Cass City is developing a comprehensive park plan

In addition, the six-year plan calls for $ 204,800 to be spent on improving and recreationing the park.

Although the multi-annual plan was approved by the Council at its last meeting, some of the projects are preliminary drafts of improvements that officials would like to see completed in the coming years.

The village capital improvement plan outlines the improvements over the next six years and their estimated costs.

About $ 40,000 of park improvements are scheduled to be made this year. Play equipment upgrades are $ 10,000, pool and splash park improvements are $ 5,000 and softball field fencing is $ 25,000.

“While the purchase of playground equipment has been outlined, no decisions have yet been made as to what type of equipment it will be,” said Debbie Powell, village leader. “Our play equipment looks its age. The new device has more security features, so we’re starting to consider replacing some obsolete and obsolete devices. “

Splash Park is open and inaugurated during the Freedom Festival, but new developments have taken place since then.

“Townley Engineering LLC donated $ 1,000 to get a wheelchair made of PCV tube for splash parks so that children with disabilities can play there as well,” Powell said. – The PCV chair can be used in splash water where the metal wheelchair rusts.

“We have a chair now. It’s available at checkout. People with disabilities can participate in water sports, which is great.”

In addition, the plan planned for 2022 includes $ 35,000 worth of work.

Another $ 10,000 will be spent on play equipment and $ 25,000 on fencing on the softball court.

“Some of the fencing will be done this year after the summer’s suffering,” Powell said. “We don’t want to disrupt their schedules, so the work will be done in late fall.”

Next year, the plan is to fence another field. It’s on a budget.

“The park’s lighting is on hold for now,” Powell said. “We received an offer from the DTE for about $ 11,000 using the existing poles, but there has been discussion about what kind of light we want to tolerate.

“We’re going to go with steel poles like the downtown area with LED lights that cost about $ 30,000,” he said.

Therefore, no decision has been taken. It is a future project to be discussed.

Improvements to Northwood Park are also planned at about $ 35,000.

“There is currently no information on that,” Powell said. “In addition, we would like to update the play equipment there for safety reasons and refresh them with a couple of new services for that park.”

Improvements to the tennis court and pickle ball court are currently underway.

“We’re going to test making a pickle ball at one of the tennis courts,” he said. “There are four tennis courts in the park. Pickleball poles and tents have been set up. We’re waiting for the special paint needed to mark the pickleball court. We can’t go with the latex paint we’d get locally.”

The village has ordered a special paint that is characteristic of the surface of tennis courts. It is an acrylic emulsion. It must be ordered.

“This year, we are seeing delays in all kinds of products and supplies,” he said. “We hope the new court will be ready for use within the next month.”

“There are two pickle ball courts on one of the tennis courts in the municipal park,” Powell explained. There are differences between the two courts. Pickle fields are smaller. Four of them can fit on the tennis court. “

Pickleball, developed in the 1960s, has become a popular sport. It combines badminton, table tennis and tennis. It can have two or four players. The game uses fixed paddles to hit a perforated polymer ball, which is like a reflection ball over a net.

The sport shares the features of other racket sports with the dimensions and layout of the badminton court, and the net and rules are somewhat similar to tennis, but with several changes.

Then in 2024, the plan calls for the replacement of playground equipment throughout the park at a cost of $ 54,800.

In 2025, improvements to the diary building will be made worth $ 40,000. The building is used for the summer camp program for six to eight weeks outside the year.

“What we’re looking at is refreshing the building and making some heating and air conditioning systems so it can be used year-round,” Powell said. “Once this is done, it can be used for graduation parties, showers and other occasions that people could rent for events. It has a covered pavilion with seven picnic tables.

It has a fridge, sink and little closet space, but countertops and an oven could be added to hold events. “

The intention is to make improvements so that it can be used for more activities and can be used all year round.

Then in 2026 a new study is planned.

In addition, Powell noted the Community contribution that the Council is considering for the development of a dog park, an ice rink, an ice rink and a shuffleboard.

A unique feature of the village park system is that part of it is rented and maintained by the Cass City school district. It includes football and a track field.

“This partnership has resulted in a highly effective system that optimizes the use of facilities,” Powell said. “As a result, the village may offer facilities that are not common to many recreational areas in much larger municipalities.”

In addition to looking to the future, the plan also touches on the history of the park’s formation.