Newsletter
Gardens and Green Space – A Walk to Remember
Thank you to everyone who made the 2024 Romeo Garden Walk and Afterglow on June
June 29, 2024
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Green Space on Prospect Street (GSOPS) is an all-volunteer organization focused on the acquisition and preservation of the property at 297 Prospect Street as public green space for the benefit of all community members.
Public green space promotes health, wellness and equity in our community, making it a place where people want to live and visit. 297 Prospect Street has always been a place of learning, starting with the Dickinson Institute in 1855, followed by the Romeo High School, then Junior High School and finally the Middle School, which was removed in 2021. We envision planting trees, re-introducing nature and installing low-maintenance improvements to create a space where kids can play and learn, and we can all enjoy nature.
*Gifts to the Four County Community Foundation (4CCF) Green Space on Prospect Street Fun are tax deductible as provided by law. In the case that the green space property is not acquired, funds will be distributed to the 4CCF Romeo Community Action Fund.
We are committed to raising $600,000 by November 1, 2024, to purchase the 297 Prospect Street property and preserve it as public green space forever and establish an endowment for the long-term stewardship of the green space. Please pledge your support now!
Due to funding limitations, the Site Concept Plan above has been updated with the Green Space focused within the larger 3.5-acre parcel. This adjustment also brings an opportunity for historic preservation. GSOPS is working with a private partner who is looking to purchase the smaller parcels and relocate to the site a historic house that is slated for demolition.
The Concept Site Plan identifies zones within the green space that have diverse components and uses and that create a space that maximizes benefits to the public, the community and the environment.
Mowed open space is the baseline condition for the property. As development of native landscapes and other improvements proceeds, we will retain a large central area of mowed open space for unstructured play and along the edges of native landscapes to provide definition and clarify the intentional nature of the landscapes. Uses of this zone will include open unstructured play by all ages, pick-up soccer and other field games, kite-flying, picnicking, walking, exercising by individuals and groups, yoga, tai-chi and other classes.
The arboretum will establish a native tree canopy and shrub layer that augments the existing trees on the site and create an attractive traditional park setting. The arboretum will also act to integrate this area with the preexisting, mature urban forest canopy which covers most of the surrounding village, as well as help to ensure a sustained tree canopy in this area as existing trees continue to age and eventually decline. Uses of this zone will include traditional park activities such as strolling, picnicking, relaxing, and unstructured play. As a certified arboretum with a minimum of 25 types of woody plants, it will create an outdoor education resource and diverse volunteer opportunities.
This mixture of prairie and forest represents a currently endangered ecosystem that was once abundant throughout southern Michigan. Establishment of this habitat is an opportunity to share information about the pre-industrial ecological regimes which shaped the landscapes present in our region, as well as how the Anishinaabe acted as stewards to both care for and utilize these lands. Oak savannas also provide habitat for many dozens of bird species and many hundreds of pollinator species. Mowed paths will invite visitors into this diverse habitat and engender a sense of adventure and exploration.
Bioswales are a form of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). Stormwater runs off roads, parking lots and lawns into the storm sewer and eventually into the Clinton River, picking up sediment and pollutants along the way. Bioswales intercept stormwater with plant material, infiltrating a portion into the ground, evaporating a portion of it into the air, and releasing a portion of it slowly back into the sewer system after it has been filtered through the plant material. The installation of bioswales and other GSI will manage runoff issues on the site and demonstrate the best practices that help communities be more resilient to the changing climate.
Pollinator gardens contain a diverse range of native flowering plants. Diversity provides a varied diet for a wide range of pollinators and prevents pests and other problems that plague monocultures. A great pollinator garden has overlapping bloom times, providing food for pollinators throughout the growing season. Native plants are selected that are well-adapted to the local environment and therefore don’t require much water or care. Pollinator gardens are another component of GSI by filtering stormwater runoff and by having deep root structures that prevent soil erosion.
