Help shape Belle Isle's future at meetings in Detroit this week

What will Belle Isle look like in 10 years?

Members of the public can help answer that question at two meetings this week.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Belle Isle Conservancy, is seeking input on a new draft management plan for the 982-acre island park.

The meetings will be at 2-4 p.m. and and 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Outdoor Adventure Center at 1801 Atwater Street in Detroit. The DNR has posted a copy of the plan on its website, michigan.gov/parkmanagementplans.

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Ron Olson, the DNR's chief of Parks and Recreation, said feedback from the meetings will help determine future priorities for the park and ensure the park "meets the diverse public needs, so that we can address additional park improvements and critical infrastructure."

"This is a great chance for people to focus on the greatness of Belle Isle and its future," he said.

The 194-page plan was based in part on feedback officials received from the public in 2017. It includes new proposed management zones for different areas of the park. For instance, the "Primitive Zone" includes the wet mesic flatwoods forest and would be highly restricted for recreational use to minimize human impact.

The draft plan not only addresses resource protection, but also capital improvements. The DNR, which manages the park, will incorporate public feedback gleaned from this week's meetings into the final version.

The discussions around the park's future are happening as the DNR awaits word on whether the organizers of the Grand Prix plan to hold the event on the island in 2019. A current five-year contract expires after the 2018 race, held June 1-3.

Some park users have raised concerns about the event's impact on the island. Race officials said at a meeting last fall that they have reduced the race set-up and take-down times and made other adjustments in response.

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Race officials have not yet submitted to the DNR a proposal for a 2019 event. In an e-mailed statement, Grand Prix Chairman Bud Denker said they're still weighing their options.

“All factors need to be considered for the continuation of the event, which we are reviewing currently," he said. "Our hope and our intent after a complete consideration of all these factors is to submit a proposal in the future.”

Michele Hodges, president of the Belle Isle Conservancy, said Grand Prix officials are committed to the island.

"Because they are good stewards of the public, and hearing what the public is saying, (they are) evaluating whether they can continue and still be a good steward of the park," she said.

The DNR in December launched a study of the Grand Prix's environmental impact on the island.

Contact staff writer Ann Zaniewski at 313-222-6594 or azaniewski@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AnnZaniewski.

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