As Benton Township plans the creation of a new park near the intersection of Euclid and Laurel avenues, it’s seeking more input from the public.
The Southwest Michigan Planning Commission’s Marcy Hamilton tells us there currently are no public parks in the Benton Heights area, but there are more than a thousand adults and children within walking distance. So, this new park behind the former Martindale Elementary School building will be a welcome addition to the community. While the township remains in the planning phase, Hamilton says it’s holding a workshop to find out what residents would like to see in its playground.
“They’re going to have an opportunity for the community to come out,” Hamilton said. “They’re going to show some different options for playground equipment, and folks will kind of get to vote on which ones they prefer.”
Benton Township has been awarded a $1 million Michigan Department of Natural Resources Spark Grant to create the new park. With the new Silver Beach Playground costing more than $1 million, we wondered if the grant will be enough for the playground and other amenities at the new Benton Township park.
“Our whole budget is a million dollars, so that has to include a pavilion, there’s a walking trail, a parking lot, and benches. So, there’ll be a playground element, probably not as big as what you see at Silver Beach.”
Of course, a big part of the Silver Beach Playground budget went into the safety surface, and Hamilton says this new township park won’t have that feature.
Residents are invited to the workshop planned for Tuesday, May 6 to chat with the planning commission and township leaders about their desires for the new park playground. The workshop will be from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. at the First Church of Benton Heights at 990 North Euclid Avenue. Hamilton says the SWMI Newcomers Club will provide a free dinner at 6 p.m. Everyone’s invited to attend.
