Public workshop to discuss parks, accessibility in Madison Heights

MADISON HEIGHTS — Community members are invited to a workshop where they can share their ideas for the future of the parks in Madison Heights.

The workshop will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 7 in the Breckenridge Room at the Madison Heights Public Library, located at 240 W. 13 Mile Road, next to City Hall and the Active Adult Center.

City Manager Melissa Marsh said that accessibility will be a key focus, whether it’s people who use walkers and wheelchairs, those who find mobility more difficult as they age, or even people with temporary situations, such as those recovering from surgery.

There is also an online survey taking place through the end of August, seeking feedback from residents about the state of parks and recreation in Madison Heights, and how it can be improved.

The survey can be found at madison-heights.org/2051/master-planning.

The feedback will help shape an update to the parks and recreation master plan — a document that will help the city prioritize what’s next for its parks, trails and programming.

“Earlier this spring when we started working on our master plan for parks and recreation, I knew there were many families with younger children with disabilities, yet not many amenities for them,” said Madison Heights City Councilman Sean Fleming. “And so, I thought during this process we should have a focus group for them to have their feedback. This workshop will include that focus, but will also collect other ideas, as well.”

Some notable additions to the parks in recent years include the Fitness Court at Huffman Park near 11 Mile and John R roads, featuring more than 30 pieces of outdoor exercise equipment for guests to use; the bandstand at Civic Center Park, between City Hall and Lamphere High School off 13 Mile west of John R, where festival performances are now held; and most recently the eight new pickleball courts installed at Rosie’s Park, located off Farnum Avenue between 11 Mile and 12 Mile roads east of John R.

When county parks are taken into consideration, the list grows even longer, including the extensive renovations at the former Ambassador Park, now named Red Oaks County Park.

The city has also been hosting a summer concert series in recent months, with performances taking place on the new bandstand at Civic Center Park. Performances start at 7 p.m. The band Weekend ComeBack will play pop and rock Wednesday, Aug.13, while Dr. Smith will play oldies and classic rock Wednesday, Aug. 27. Previous performances included The Circle of Sound and Paul Parente Jazz last month.

Fleming said he would like to see the existing parks made more accessible for people of all ability levels, but he had a suggestion for how to approach this.

“One thing I would like to see be a top priority early on is having at least one of our parks be fully barrier-free. I feel that if we focus all our efforts on that park — say, Civic Center Park — instead of spreading the budget across all parks, we could make more happen much more quickly. Civic Center Park could be our premier park space with amenities for everyone, and after we finish, we can focus on all the other parks.”

Mayor Roslyn Grafstein recounted how she gained a personal appreciation for accessibility when she arrived at the ribbon-cutting for Wildwood Park in 2020 using a knee scooter since she had just had foot surgery two weeks prior. Ironically, the Wildwood ribbon-cutting was for an accessible playscape.

“Accessible features often go unnoticed until you need them. And you can’t always see a disability — it may be physical, cognitive, behavioral or sensory. That’s why it is so important to design public spaces with inclusions in mind,” Grafstein said in an email.

“When my children were younger, we visited a friend in another state and played at her local park. She asked if I noticed anything different,” Grafstein said. “At first, I didn’t — it looked clean, full of kids, like any other park. But it was actually a fully accessible park, and once she pointed that out, I began to notice all the subtle features I had overlooked that made it welcoming to children of all abilities.”

She praised Fleming for his commitment to accessibility.

“(Fleming) has been a consistent advocate for accessibility at both the local and state levels, and thanks to his persistence, the city is hosting this workshop,” Grafstein said. “As we continue upgrading our parks, it’s critical we do so intentionally, ensuring they are safe, inclusive, ADA-compliant and welcoming to everyone, regardless of ability.”