Council approves $443,000 contract to update parks and recreation open space plan

Ann Arbor City Council approved a $443,000 professional services agreement with Agency Landscape and Planning LLC to update the city's Parks and Recreation Open Space (PROS) plan for 2028–2032.

Staff said the plan is a required five-year update for eligibility for Michigan Department of Natural Resources grants and provides a community-driven action plan for parks, facilities and open space. The presentation noted an asset-management review indicating roughly $115 million in park-system investments needed over the next two decades and referenced an adopted ADA transition plan that commits about $19 million in accessibility work over 30 years.

The consultant will lead public engagement, inventory the system, identify priorities and produce goals and an action plan. “We want this plan to reflect community values while making the case for grant funding,” the presenter said. Council members praised the public-engagement emphasis and noted that the millage passed in 2024 created both resources and expectations for sustained maintenance.

CA7 was pulled from the consent agenda for discussion; after questions and remarks from council members, the contract was approved.