Farmington planning commission advances 2025 master plan, approves parks plan amid public outcry over Drake Park fields

The Farmington Planning Commission on Jan. 26 heard a detailed presentation from OHM Advisors on the 2025 master plan, voted to schedule a March 9 public hearing on the plan and opened the 43‑day public review period required by state rules.

Jennifer Morris, a consultant with OHM Advisors, told commissioners the update combines the city's master plan with a separate downtown plan and a parks and recreation plan and includes an implementation matrix that ties actions to timeframes and potential partners. The parks plan must meet Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requirements to remain eligible for certain grant programs, Morris said.

The public portion of the meeting focused on concerns about Drake Park. League volunteers and parents said the proposed plan language that explores alternative uses for one of the Drake fields could threaten youth baseball and softball programs. "Losing that complex either in part or in full would really impact our league," said Brian Axe, a volunteer scheduler for South Farmington Baseball and Softball, who provided league scheduling numbers and said the group ran about 1,100 events in 2024 and roughly 1,300 in 2025. Axe said Drake Complex accounts for about 23% of the league's games and is one of only two lighted fields available to the programs.

Danielle Bonney, speaking on behalf of the league president and league families, said participation rose from 615 players in 2021 to more than 1,200 in 2025 and warned that removing fields would produce overcrowded schedules and reduce opportunities for youth. Ben Peterson, a commissioner for the South Farmington softball league, and several other parents and coaches urged the commission to preserve existing fields and to work collaboratively on any changes.

Staff and OHM repeatedly emphasized the distinction between exploring options in the plan and making a final decision. "It would be to evaluate and engage the public — it was not to switch the field," staff said, summarizing the plan language and process that would include outreach, utilization review and possible surveys before any change was pursued. Jennifer Morris added that including concepts in the plan does not itself change field ownership or use, but can be necessary to position the city for trust fund dollars and other grants.

Commissioners acknowledged community concern and discussed clarifying language. The commission ultimately approved a motion to include the three park concepts OHM identified (Warner Mansion concept, Shiawassee Park connector pathway and a Civic Theater concept), to open the 43‑day public review period for the parks plan and to forward the parks and recreation plan with those additions and any edits the commission requested to City Council for final action.

The commission noted next steps: staff will publish the required notices, assemble responses to public comments, and, after the public hearing and any edits, the commission will adopt the plan and forward it to City Council for their consideration. The master plan public hearing is scheduled for March 9, 2026, and staff said adoption and forwarding to City Council would follow the public review and hearing process.

The meeting record shows multiple online comments and written input supporting maintenance and safety improvements to Shiawassee Park, requests for paved connectors and crosswalk safety measures, and concerns about development density on Grand River. Commissioners said the planning process allows for further public input and iterative edits before any final land‑use changes are enacted.