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Memorial Forest lease lapsing; Franklin committee says road and parking must come first
Summary
Township staff told the Open Space Advisory Committee that a farm lease at Memorial Forest will not be renewed at the end of February, freeing the site for planning. Members said the first investments should be roadway and parking, with in‑house DPW work possible after engineering and a chosen concept plan.
Franklin Township committee members said on Feb. 17 that the farmer leasing Memorial Forest will not renew a lease that expires at the end of February, opening the property for the committee to advance a long‑discussed Memorial Forest concept.
Committee members debated whether to skip awarding a lease for one year and reissue in 2027; staff advised a one‑year gap appears acceptable because the existing lease requires a cover crop, but the committee must monitor field conditions if left fallow. "I think one year is okay. We just have to monitor it, keep an eye on it," a committee member said.
Members emphasized that the first practical steps for developing Memorial Forest are establishing a roadway and parking area. They said public works can perform much of the necessary excavation and grading if the committee first settles on a concept plan and the civil‑engineering details. The committee noted a Terra concept plan exists and can be used as a starting point, but public works would need to produce engineering‑level plans before construction.
What the committee will do next: staff will present the Terra concept plan and explicit roadway/parking options at the next meeting so the committee can pick preferred layouts, parking locations and potential tree‑planting schemes for the memorial area. Members also discussed lining a roadway with trees and deciding which existing trees to remove, prune or preserve as part of a reforestation or memorial‑tree program.
Why it matters: Memorial Forest is a township‑owned property with competing interests (farming, reforestation, memorial plantings, trails). Choosing to let the lease lapse and starting with road and parking work signals a shift from passive farmland use toward a staged conversion that will require further council approvals and capital budgeting for construction and planting.
