An unquestioned jewel in the city of Flint is the more than 1,800 acres of public parks and spaces. And as part of its centennial celebration this year, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is letting residents provide input on potential enhancements.
Residents can vote on or share their own ideas for up to three city parks by visiting mott.org/parks. Online voting is open through June 6, and residents can also share their priorities in person from noon-6 p.m. at the Mott Foundation Centennial Family Fun Days on June 6 on the Flint Cultural Center campus.
“Flint residents know their neighborhoods and their parks better than anyone, and it’s important to us that residents have a real say in how they’re improved,” said Ridgway White, president and CEO of the Mott Foundation, in a news release. “We’re grateful to everyone who takes the time to share their ideas for making Flint’s parks even better.”
Earlier this year, the Mott Foundation pledged up to $20 million to improve playgrounds and parks in Flint. More than $7 million of that will go to Flint Community Schools to make playground upgrades at five schools: Durant-Tuuri-Mott, Eisenhower, Freeman, and Potter elementary schools and the Doyle-Ryder Education Center. The next phase of the initial funding will focus on parks improvements.
The voting website includes the option to vote for ideas at 41 city-owned parks. Some parks were not included because they are less than one acre in size, have had recent investments, or have other limitations that make changes difficult. But the parks initiative will support things like fresh paint, equipment upgrades, and garbage cans at these parks: Amos, Bundy, Delaware, Dougherty, East Street, Hamilton, Mann-Hall, McCallum, McClellan, Metawanee, Mobley, Ogema Triangle, and Dayton. There is also an option at the bottom of the voting page to submit ideas for features or upgrades at those smaller parks.
Each park has some initial ideas that residents can vote on. Some of these ideas were generated through community information gathering that had previously been done by the city of Flint and Keep Genesee County Beautiful. However, the form also has spaces for residents to submit their own ideas.
Residents can choose from a list of potential projects created for each park or submit their own ideas about play equipment, features for senior citizens, public art, seating for community gatherings and more. The city of Flint and Keep Genesee County Beautiful had already gathered helpful input from Flint residents, which was used as a jumping-off point for lists of potential projects.
The goal of the community input is to improve and activate outdoor spaces for Flint children and families. Many of the ideas include things like additions of pavilions and grills, repairs to parking lots or walking paths, outdoor workout equipment, seating, and more. Residents are also encouraged to think about things like unique playscapes, senior-friendly features, public art, and features needed for different types of programming or community gatherings in parks.
Once ideas are collected and votes are tabulated, the Mott Foundation will work with Genesee County Parks and other community partners to determine feasibility of projects and what can be funded. Questions about the community input process can be directed to parksandplaygrounds@mott.org or (810) 238-5651.
“We all know that parks and public spaces are the backbones of our community,” said Patrick Linihan, director of the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission, said in a news release. “They are places where we socialize, live healthy and active lifestyles, and recharge from the hecticness of daily life. This commitment solidifies what we already know — parks bring people together.”
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