Trees for Bay City

Jim Bedell has worked hard to create an appeal for grant funds in order to plant trees for our city. In the display case on the first floor the City Hall is a presentation Jim used in the application. The following text is from Jim's communication -- I have taken portions of the message for publication here.

"I’ve attached the grant application to the Bay Area Community Foundation’s McGillivray Fund that was made by the Bay City Downtown Development Authority with the assistance of the Bay City Planning Department (yours truly). We’ll know if the grant is approved on May 11th."

The Bay City Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was established by the City of Bay City on June 7, 1976. ... Projects completed by the DDA in the downtown district include: streetscape improvement projects; Third Street Waterfall Park; Wenonah Park Redevelopment; and the Rotary Micro Park at the Planetarium.

As an urban park, trees are an important part of the overall redevelopment plan, providing shade and visual beauty along the river, as well as shelter for birds and other urban wildlife.

While Wenonah Park has served the community well through the years, it was last updated in the early 1980’s and is starting to show its age at many levels. It suffers from deteriorating park facilities and deficiencies inherent to prior improvements and design oversights. This has created maintenance, management, and programming issues that require immediate attention. Additionally, current design elements prevent a strong connection to the Saginaw River and neighboring properties.

In 2004, recognizing that the time for change had come, the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and City of Bay City staff from the Planning Department and Parks Department began the process of looking at Wenonah Park and the role it plays in our community. It was agreed that this effort should provide a strategy for the redevelopment of the park to meet current and future needs for special events, as well as to provide an enhanced outdoor environment for nearby hotels, the downtown shopping district, and the community.

Wish for luck and many trees and give thanks for Jim Bedell. He has performed amazing work for our community.