On Sep 16, Park Township hosted a town hall to report out the proposed vision for a renewed community center, which township officials are considering for construction at the corner of 152nd Avenue and Ottawa Beach Road. The proposed vision, which includes athletic courts, multipurpose and fitness rooms, a cafe and lounge, indoor kids’ play zone, and a quiet space, would complement development of the township’s Community Park.
The town hall meeting attracted over sixty community members in addition to local business and nonprofit leaders. Community Center Visioning Committee chairs Bryan Jones and Len Pilon led the presentation. In addition, the community heard from architectural design and construction professionals Jamie Millspaugh and Dave Ash. The committee shared the overarching vision, guiding principles and desired amenities for the project as well as a recap of how public input formed that vision.
The committee also shared conceptual design directions and a preliminary site design. The report demonstrates a feasible, multi-phase approach to development as well as recommendations on how the township could approach funding.
“Over the past year, we’ve engaged and heard from hundreds of residents in this process,” said Jones, Park Township trustee and co-chair for the visioning committee. “There’s been a lot of excitement and support for creating an easily-accessible space that people will want to use frequently.”
Many of the town hall attendees have participated in the public engagement process since its inception earlier this year, including students from Amy VanAllsburg’s fourth grade class at Lakewood Elementary. The class played an important role in providing a young students’ perspective on community center needs.
“The committee and the Park Township community members made the students feel valued and important every step of the way, especially on the night when they shared their vision and design boards,” said VanAllsburg. “My students were completely engaged and very passionate about their ideas, and to see some of their ideas come to life was such an honor. This experience will stay with them forever.”
As part of the presentation, committee members invited Jill Ver Steeg, president & CEO at Evergreen Commons to share on how the 55+ yr community might utilize the location. Ver Steeg discussed how nearly 18% of Evergreen’s members are in Park Township. A collaboration on programming at the renewed Community Center would enhance a multigenerational experience there.
“It has been exciting to be on the journey with Park Township as they evaluate how a future community center could inspire all ages toward wellness and engagement,” said Ver Steeg.
Attendees at the town hall had several questions about the proposed community center’s relationship with the Community Park, including outdoor elements, parking, bike elements and potential outdoor amenities. They also inquired about phasing and funding strategies including the potential for residential investment through a millage.
As this summer’s public engagement process comes to a close, the committee is submitting its recommendations for review with the Park Township Board of Trustees. If approved, the Township will move forward to request proposals for a design/build process to develop an eventual design and construction proposal in alignment with the community’s input.
Learn more about the process on our News & Resources page.
Download the Presentation from the event below:
Q&A from the Sep 16 Town Hall
Programming & Design Questions
- Will there be any bike-related elements?
The scope and focus of the Committee’s effort has been on the proposed building facility. As the renewed Community Center is intended to be part of the Park Township Community Park, there will be trails and paths connected with the Township’s broader bike path system.
- Will there be a splash pad?
This was explored in the visioning for the Community Park and remains a possibility. The Township has looked into the costs of building and operating splash pads, it has become clear that this will be an expensive undertaking as it would require fresh water to be circulated each time.
- Will more parking be included?
Yes, more parking to support the proposed Community Center and the amenities in the Community Park was considered. The Township will also consider where parking is located, how it is distributed, and ways to accommodate for additional parking if needed.
- Will the parking and landscaping be part of the budget?
The costs of on-site parking and landscaping was not included in the capital cost estimates as it was focused only on the proposed facility. Going forward, these cost estimates for the parking and landscaping will be obtained and included in the overall budget.
- Could there be dark sky/low light features to minimize light pollution?
Yes, this can be explored in the next phase of more detailed design work. Overall, the proposed facility seeks to be sustainable and to be sensitive to the natural context along the lakeshore.
- Could accessibility standards be built in early?
Yes, this was a feedback shared in the early outreach as well by several other community members, and will be a key design principle as the Township moves into the next phase of more detailed design work.
Maatman Center
- Will the Maatman Center be managed or operated differently?
No, the Maatman Center will not be managed or operated differently. The intention of the proposed operations plan is to ensure that Park Township residents on both the north and south sides are able to enjoy programs and amenities of comparable quality.
Membership
- Will membership be required?
The intention of the proposed millage is to cover the capital and operating costs of the proposed Community Center, and will serve as the basic “membership” for Park Township residents. Separate fees would be charged for facility rentals, or enrollment in special classes and programs.
- How will non-residents be charged?
Non-residents who are not contributing to the proposed millage will be charged differently. Details for the different tiers will continue to be worked out by the Township in the coming months.
Funding & Potential Millage
- What does the potential 1.0 – 1.5 mil millage mean per family?
For a family with a home that has an assessed value of, say, $200,000, a 1.0 mil would be equivalent to $200/year/home.
For a family with a home that has an assessed value of, say, $400,000, a 1.0 mil would be equivalent to $400/year/home.
- What is the total cost or amount that the community is looking at for all the buckets of funding?
The potential 1.0 – 1.5 mil millage is anticipated to raise about $28M to $42M over a 20-year period. With the other buckets, this would amount to approximately $36M to $50M to cover the initial capital costs, and the long-term operating and endowment costs.
- What is the cost of operating the existing community center at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds?
The current cost of operating the existing or former community center was fairly minimal as it was a passively-used facility. The primary costs were incurred for the facility and grounds management, and there was not a dedicated staff member to operate the place.
- How were other community centers funded? What are some creative ways of funding we could consider?
Other community centers were funded with a mix of sources, from general funds, philanthropy, milages, memberships, grants, and others. The Committee has seen some centers funded with school district support, depending on complementary uses. The Township is aware that the City of Holland has been quite successful in securing grants for their facilities and is looking to explore this possibility as well.
- How would the Township determine a Phase 2? What would be needed to fund a potential Phase 2?
The Township would gauge the community’s demand for the facility usage and programming before determining the need for a Phase 2. Funding for a potential phase 2 would be determined separately, and would likely be similar to the approach for the first phase.
- How were the pickleball courts funded?
The new pickleball courts in the Community Park were funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress as part of the COVID-19 economic stimulus. These were federally allocated funds to the Township, which then directed part of the use towards the new pickleball courts.