Adopted Recreation Plan

The City of Coldwater Recreation Plan (28 megabyte PDF file) was adopted on Monday, August 10, 2009, by the Coldwater City Council.

Notice of Review

Notice of Review
City of Coldwater
Draft of the Recreation Plan

The City of Coldwater Recreation Board has developed a draft Recreation Plan. The plan evaluates existing recreation opportunities, reviews public opinion regarding parks and recreation, and proposes a five-year action plan, and other related items that the City wishes to pursue. Copies of the draft Recreation Plan will be available for review at the following locations:

City of Coldwater Planning and Zoning Department
Henry L. Brown Municipal Building
One Grand Street
Coldwater, MI  49036
(517) 279-6911
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – noon & 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Independence Recreation Building
1776 Heritage Drive
Coldwater, MI  49036
(517) 278-8566
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Electronic PDF version available online at ColdwaterMiRecPlan.wordpress.com

If you are interested in reviewing or submitting comments regarding the draft Recreation Plan, please send written comments to the address listed below by Tuesday, August 4, 2009.

At 7:05 p.m. on August 5, 2009, in Council Chambers at the Henry L. Brown Municipal Building, the Recreation Board will conduct a public hearing on the City’s proposed Recreation Plan.

For more information, please contact:
Christine Hilton, AICP
Director
Planning and Zoning Department
City of Coldwater
Henry L. Brown Municipal Building
One Grand Street
Coldwater, MI  49036
(517) 279-6911

Draft of the City of Coldwater Recreation Plan

The draft of the City of Coldwater Recreation Plan is now available for review, a 25 megabyte Adobe PDF file that will open in a new window.

Fun Stuff at Heritage Park

The Independence Recreation Building is at Heritage Park. As this video shows, there are fun things happening there, including organized volleyball and basketball games. Plenty of paved pathways, too, to walk your dog or get out and exercise!

Top Recreational Activities in 2008

Nationally, the top five activities among all Americans, ages 6 and older, by overall participation rate:

Outdoor Activities

1. Fishing – Freshwater (15.8%)
2. Running/Jogging (14.8%)
3. Bicycling – Road/Paved Surface (14.1%)
4. Camping – RV (11.3%)
5. Hiking – Day (10.8%)

Indoor Activities

1. Treadmill (18.1%)
2. Free Weights – Hand Weights (15.8%)
3. Weight/Resistance Machines (14.2%)
4. Stretching (13.1%)
5. Free Weights – Dumbells (11.7%)

Team Ball Sports

1. Basketball (9.4%)
2. Baseball (5.8%)
3. Soccer – Outdoor (5.0%)
4. Football – Touch (4.7%)
5. Softball – Slow Pitch (3.4%)

Source: Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, 2008, The Outdoor Foundation.

Virtual Tour of City Parks

Watch this quick tour of Coldwater’s parks! It’s like you are in the sky, cruising over the City. Actually, it’s just aerial imagery from Google Earth.

Maybe you’re asking yourself why you should watch this minute-long video. Well, it’s simple – the City of Coldwater is updating its Parks and Recreation Master Plan and we need your input! The City of Coldwater owns and operates 15 parks, which you can check out by using the sidebar at left which takes you to an aerial map of the parks.

The Google Earth virtual tour begins near the southeast end of town and heads west toward Waterworks Park, circles through town, and ends just past Four Corners Park in the middle of town.

What do you think? What should the City of Coldwater focus on for the next five years? How do the City’s parks affect your quality of life?

The Benefits of Parks and Recreation in Coldwater

Over at the National Recreation and Park Association, they have a Top Ten list of park and recreation values. Those values are the reasons why parks are important in this country. They are listed here as important points to reflect on as the Coldwater Recreation Plan is developed over the coming months.

The following summary is from the article, Top 10 Reasons Parks Are Important, by Richard J. Dolesh, Monica Hobbs Vinluan, and Michael Phillips:

1. Public parks provide millions of Americans with the opportunity to be physically active.
2. Parks have true economic benefits.
3. Parks provide vital green space in a fast-developing American landscape.
4. Parks preserve critical wildlife habitat.
5. Parks and recreation facilitate social interactions.
6. Leisure activities in parks improve moods, reduce stress and enhance a sense of wellness.
7. Recreational programs provide organized, structured, enjoyable activities.
8. Community recreation services provide a refuge of safety for at-risk youth.
9. Therapeutic recreation is an outlet that individuals with disabilities have.
10. Public parks embody the American tradition of preserving public lands.

More detail provided by the authors in the above link.