Meeting to Discuss Camp Dearborn Upgrades March 8
The City of Dearborn’s Recreation Commission is hosting a public hearing on March 8 to discuss a series of improvements to Camp Dearborn, including a new walking path, canoe launch and a shore fishing platform.
Residents will be able to comment on a proposed Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant application for improvements at Camp Dearborn in Milford.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will be held in the Board Room of the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave.
The grant would fund the installation of a multi-use path that will connect the Milford Trail on General Motors Road to Camp Dearborn. The path will include a canoe/kayak launch and a shore fishing platform on the Huron River.
City officials say all improvements to be funded with this grant are proposed to be universally accessible; therefore, the City would especially like to receive input from citizens with disabilities.
If you are unable to attend in person, written comments about this grant proposal can be addressed to Greg Orner, Director of Recreation, City of Dearborn, 15801 Michigan Ave., Dearborn, MI, 48126.
Individuals with disabilities who require special accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to attend or participate in this public meeting should contact 313-943-2350 or TTY 313-943-2199.
March 1st, 2011 at 9:25 am
What is the first thing you said when you read “Meeting to discuss Camp Dearborn Upgrades”? I couldn’t even repeat my comments – grant or not couldn’t they have applied for a grant that could be used right here in the city?
March 1st, 2011 at 2:20 pm
I wondered the same thing when I read about Dearborn Heights, Redford, and other metro Detroit communities winning $$$$$ in grant monies for their fire departments this week.
March 1st, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Donna you are so right. Why not worry about our residents and City workers, and think about selling Camp Dearborn (we cannot afford this luxury — at least not the Clearwater deal anyway). This would be something to think about, but that wouldn’t be right for the Big guy and his cronies.
March 1st, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Okay. Tell me again. WHY are we not putting Camp Dearborn on the market to pay for all those extra firefighters and police officers we voted for after September 11th? This is crazy – Camp Dearborn get upgrades while my taxes go up $100 a year? Services are being cut and city employees are being laid off and I haven’t been to Camp Dearborn since 1971.
March 2nd, 2011 at 8:35 am
I don’t think I’ve been to Camp Dearborn since I was 12 years old (I am 45). There is no reason to keep it. None.
March 2nd, 2011 at 1:41 pm
Big Fella you are showing your ignorance regarding properly handling a budget. Prioritize should be first and foremost. Start thinking about the property values in Clearwater, as well as in Milford, you and O’Connor are going to run the City dry.
March 2nd, 2011 at 11:13 pm
Can we hear from someone who DOES use Camp? I worked there in the 70’s, and it is not the same…but that doesn’t mean it is necessarily worthless.
March 3rd, 2011 at 8:14 am
I can’t believe they are even bringing something like this up during our local, state and national economic problems. Are they trying to incite taxpayers even more. I know that my taxes went down with my property value, but I would be still willing to supplement that with a millage. But, I will vote no if they continue to wastefully spend money on something a VERY SMALL percentage of Dearborn residents use. Ask your council the percentage. Last time I asked Mayor Guido, years ago, neither he nor his directors knew the answer about “how many Dearborn residents use Camp Dearborn?”
March 3rd, 2011 at 10:55 am
Camp Dearborn actually is making money from its oil/gas well leases and the golf course. Check out pages 7 & 8 in this link to the city budget:
http://www.cityofdearborn.org/documents/doc_view/172-may-17-2010-special-minutes-budget-adoption
March 3rd, 2011 at 5:48 pm
Sell Camp Dearborn. It has become a hangout for all of the rif-raf to have somewhere close and cheap to guzzle down beer and blare loud music all hours of the night. My tax dollars help pay for a trash party campground. Everything needs repairs, the difference between resident and non-resident fees is a joke, just like the pools, and the Performing Arts White Elephant building amongst others.
Forget raising my taxes, sell of the dead weight in the city starting with Camp Dearborn. Then eliminate the Health Dept., and get someone else to run the Performing Arts. It is unbelievable how low the acts performing there have become. I guess anything for the green. The city should not be in the entertainment business!!
March 3rd, 2011 at 7:23 pm
On the contrary, D.O. it’s NOT worthless. That’s why we should sell it and balance our budget.
March 3rd, 2011 at 10:18 pm
People are ginned up without even reading the article. There is no money being spent. The city is asking for input on writing a grant proposal. It is not clear what the guidelines are for the grant. State grant money is already allocated if we don’t receive it someone else will. So would you rather the money go to Detroit ?
March 4th, 2011 at 10:11 am
Some time ago, the budget of Camp Dearborn was separated. The Camp has it’s own budget and has been making hundreds of thousands the past 3 or so years in operations. The golf course, which once netted $1/2 million a year or more, the past few years has been losing millions.
