April 13, 2018

Charter Township of Lyon

58000 Grand River Avenue
New Hudson, MI 48165

Attn: Michele Cash, Township Clerk

SUBJECT: 2019-2023 Parks and Recreation Master Plan

The Parks and Recreation Master Plan is an important guiding document for ongoing development of unique
programming and facilities offered by the Township. The proposed 2019 – 2023 Plan will be an important guide
for development of facilities and programming that directly contributes to the high quality of life enjoyed by Lyon
Township residents. McKenna worked closely with the Township to complete the current 2014-2018 Parks and
Recreation Master Plan, and with so much progress made since then we are excited to assist the Township on
the update for the 2019-2023 Plan.

The 5-year update to the Plan will serve two important functions. First, it will serve as a key planning tool for the
Township, supporting other long-term planning tools like the Master Plan and the Capital Improvement Program.
As such, the update will give us the opportunity to amend and reaffirm the Township’s goals and objectives
relating to parks and recreation. For example, development of plans for the 11-Mile Road Park has become a
priority since the 2014 Plan was adopted, and the update will reflect the Township’s vision. Second, the update
will satisfy the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) requirement for a 5-year review of the plan
and will extend the Township’s eligibility for State grant funding opportunities. The feedback that we have
received from the MDNR staff on the Township’s previous grant applications will help us ensure that the 2019-
2023 Plan addresses key components from the MDNR as well as the Township’s goals. These functions will
enable the Township to continue its pursuit to provide excellent recreational facilities for the community.

Goals and Objectives

We understand that the success of this project will be the timely submission of the Plan for review and approval
by the State by its March 1, 2019 deadline. Therefore, we will complete the distribution draft of the plan by
September 2018. State law requires that a proposed plan be distributed for comment for 30 days, so final plan
adoption will likely not occur until November 2018. Nonetheless, the draft that is distributed in September will be
substantially complete.

Public Participation
The MDNR’s Guidelines for the Development of Community Park, Recreation, Open Space, and Greenway Plans
requires a minimum of two public participation processes. For the 2014 Plan, the Township held a focus group
session comprised of community members representing sports groups, parks and recreation providers,
subdivision association leaders, and others. The Township also held a general public hearing. We believe the
findings of these activities have provided a solid foundation on which the recreation goals and objectives were
constructed.
For the 2019 update, we have the opportunity to further refine the goals. We propose focused stakeholder
visioning sessions, along with a public hearing as the public participation processes for the adoption of the
updated Parks and Recreation Plan.

F OC US ED S T AK E H O L DER VISI O NI N G
Feedback from the State has suggested the Township’s recreation planning efforts can benefit from engaging
special interest groups representing under-served populations within the Township and regionally. Therefore, we
propose two (2) visioning sessions: one visioning session focused on populations with special needs (physical,
mental, or social disabilities, for example), and one visioning session focused on the recreational needs of an
aging population.

PU BL IC H E ARI N G
Prior to the adoption of the plan, the public must be provided with a well-publicized opportunity of adequate length
(at least one month) to review and comment on the Plan before it is officially adopted. The MDNR recommends
that a copy of the draft plan be placed on the Township’s website for the public to review.

Schedule
The process will take 6 months to complete. To meet the March 1st, 2019 deadline, we propose the following
schedule for completing the Parks and Recreation Plan Update:

 May – July 2018 – McKenna to update Community Description (demographics/projections, where

appropriate) and Recreation Inventory.
 May, June 2018 – Hold 2 visioning sessions: 1 focused on populations with special needs, and 1 focused
the recreational needs of an aging population. Each of these sessions will count toward the required
public participation processes.
 July 2018 – Work with Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to update Goals and Objectives section of
plan.
 August 2018 – Work with Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to update Action Program section of the
Plan.
 September 2018 - Present draft Parks and Recreation Plan to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
This will begin the mandatory 30-day review window for the Parks and Recreation Plan.
 October 2018 - Hold public hearing at the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting following the 30-
day review period. This will count toward the required public participation criteria and fulfill the obligation
to hold a public hearing. The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board will make a recommendation to the
Township Board for adoption of the updated plan.
 November 2018 - The Township Board will adopt the updated Parks and Recreation Plan.
 November/December 2018 - The adopted plan will be uploaded to the MDNR’s website.

Fee and Deliverables

McKenna will complete the preparation of the Lyon Township Park and Recreation Master Plan Update for a not

Charter Township of Lyon · Parks and Recreation Plan Update 2

April 13, 2018
to exceed fee of $8,000 to be invoiced monthly based on percent complete with a description of services.

Included in the fee are all reimbursable expenses, our attendance at the six (6) meetings noted above, draft
copies, 10 bound copies of the adopted plan, and digital versions of the plan in .pdf and .doc format suitable for
placement on the web and reproduction by the Township. All work completed during the process will become the
property of the Township.

We are confident that we will complete the planning process according to the above schedule. The Township
shall not incur further charges for additional services by McKenna without the Township’s approval. If additional
services or meetings beyond the six (6) included in the above fee are desirable or necessary, they shall be
provided by McKenna at the hourly rate of $97 (approximately $400/meeting).

If you are satisfied with the Work Plan described, please return one signed copy of this letter for our files,
authorizing McKenna to proceed. All other terms of our current planning services agreement with the Township
will apply. Thank you.

Respectfully submitted,

John Jackson, AICP Patrick Sloan, AICP Brian Keesey, AICP

President Principal Planner Senior Planner

CHARTER TOWNSHIP OF LYON, OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN

_________________________________ ____________________ _________________

Signature Title Date

Charter Township of Lyon · Parks and Recreation Plan Update 3

April 13, 2018