Gathering spaces invite you to sit and chat or just spend some quiet moments reading or enjoying the scenery. Gathering spaces could also be used for story time with kids, board games with friends, or informal outdoor meetings.This area will host the more developed aspects of the green space such as raised bed community gardening, tool shed, small restroom, pergola or shade structure, and active spaces designed around use of the park as an outdoor classroom. This will be one of the last areas to be designed, funded, and developed. Selection of features will depend on input from the community and from the users of the green space and their experiences.
The Green Space on Prospect Street is for people – neighbors, people who reside within walking distance, families who drive there for a picnic or to meet friends, and educators bringing their students for outdoor education. Accessible entrances and pathways welcome people of all abilities to come in and enjoy the green space. Entrances and Pathways will be designed to meet federal accessibility guidelines.
While the accessible pathways welcome everyone in, the natural play and seating elements invite play and adventure off the path. The components are generally boulders and logs, which may be connected by climbing and balancing elements, and are intended to stimulate imaginative play as well as develop strength and motor skills. They are ideal for a multi-generational experience, with a parent or grandparent strolling on the path and children playing alongside. They also provide additional places to sit and be surrounded by nature.
We have an opportunity to bring the rich history of the site and the region to the forefront, as well as the science that underlays the planned landscape. There are many ways we can convey information to the visitor at the points of interest – interpretive signage with verbal and tactile information, posted QR codes that point to a relevant web page or video or the use of augmented reality which uses special glasses or a cell phone app to display information or images superimposed on the visual field. Use of multiple methods is important to meet the needs of various ages and abilities of the visitors.
We will strive for zero emissions by replacing the use of gas-powered mowers and other grounds equipment with electric versions and explore alternative energy such as wind and solar. Parks and green spaces are in the front line for counteracting urban heat effects by increasing the tree canopy. A study conducted by the Trust for Public Land in 2020 revealed that areas within a 10-minute walk of a park are as much as 6 degrees cooler than areas outside that range. The pockets of forest and native plants we establish will sequester carbon, slow down runoff during storm events, and provide a shaded area of respite from hot days.
Throughout the green space we will place amenities such as benches and picnic tables that will invite people to spend time on their own, with a friend or walking buddy, or with their family. Signs at the west and east entrances will identify the green space to the public and interpretive signs at the Points of Interest will communicate science and history and recognize our donors and partners. Determined by community engagement, and as funding permits, many other enrichments could be considered such as art installations, murals, solar lighting and Wi-Fi.
Green space promotes health, wellness, and equity. Kids play there and we can be quiet in nature or gather with other people. The natural infrastructure makes our community more resilient to natural disasters and climate change. Green space creates a place where people want to live.
The former Romeo Middle School property has deep meaning for many, especially those who passed through the halls of Romeo High School, Junior High or Middle School. By preserving the Green Space on Prospect Street, we honor the past and invest in the future for our children.
By designing the Green Space with minimal infrastructure and low maintenance needs, we will be fiscally sustainable. Planting Michigan native trees and plants will create habitat for birds and pollinators, absorb stormwater runoff and carbon dioxide and contribute to an environmentally sustainable future.
The Green Space on Prospect Street commitment does not stop with acquisition. We are building a non-profit organization that oversee arboretum development and certification and organize volunteers who will care for the green space and interact with the public. We will team up once again with the Four County Community Foundation to establish a Green Space Romeo endowed fund to ensure that we have the resources to fund stewardship and education and continued improvement of the green space and arboretum. If sufficient resources are generated we intend to offer support for the improvement and stewardship of public green spaces throughout the community.
We’re regularly engaging with the community. See our most recent news here.
Thank you to everyone who made the 2024 Romeo Garden Walk and Afterglow on June
Dear Green Space Friends, We have some exciting announcements for summer as we continue to
Thank you to everyone for our very successful benefit event – This Place Matters –
Heidebreicht Chevrolet is pleased to announce it will be supporting Green Space on Prospect Street with a matching pledge of $150,000 and is is asking other businesses in the area to please consider a robust donation.
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