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ROYAL OAK — Improvements to a pocket park located at the intersection of 13 Mile Road and Main Street were unanimously approved at the Feb. 12 City Commission meeting.
Royal Oak was awarded an $11,250 CN EcoConnexions From the Ground Up grant from America in Bloom. The grant will cover almost half of the project’s cost.
America in Bloom is in partnership with Canadian Railways, so the organization administers this grant where Canadian Railways operate, which includes Royal Oak.
America in Bloom is an independent nonprofit organization “promoting nationwide beautification through education and community involvement by encouraging the use of flowers, plants, and trees,” according to its website.
The overall cost of this project comes to $24,250. The elements provided by America in Bloom in the $11,250 grant include flowers, mulching, landscaping, and promotional educational materials.
The grant will pay for the planting of various types of native flowers, including hydrangeas, lavender, black-eyed Susan, bee balm and others. There will also be a natural screening wall with wintergreen arborvitae and Karl Foerster grasses. These improvements will cost $6,400 of the grant funding.
Topsoil, mulch and landscaping comes out to $3,350, and the promotion and education materials will cost $1,500 of the grant money.
Royal Oak will be providing $13,000 to the project.
To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the project will include pathway access and maintenance costing $5,000.
Bike racks will be installed, which will cost $2,200. And finally, $2,000 will be allocated for design and construction management.
The city will be providing $1,500 for educational and promotional materials, and paying a one-time America in Bloom level three program participation fee of $2,300.
The park will also feature bumblebee spring riders for children that previously were located at the butterfly garden at the Royal Oak Public Library. These spring riders will be taken out of storage and restored for the park, according to the proposal.
Commissioners said they were pleased with this grant and looking forward to the changes at the space.
“I am excited about putting this effort into this little piece to make it look great,” Commissioner Melanie Macey said.
Commissioner Sharlan Douglas was interested to hear if seating was going to be included in the park, and she insisted that it be comfortable for the patrons. Superintendent of Recreation John Fedele answered the question.
“There are currently two recycled composite benches that were installed by Eagle Scouts as well as (the possibility of) putting two more in there,” Fedele said.
The one-time America in Bloom level three program participation fee is required of Royal Oak to participate in the grant, and it is a one-year membership.
Royal Oak grant coordinator and management analyst Jill Martin said the level three membership will result in “two professionals to come in and not only give an evaluation of the part of the design that we are proposing, but they will also look at the whole community.”
The two America in Bloom advisers will take a look at 80% of Royal Oak and the plans that are currently in place, such as the sustainability plan and recreation master plan, according to Martin.
Following this, the advisers will provide a 10-page report in consideration of Royal Oak’s plans and what they see to be beneficial changes to the community, and what they thought of the current plans, according to Martin.
Commissioner Amanda Herzog asked how other Royal Oak boards and commissions will be notified of this and be able to engage as stakeholders in the process.
“We will be reaching out to the effective stakeholders and come up with … like a work-in-the-park day,” Fedele said.
“So that way, it’s a collaborative effort where everyone is on the same page and we can meet with the advisers so we can put this park together,” Fedele said.
Commissioner Brandon Kolo brought up the idea of a name competition for the park. No action was taken on the idea.
“I just want to have a resolution that we have a name competition. I don’t think ‘13 on Main Park’ is an attractive name for it,” he said, smiling, “so maybe we can launch a competition and have some kids and adults submit names and come up with something fun.”
The pollinator park is expected to be bid out in the next few weeks, according to Kolo, and work would begin in the spring or summer of this year.
Kolo said the city hopes that the project will be completed by this summer.
