Royal Oak is looking to improve the playground equipment at Fernwood Park, which is south of Catalpa Drive and east of Woodward Avenue.
By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published March 20, 2026
ROYAL OAK — The City Commission March 9 unanimously approved a request to apply for a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Recreation Passport Grant to fund Fernwood Park playground equipment.
According to the agenda packet, Fernwood Park, located east of Woodward Avenue and south of Catalpa Drive, has some of the city’s oldest playground equipment, which was installed in 1999. Several years ago, due to age and deterioration, swing sets were removed.
The grant would help to provide new recreational features at Fernwood Park, including new swing sets for children and families to use.
The terms of the grant require a 25% minimum match, according to the proposal. The funds will be requested in the 2026-27 budget but will not be utilized before a determination is made on the awarding of the grant.
The Royal Oak Parks and Recreation Department has allocated $90,000 for this match and additional grant-ineligible project costs in the currently approved capital improvement plan.
Parks and Recreation Director Nikki McEachern presented the proposal, saying that the new playground would have an inclusive design, and the application would be for the maximum amount of the grant at $150,000.
“Playground replacement was listed as a project in the recreation master plan, as well as in the capital improvement plan as part of a larger Fernwood Park improvement project,” she said. “As part of the grant process, cities are required to get authorization from governing boards for any application submissions.”
According to the proposal, the City Commission has previously discussed neighborhood park equity, aging park infrastructure, and the need to reinvest in smaller neighborhood parks to “better serve residents.”
Fernwood Park was identified as a good location to start this project, as it will increase recreational opportunities within walking distance for nearby families.
The proposed project will include the installation of new playground equipment, installation of fall-zone safety surfacing, site preparation and grading, removal of any remaining outdated infrastructure, installation of associated site amenities, and Americans with Disabilities Act improvements as required.
The agenda packet states that the majority of the work will be completed via contract.
All of the amenities in the park were rated at a 4 or a 5 in the current recreation master plan, meaning that the equipment there at the moment is average or worse and in need of repair or replacement.
The city believes that replacement of this equipment will result in short-term construction disruptions, increased maintenance needs, higher operating costs, more park usage by families and children, greater liability and safety oversight, and possibly additional amenities needed, according to the proposal.
During the discussion among commissioners, Brandon Kolo read a letter that he said a young girl wrote to the Parks and Recreation Department. The girl lives near Fernwood Park.
“I live in Royal Oak, Michigan, and when I was little, the swing set at Fernwood Park was taken out. Now I am 11 and the swings at Lions Club Park were taken out two years ago,” he read from the letter. “Those parks are the only ones I can walk to. And now that they are out, the parks aren't as fun, and me and all the other kids in the neighborhood miss them too.”
Kolo suggested that the commission approve two separate motions, one to approve the grant proposal and one to approve a plan to put in a swing set for the kids even if the city does not get the grant.
“It’s just making it official that we will by next spring expect to have a swing set installed without giving direction to how you do that,” Kolo said. “But it’s the direction that we would like a swing set installed by next construction season.”
Mayor Michael Fournier said that he agrees with the plan Kolo presented.
“We can reapply for this one (grant) again; we can always hope and wait and our children will be old people by the time we do it, so sometimes I feel like we have to hedge your bet and look to do things,” Fournier said. “I think this is reasonable; we took one away and folks are looking for one, and I am confident that we can unwind this if staff comes to us with an amazing idea that we didn’t consider tonight, and we are open to that innovation.”
For more information, visit romi.gov.