent with the decline in students in the Brandon School District.
“We get kids from all over,” he said. “Grand Blanc, Davison, Oxford. They like our programs.”
Waybrant will be working on writing up a grant proposal for 2018 as well, hoping to get funding for a concession stand and the bathrooms, which are another part of phase two.
“Fred worked very hard to get these grants for the township, and he’s very appreciated for the amount of work he has done,” said Thurman.
There are also sponsorship opportunities available to sponsor the baseball fields, so if any businesses are interested, Waybrant asks them to contact the parks and recreation department.