Speaking only financially, not emotionally about whether or not Camp should be sold, the big issue I see is that the city needs to find a way for either the golf course to make money, or to convert the golf course to something that will make money. The golf course cannot continue to lose millions which forces the city to cover these losses in a projected $20 million budget deficit. Even the golf course or something replacing it breaking even would mean that the city could eliminate 15% of it’s projected deficit.
March 7th, 2011 at 10:44 am
Unfortunately, My perception of the city of Dearborn is one of a dowdy matron who spent lavishly on herself over the good years and when depression and need pushed her down she still waves her useless tiara for public adoration. The tarnished stones in this fading crown: Centennial Library, Camp Dearborn, Health Dept, Dearborn Towers, City golf courses, Performing Arts Center to name the most obvious. This now flawed gem, Centennial Library, is costing us more than it is worth. Branch Libraries such as Esper and Snow have a more direct impact on Dearborn RESIDENTS . Branch resources and programs have been diverted and eliminated in order to bolster a bloated top-heavy administration . Outsourcing cataloging, for example, is cheaper than in-house. There are close to twenty full time librarians servicing a diminishing resident population. Force library administrators to work at the job they got their degree in.
March 7th, 2011 at 11:04 am
Where are the numbers and data showing the the golf course is losing millions? It’s hardly the TPC.
March 7th, 2011 at 6:49 pm
Just Asking:
The mayor released the figures of the Camp Dearborn golf course losing millions the past few years in a DFNA meeting. I’m sure somewhere on the City of Dearborn website you can locate it, and it’s also been in a few budget printouts I’ve seen.
March 10th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
I have been contacted by city a city spokesperson and they have stated to me that the Camp Dearborn Golf Course is a revenue generator for the City of Dearborn and is not losing money. Therefore, I stand corrected and apologize for the misinformation I wrote earlier.
March 15th, 2011 at 8:01 am
I have no issue with this trail and a kayak rental area. At least the kayak rental area might bring money into the Camp. I’m not sure how the pedestrian trail will bring money into the Camp, as walkers, bikers and skaters are allowed free entry into the Camp and IF they spend any money in Camp, the only place I can think of that they’d spend it is at the main Canteen.
Even though the Camp is making money based upon operational expenses, and is not draining the city coffers with negative cash flow, I do wish the city would focus on more ways to bring money into Camp to increase the cash flow.
March 15th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Good points, making money based on operational costs and brining money into the Camp. While I love Camp Dearborn and frequent often I’m not understanding the need to reduce vehicle traffic into the park where $ is generated by allowing free entry from a bike path. During the last two summers, the administration bragged how the July 4th vehicle traffice was up at providing needed revenue to support the Beach Bash and Operations. While we’re at it, let’s buy the Ambassidor Bridge and bypass the toll booths.
What would be nice to know is how much the City spent for the 1st failed grant attempt, the costs associated for the Spicer group to complete another ‘Dearborn’ Engineering Study / Presentation on top of the planned $114,000+ needed to match this grant if awarded.
Also on the list are Amish cabins that cost over $10,000 per unit when we’re now paying money we dont have to remove one of the Lake’s Seawall to beautify the area.
The ‘Return On Investment’ analysis must have been exceptional to go this route while at the same time the City has taken promised money to update Senior Housing kitchen facilities and theres talk about reducing the amount of Firefighters / Police Officers and closing pools. Where’s the priorities?
Idea – work with water park operators and provide space for them to build without City money for free for a certain period. Have them pay for the Bike path while Dearborn gets a share of the take when visitors come into Camp.
The Camp’s making money – think ‘Out Of The Box’ to make it happen and keep needed money in the City where we need it and live.
March 17th, 2011 at 10:42 am
I like the idea of the water park, especially it being built and paid for by outside contractors, as long as the city can earn some steady income from it.
I also was in north Dearborn Heights the other day and saw a splash park that mostly little kids used. I asked some parents who were there if it was a popular item and they stated it was. So this might be another idea for Camp, along with perhaps a splash park or two in the city near the small pools, one in the west and another in the east ends.
I’m not sure how the city could bring in more visitors (gate receipts) into the Camp, but there is a lot of vacant space in Camp near where the tent rows were just across the main road from the Canteen. This area is not utilized at all and perhaps the city and/or a contractor could build something there that would increase Camp cash flow.
Also, I don’t know what the issue is with the Canteen, but in all my visits there the past 3 or so years, there is hardly anyone using the Canteen, even at lunch and dinner time. Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate the Canteen and find out why no one is using it, as in days gone by it was packed most of the day.
March 22nd, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Guess some of us should have been at this meeting. I had no idea that the City has to match the $115,216.00!!! This passed at the council meeting last nght. Couldn’t this money have been better spent right here in the city?? One great idea might have been to use it to keep the pools open.