1

Seating & Stage Among Proposed Changes to Ferndale’s Schiffer Park
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 25, 2018)
Ferndale, MI – Ferndale City Council will be considering changes to Schiffer Park at the corner of W. 9 Mile and Planavon in Downtown Ferndale, with a presentation expected at Monday night’s council meeting.
According to city documents, the goal is to “improve and activate Schiffer Park,” and “provide a space for recreation and relaxation for residents, visitors, and workers in Downtown.” The park is often the site of events, including the annual Bike Rodeo, Fido Does Ferndale and parts of Ferndale Pride, the Ice Festival, and the Funky Ferndale Art Fair.
The preliminary design, which could change after Monday’s discussion, includes an area with benches, tables and planters towards the 9 Mile side, an area of turf lawn or crushed stone in the middle, and a wooden stage towards the alley under the shade of a large tree.  The planters will have “lush native perennial planting,” and trees that shade the “intimate seating areas.”  Wooden seating areas will be lit from below with LED lighting, and the stage will have seat steps and stairs.
The proposal includes expanding the pocket park by removing the right turn lane on Planavon and two parking spaces on W. 9 Mile.
It also calls for the removal of five trees that are in poor to good condition according to a tree study by Davey Resource Group.  The large thornless honey locust near the alley would remain, and the removal of the other trees would help this tree thrive.  “The  benefits  of  removing  and  replacing  the  5  trees  outweigh  the  benefits  of  keeping  all  the  trees.    By   replacing  the trees, we are able to increase our tree canopy at the park, allow for a more useable design and  flexible  space,  make  the  park  more  visible  from  9  Mile  Rd,  and  alleviate  current  issues,  such  as,   clearance conflicts and visibility restrictions (signage, traffic lights, etc.),” states a memo from Parks and Recreation Director LaReina Wheeler.
“This process really started about a year and a half ago and is the product of several members from the DDA’s design Committee, the City’s Parks and Recreation Committee, and members of the DDA and City staff,” said Downtown Development Authority Director Barry Hicks.  “Each organization is providing some of the pieces of funding in conjunction with the developer of Ferndale Haus next door to the project. We drew inspiration from parks across the country including several in Detroit. Our hope is to create a greener and more activated space where people feel welcome and drawn in – maybe to listen to some soft music at lunch time, or perhaps just to relax while out walking their dog. The design is intended to take advantage of the small space without being overwhelming. We hope the community enjoys the enhancements to the park and visit it when completed.”
Learn more about the proposal at the City of Ferndale website.