Southfield Oaks
Beech Woods Park is the second largest park in the City of Southfield, smaller than only Civic Center Park, which is home to City Hall and Southfield’s administrative offices. Formerly home to a 9-hole golf course, Beech Woods Park is an 82-acre park which features the Beech Woods Recreation Center, tennis courts, a playground, a picnic shelter, and open space. There is also a driving range, including portions that are heated and lighted, for year-round play.
Oakland County Parks and the City of Southfield have partnered to re-envision the southern 39 acres of Beech Woods Park. Under the terms of the Southfield Oaks Partnership agreement, Oakland County has committed to investing at least $2 million to transform the former 9-hole golf course on the banks of the Rouge River into a space for people to relax, socialize, be active and immerse themselves in nature. Oakland County Parks will operate the park as Southfield Oaks County Park while the City of Southfield retains ownership. The development of Southfield Oaks is funded by the OCP Healthy Communities Park and Outdoor Recreation Investment Plan, including $1.5M in ARPA funding and $1.5M from the OCP Capital Improvement Program. OCP received an additional $300,000 in funding from Sustain Our Great Lakes, a public-private partnership administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which will be used to reconnect and restore four acres of floodplain along the Rouge River.
Phases
Public Engagement
Purpose
The purpose of this public engagement was to communicate with the stakeholders and community members to gain insights into what the community would like to see in a renovated park under Oakland County Parks management and through capital improvements. It was also our intention to reach community members who are not currently engaged or who have not historically felt welcomed or invited into parks, to identify barriers to their participation, and address gaps in equitable park access.
Methods
The public engagement methods used included an online survey, a park planning open house, and a stakeholder meeting. The survey was available online for three weeks, November 16 – December 8, 2023.
Two engagement events were held in Southfield:
- A park planning open house at the annual Christmas Tree Lighting event at Southfield Municipal Campus. Participants had a variety of ways in which to engage and provide input on Beech Woods Park, including verbal feedback, written comment cards, and a prioritization activity. A large board presented participants with the opportunity to identify amenities and features that they felt were the highest priority or best fit. Paper copies of the survey were available.
- A virtual stakeholder meeting with members of the Beech Woods Acres Homeowner Association.
Results
Based on the response from Southfield residents and park users from a wider area, there was support and appreciation for the partnership between the City of Southfield and Oakland County Parks. OCP is grateful to attendees and respondents for their generous participation and understands the importance of keeping the priorities they expressed at the forefront:
- Paths and trails (walking, biking, cross-country skiing)
- Natural spaces (trees, native plants, Rouge River, invasive species)
- Clean, working restrooms
- Access for people of all abilities
- Honoring the history of the former Beech Woods golf course
