Duke, you haven't been paying attention. Normandy oaks became dedicated when the commission dedicated the property at 13 Mile and Coolidge a couple years back. It was put on a ballot and voted by the citizens. 91% of citizens who voted supported the dedication.

http://www.ci.royal-oak.mi.us/portal/sites/default/files/meetings/City%20Commission/2010/20100719a.html

See item #12. It was on the November 2010 ballot.

Thanks George for the information on Normandy Golf Course.

Getting rid of the Normandy course was tried 10 years ago when it wa hemmoraging money. No go. Green space that 98% of the community will never touch.

I agree with Mark Itall- Hands off Normandy Gold course. Getting rid of one recreational facility to replace it with another is not logical.

I am not familiar with this location however, a pool is a fine idea, and with the pool an additional splash pad as it would be more economical to put them in together. Grosse Pointe has a pool and it was so popular you had to show you were a resident , or the guest of a resident to use it when I lived in that area. Royal Oak has only one water attraction which is Stardream Fountain when its working and that could use an overhaul as far as the water spray and lighting. I do notice the kids are drawn to it like it was a magnet. A pool is a no brainer.

Ronald, All 5 Grosse Pointes' lakeside parks and pools were always resident and guest only, popularity was not a consideration. Which Pointe were you at?

What vacant land are you refering to?

Peggy, per State Law, the city, or Parks and Rec Board have to update their parks and rec master plan, and hold a public hearing.

...at least once every 5 years.

Peggy, am I wrong or do I not notice that the P&R master plan is largely steered by Don Johnson and his assistant? It seems the golf course gets an inordinate amount of attention (13 mile), and downtown receives zilch as the committee trys to spread what little is left over into more than a dozen parks in trying to please everybody.
Perhaps more of us should try to show up to these important meetings, otherwise the tail ends up wagging the dog.
Parks that are not highly rated could be use more for flower clubs and/or a community vegetable garden maintained by volunteers much like our butterfly garden. Maybe add a few ducks and chickens. Projects like these would receive some funding only if there is enough neighbood interest. Same with tennis courts and baseball diamonds. Golf is not everything.

Just out of curiousity, have you ever been to the county waterpark that is within about 1 mile of Royal Oak's border? Did you even know it was there?

My tax dollars have already paid for a pool in Royal Oak, in fact, two. Go swim at the high school pool, or the Olympic sized pool in the middle school (Dondero). Go argue with the school board if they won' t let them use the pools, they're yours!

The YMCA on 11 Mile Road also has a great pool.

I agree with John P. There are three pools available in the city of Royal Oak.

Its now or never. We may be like the band on the Titanic but life is short and good times are getting fewer. Less parades, less festivals that get us all bent out of shape and more basic recreational facilities such as parks with sandboxes and chess tables , fountains and flowers. The closer to downtown the better.
I heard there may be a property available near city hall. If the price is right the city should bond and buy it for a much needed downtown parking structure (like it SHOULD have done with the foreclosed Fresard Property). This would enable Royal Oak to expand the memorial-Stardream Fountain park into a larger central park similar to what Birmingham has but more used as our location is better.
Downtown businesses looking to increase foot traffic should be all over this as added parking alone will not dramatically improve our downtown as a destination.

The 2013 Master Plan qualifies the city to apply for grant funding from the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources. (See page 8 of the PDF attached to this article.)

Thanks Judy. The key word is apply for grants. It doesn't guarantee that the city will receive the grant funding. The grant funding is pretty competitive since nearly every community applies for a grant for their community recreational wish list.

John P, thankyou for your input. In West Bloomfield the high school pool was open for senior classes. The Jewish Community Center has an inddoor and outdoor pool, and of course with so many small lakes in the Bloomfields and Keego Harbor there were ample beaches, though mostly private.
I go to the Y for excercise however the pool is only open for members and membership costs. Under the circumstances of a growing population Royal Oak needs an outdoor facility preferably part of an existing park with other attractions such as a splash pad for the toddlers, but existing pools in schools should be made open to the public during non school hours. Where there is a will there is a way and costs to keep it open should not be the responsibility of the school system alone. Many seniors with arthritis and back problems find pools to be lifesavers. Kids need to exposed to more excercise opportunities in this age of couch potato computer gaming as well. This is also a reason I am AGAINST prohibiting bicycles from sidewalks downtown. Cars should not have more rights than people seeking healthy exercise,, but downtown apparently they do thanks to our city manager I am sure.
INST

Parking has become a major source of income unfortunately, Ido agree that more free parking vacations would be beneficial for both business and our citizens. IMMEDIATELY there there should be a free parking "siesta" from twelve noon to three pm during weekdays as our downtown restaurants are suffering compared to restaurants on Woodward where parking is free. We could also save three hours of having to pay our beloved "parking nazis" as they are affectionately referred as. I would rather see more emphasis on writing tickets for littering as plastic cups, and cigarette butts blow willy nilly on our sidewalks and in our parking lots which create an anachronistic distraction from our abundant flowerpots.

Great point l.c.

We have friends who live near 13 Mile and Campbell. Their children have walked to the county water park at 13 Mile near John R. Our tax dollars pay for this facility.

I bet there are southend residents that have bought pool memberships for the Pleasant Ridge pool priviledges that live near I 696 and Woodward, too.