Proposed Preservation Plan Would Add Community Gardens to Pittsfield Parks, Extend Trails

New trees and community gardens could soon come to Pittsfield parks according to a new preservation plan recommended to the township’s trustees during last week’s board meeting.

Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to approve distribution of the draft amendment to the township’s 2020 Sustainable Vision Master Plan. The preservation plan received comments and was approved by the Pittsfield Township Sustainable Committee last month. The committee requested the trustees approve distribution of the preservation plan to neighboring municipalities, including public offices in Saline, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Lodi, York and among several Washtenaw County commissions.

The preservation plan draft amendment would add specific details to the township’s 2020 Sustainable Vision Master Plan, a future-focused plan adopted in 2017 to prioritize projects that promote sustainability. According to the draft amendment, those details include recommendations to expand existing park trails to connect “Montibeller Park to Washtenaw Avenue and through Seyfried/Bella Vista connecting residential areas to a recreational trail network.”

Tree canopy installments were also recommended to Montibeller Park, as well as Wall Park and Woolley Park. Efforts to build green infrastructure throughout the township could include creating community gardens at public parks, including Prairie Park, Marsh View Meadows Park and Hickory Woods Park.

The draft amendment also features several preservation recommendations, including a review of parking space requirements within the township and that all future development proposal include a green space analysis before being submitted to the Pittsfield Planning Commission.

Pittsfield Chair Mandy Grewal said she looked forward to hearing comments from the community about the draft amendment, saying the preservation plan won’t receive final approval until a later date.

“These are living, breathing documents – what we’re setting here are policy ambitions for the future,” she said. “I feel that this sets the right tone for the township moving forward. It allows us to be engaged and be aggressive.”

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