Plymouth Township Rejects Participation in PARC Project

In a move that bewildered audience members Tuesday night, the Plymouth Township Board of Trustees voted 2-5 against participating in the Plymouth Arts and Recreation Complex Committee's feasibility study to see if the plan to repurpose Central Middle School is viable. 

Trustees Chuck Curmi and Bob Doroshewitz voted in favor of participation, which would have cost the township nothing at this time. Eventually, the project would have called for the township to form an authority with the city, similar to the library, in order to own and operate the PARC complex going forward.

Treasurer Ron Edwards further outraged residents present during the meeting by making a motion for the township to refrain from entering into an authority with the City of Plymouth until November 2016, when his term expires. The motion passed 4-3, with Curmi, Doroshewitz and Supervisor Richard Reaume casting the dissenting votes. 

Don Soenen, spokesperson for the PARC Committee, said the fight is not over and that he and other PARC committee members will search for other alternatives, but he fears the outcome of the board's decision. 

"I'm afraid the outcome of this is going to be the school district will have no alternative than to auction off that property for development," Soenen said. "We will lose the opportunity to repurpose the school and we will lose those athletic fields and there's nothing we can do about it."

After comparing the cost of other auditoriums alone, Township Clerk Nancy Conzelman said she estimated the PARC project will cost a minimum of $40 million, as opposed to the $25 million the PARC Committee has been estimating.

Conzelman also said the school district should be paying for the project if it wants to keep using the athletic fields, new proposed auditorium and swimming pool. 

"Why should Plymouth Township cover 80 percent of the cost to provide them (Plymouth-Canton Schools) with athletic facilities for their teams?" Conzelman said. 

Edwards said he was disappointed as an elected official when his idea for a recreation center was tossed aside in favor of moving the PARC project along. 

"...It's in the city, I want nothing to do with it, I represent the township," Edwards said. "There's a lot of people that aren't here tonight that have voiced their opinion the other way (against the PARC), some have even said to me a recreation center is not possible. I'm elected to look out for the interests of Plymouth Township, not the city. We have worked with the city on numerous projects and numerous times we've ended up paying the lion's share of the bill and they walk away. I don't want to do anything with the city. I really don't. They owe us money and we're in a dispute over that. We've been in multiple disputes over fire departments and everything else. Its time that Plymouth Township found its path as a separate entity, as it's incorporated, and move on."

Soenen said he will put forth the millage on the ballot by getting signatures on a petition, if he must. 

"I believe its unconscionable that they can take that kind of action and will not even consider sitting down... the concern is they have taken action to preclude the township from entering into an authority with the city until 2016," Soenen said. "That is unprecedented action and just flies int eh face of all logic." 

Despite the setback, Soenen said the PARC meeting is still on for Jan. 27. 

"This board is completely out of touch with the people in this community," Soenen said. "I don't think they realize how connected the community is to this project. Everybody either went to school there, their kids went to school there,  or their grandkids went to school there - my granddaughter swims there. And if they tear that swimming pool out she's got nowhere to go - the Cruisers have no place to go, the Steelers have no place to play.

"We have the resources, we have the organization and we have the will to take this on," he said. "They have not heard the last of me or this organization, I can assure you that."