WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Bates Park has been part of a Warren neighborhood for decades, but a city planning notice sent nearby residents into a panic about the park's future.
Watch Peter Maxwell's report below
On Tuesday, the city clarified the confusion about the future of the open space.
Audrey Yeager, who lives near Bates Park, said the park means more to the community than just open space.
"The squirrels live here. We all live here and taking away another green space is a terrible thing to do to a community," Yeager said.
Yeager and her husband, Jesse, live adjacent to the park and received a letter to attend a Planning Commission public hearing regarding the park. The wording in the letter left some residents with questions about what could come next.
"We weren't really given a whole lot of information about what's going to go there. Just that there's going to be buildings," Jesse Yeager said.
Audrey Yeager said the meeting raised more questions than answers.
"We attended the meeting last night and the city planner wasn't very clear on what the plan is," Audrey Yeager said.
Neighbor Lawrence Schock shared similar concerns.
"I just don't understand why they want to tear up the park," Schock said.
Warren Public Services Director David Muzzarelli acknowledged the city fell short in its communication with residents.
"First of all I would like to apologize that we didn't get them all of the information at first," Muzzarelli said.
Muzzarelli met at Bates Park to walk through what is actually happening and to clear up the confusion.
"We're not planning on doing anything on those lots. We're not going out to the soccer field or the baseball diamond. The building that we are putting in here would only come out 60 feet from the existing building," Muzzarelli said.
The building would be an addition to the current wastewater treatment facility's storage building to house more equipment and address eyesores visible from the park.
"This is meant to help clean up this park and to get rid of some of this stuff that's behind this building and to help improve city services," Muzzarelli said.
Neighbor Nicole Cichon said she was worried but is now relieved after hearing Muzzarelli confirm the park will not be touched.
"I want to see it in action first. I need to see the concrete plans but hopefully that's all that happens," Cichon said.
A neighborhood meeting is planned for later this month.
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