Statement Regarding John Ball Zoo
Board of Directors, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Friends of Grand Rapids Parks strongly encourages the Kent County Board of Commissioners to enforce the current operating agreement the county has with the John Ball Zoo and the 2016 millage voters passed. We encourage our friends and community to submit comments to the Kent County Board of Commissioners, urging them to do the same.
The updated Zoo Master Plan did not provide for meaningful community engagement, with meetings hastily called the week before Thanksgiving. The plan calls for removing a mature grove of trees, shaded picnic areas, and two playgrounds in exchange for more surface parking and an exhibit. Any remaining green space after this would be referred to as a transition zone throughout the Master Plan. The zoo suggests that this area could be used for revenue generation.
The Grand Rapids Planning Commission passed a resolution in 1987 supporting the transfer of property from the City to the County, stating that such a release of John Ball Park and Zoo from the Park and Recreation Master Plan of the City would not result in the loss of the use of the Zoo and green areas by City residents. That same sentiment is guaranteed in the contract with the County, paragraph 19, page 11.
The 2016 millage allows the Zoo to receive taxpayer funds in exchange for improving the park for public use. The master plan would see the community lose access to 15 acres or more of green space in the already park-poor West Side. This will negatively impact the health and wellness of all Kent County and Grand Rapids residents, but especially the adjacent neighborhood.
After taking ownership of John Ball Zoo in 1987, the County issued a document stating, “We, as members of the Kent County Board of Commissioners, would like to restate to the community to not only operate John Ball Zoo in a responsible manner but to be ‘good neighbors’ and maintain John Ball Park as a quality neighborhood park.”
In 2013, when the Zoo and the County agreed to a new 20-year operating agreement, then Interim Zoo CEO Kevin O’Neal stated, “There are no plans to do anything in the park other than preserve it,” he added. “It’s not even on the radar screen. Our intent is to preserve the park and zoo for future generations.”
As a member of this constantly evolving and exciting community, Friends supports the evolution and expansion of organizations like John Ball Zoo and has had fruitful partnerships with the Zoo in the past. We hope the County will enforce the operating agreement, the 2016 millage, and that the Zoo, the surrounding neighborhood, and the overall community can continue flourishing.
How to submit a public comment:
- Email publiccomment@kentcountymi.gov
- Include your name, where you are from, and a personalized line or two about the importance of the park and green space at John Ball Park to you and your community. Your comment may look something like this:
Dear Commissioners,
I encourage you to enforce the county’s operating agreement with the zoo, and the 2016 millage voters passed. John Ball Park is a wonderful green space in the city. I cannot imagine not being able to picnic there with my family and friends. Losing 15 acres of green space, playgrounds, and trees would be horrible for the community. Historically, the county and city before it, and even the zoo, promised to keep the park for generations. Please do not take away such a valuable and beloved greenspace from our community or future generations.
Sincerely,
(Your name)
- Include your name, where you are from, and a personalized line or two about the importance of the park and green space at John Ball Park to you and your community. Your comment may look something like this:
- Attend the in-person meeting:
Sincerely,
The Board of Directors, Friends of Grand Rapids Parks
