Council approves Dynamite Park plan
Associated Newspapers of Michigan
Scott Spielman - Editor
The Wayne City Council approved a preliminary plan Tuesday for Dynamite Park that concentrates on education and accessibility.
“This is just a plan, a dream,” said Kim Alexander, director of the Wayne Parks and Recreation Department. “It doesn’t mean it can’t be changed in the future.”
The plan, developed by Marc Russell of Russell Design based on comments gathered through focus groups and a site visit, would provide a paved pathway system around the perimeter of the park, set up and enhance grow zones throughout it and scatter gazebo structures in a few areas.
“We want to create in the park is the opportunity for all the public to use it simultaneously,” Russell said.
The design calls for a nine-car parking lot near the entrance, where Michigan Avenue meets Josephine Street by the New Hope Missionary Church. From there a paved, lighted pathway would lead down the slope into the park, where it would connect with other paved pathways. A 60-car lot would be developed at the base of the hill, but closer to Michigan Avenue than the circular gravel loop is now.
A paved path and boardwalk system–to help pedestrians navigate damp areas–would circle around the grow zones and meander along the river. Overlooks would be developed, too.
Russell said a rustic type of interpretive center could be constructed near the northernmost portion of the park. The paved pathway would continue to the overlook area on the eastern portion of the park and circle back toward the lot. A footpath would allow non-physically challenged users to continue east, toward Venoy Road.
The idea, he said, was to strengthen the woodchip walking paths that are there and build off the restoration work started by Wayne resident Kurt Kuban through his Friends of the Rouge activities.
The open space between the lot and the river could be used for a variety of uses, from a dog park to soccer fields. He said picnic structures could be installed, too.
“We’d have to do it in different phases,” said Russell. “It would be cost prohibitive to try to do it in one phase.”
Kuban questioned the security for the site, given the type of activity that caused the park to be gated off in the first place. He said he was also worried about vandalism down there.
“Kids are kids,” he said. “We put up birdhouses and they’re torn down a few days later—and that’s a minor investment compared to what we’re talking about here.”
Police Chief John Williams said the department was investigating grants that could pay for security cameras that fed directly to the police station. He said patrols would be more regular, and increased use would help the area police itself.
“It’s a concern of ours,” Williams said. “We’re looking into it.”
The park is just in the planning phase now, according to City Manager John Zech.
“The next step would be to develop some cost estimates and amend our parks and recreation master plan to include this,” he said. “Then we could pursue grants and other sources of funding.”