County rec plan development under way
Sean HarkinsAlpena residents will have an opportunity to help form a vision for the future of the area's county parks, as the process to update the Alpena County Recreation Plan is under way.
During Thursday's Alpena County Planning Commission meeting, Northeast Michigan Council of Governments planner Denise Cline discussed the update.
The current recreation plan expires in 2009 and an update is needed by April for the county to be eligible for Department of Natural Resources grants.
Cline said the five-year plan includes a wish list of improvements for each county park. She said there is no obligation to make each improvement, but the plan provides a vision for the parks.
"They just have to have (the plan). If they have it, it makes them eligible for the grants," she said.
As part of the plan, background information on the parks was obtained and maps will be updated. Right now work is being done to gather input from various groups.
The planning commission has worked to give its input on county parks, and surveys can be filled out at each park for residents to leave their comments.
At the end of August, surveys will be included in an edition of The Alpena News for residents to fill out and send in.
"What people say really does affect where they prioritize," Cline said.
The survey is being sent out in conjunction with that of the City of Alpena, which also is updating its recreation plan. It asks how often the respondent uses each of the eight county-owned facilities and the 18 city-owned facilities and several other questions regarding recreation.
A NEMCOG representative will be talking to other groups such as the Alpena County Fair Board regarding the fairgrounds and the Alpena Area Recreation Commission regarding Northern Lights Arena.
Cline said she hoped to have the plan updated by the end of the year. Grant applications are due April 1, and the plan must be in place when the applications are submitted.
Sean Harkins can be reached via e-mail at sharkins@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5688.
