Township of Shelby issued the following announcement on Nov. 24.
Whether it’s feeding the ducks and fishing at the lake, getting wedding pictures taken in the gardens or playing softball at Mae Stecker Park, Shelby Township residents have fond memories of the properties near 24 Mile Road and Van Dyke Ave.
Township officials want residents to call on those memories and help the township craft a vision for the future of those properties and the potential redevelopment of the old community center building at 51680 Van Dyke Ave.
As part of creating a long-term vision for the properties near 24 Mile Road and Van Dyke Ave., the township hired consultants from SmithGroup to develop a master plan. This plan covers facilities, amenities, open space, parking and pedestrian connectivity with the municipal campus, Mae Stecker Park and Heritage Lake and Garden.
As part of that process, the township unveiled a survey for resident feedback at shelbytwp.org/campus. Residents can voice their opinions until Dec. 6 on what they want to see to transform the campus into a better destination.
“Working at Township Hall, you can’t help but notice all of the happy families enjoying the park, the lake and the gardens,” Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said. “Now that we‘re adding the library to the campus, we want to make sure we have a plan to manage this property and ensure we protect this investment properly. This campus is one of the jewels within our 1,200 acres of township parkland, and we need to make sure it stays that way.”
The survey is unveiled shortly after the release of the township’s top 10 priorities for 2022. At the top of the list for 2022 is “Redevelop Former Court, Library, Senior Center for Community Use,” which is a process that will likely be influenced by the feedback received from the survey.
“It’s clear our residents want something done with the old courthouse/senior center/library,” said Township Trustee Lisa Casali, who is working with Planning Director Julijana Misich-Rasawehr and SmithGroup on the master plan process.
“This survey is a chance to tell us what they want to be done with that property as well as provide feedback on our campus. They can tell us what is not working and what is missing from the campus. Then, once we have that information on areas that we can improve, we can discuss how to address those needs and whether or not the old community center site is part of that.”
The Township Board approved $48,000 for the SmithGroup to perform the study at its July 20 meeting. Once the plan is complete, it will serve as a potential blueprint for future development. Any future improvements to township properties would be contingent on future Board action.
“We built a new court, library and senior center paying cash, with no debt, no bonding and no increase in taxes,” Stathakis said. “Once the library moves next year, we will begin to address repurposing that property in the best possible manner for the community without increasing our taxpayers’ financial burdens and obligations.”
Along with the redevelopment of the old community center, another of the township’s 2022 priorities addresses quality of life initiatives near 24 Mile Road and Van Dyke Ave. Coming in at No. 6, “Hold Concerts and Farmers Market on Municipal Grounds" provides insight that residents enjoy spending time on the campus and would like more programs in and around the property.
“If you spend a summer morning walking on our campus or come to the Christmas Aglow to light the Christmas tree, you know that it is a special place,” Casali said. “From our Veterans Memorial to the new library, the campus is the center of our community, and I can’t wait to hear back from the residents to find out how we can make it even better.”
Original source can be found here.
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