The City of Owosso has begun work on trail improvements at Harmon Patridge Park this week. In a social media announcement, the city stated, “We are working on trail improvements at Harmon Patridge Park this week. Please pardon our mess over the next few days.”
A large mound of gravel has been delivered to the park and is currently sitting in the parking lot, presumably for refreshing the gravel walking paths.
The announcement of the improvements has been met with a range of responses from local residents. Kimberly Crawford expressed enthusiasm, commenting, “Nice-I have been hearing work vehicles today. Looking forward to seeing the improvements. Thank you.”
Some residents took the opportunity to raise concerns about other infrastructure issues. Charlene Gokee asked, “When are they gunna fix the dam roads? So many are horrible..” This comment, while reflecting genuine concern, overlooks the complex nature of road maintenance responsibilities, which are often shared between city, county, and state authorities, each with their own budgets and priorities.
The park, which was previously known as Green Meadows, has been a source of some confusion for residents. Patrick Bill inquired, “Is this the place formerly known as Hopkins lake? 😂” This prompted a clarification from Paula Kay Alexander, who responded, “No. Green Meadows.” Bill then expressed his preference for maintaining original park names, stating, “I wish they would just leave the park names the way they were.”
Despite the temporary inconvenience, many residents appreciate the park. Maureen Feely described it as “Such a lovely and peaceful place,” while Connie Matznick Minarik simply said, “Thank you!”
As the work continues, some residents are discovering new aspects of the park. Toni Fox expressed surprise, commenting to Paula Kay Alexander, “I didn’t even know they had trails there.”
The City of Owosso has asked for patience during the improvement process. They have not provided a specific completion date for the trail improvements or released further details about the scope of the work.
While the park improvements are welcomed by many, the discussion highlights the ongoing challenges faced by local governments in balancing various infrastructure needs and communicating effectively about different areas of responsibility in municipal management.