Waterford Schools Partners with Oakland County Parks on Land Access at Former OCC Site

Waterford Colleges Companions with Oakland County Parks on Land Entry close to former OCC web site

(Waterford Colleges, July 27, 2025)

Waterford, Mi-Oakland County Parks (OCP) and Waterford Faculty District have reached a milestone settlement that opens 79.5 hectares of college possession for the usage of public park, supplying new leisure and academic potentialities in Waterford Township.

In line with the proposed long-term characteristic settlement, OCP will tackle the operation and administration tasks for the pure actual property on Hospital Highway, simply north of the previous OCC Highland Lakes campus. The nation will likely be included within the County Park system, whereas Waterford Faculty District retains possession and ensures that the location continues to serve the general public for the approaching generations.

The constructing has forests, meadows and pure corridors and gives very best circumstances for outside lecture rooms, environmental programming and habitature restoration. It is crucial that Waterford college students have precedence entry to outside academic applications on the location, together with excursions, science and ecology experiences, and youth-oriented initiatives led by OCP and its companion companies.

“This Interlokal Settlement is a big victory for our college students and the whole Waterford group,” mentioned Superintendent Adam Martin of Waterford Faculty District. “It corresponds on to our strategic plan by providing our college students unparalleled studying experiences by way of direct reference to nature and sensible science. We’re extremely enthusiastic concerning the potentialities that this collaboration opens for generations and his appreciation for Oakland County Parks and Recreation to work collectively to deliver these distinctive alternatives for our college students.”

The initiative displays the values of Mission 26, the strategic transformation plan of Oakland County Parks that emphasizes entry for everybody, wellness and environmental enthusiasm. The event of the brand new park will likely be led by these targets, with the emphasis on paths, pure play, seasonal programming and ecological restoration. A everlasting identify for the park is chosen in collaboration with native stakeholders.

“This collaboration reveals the facility of public companies that work collectively to profit the group,” says Chris Ward, director of Oakland County Parks. “We’re grateful for the management of Chief Inspector Adam Martin and the Waterford Faculty District Board of Training and have a look at it from this nation by way of recreation and sensible studying experiences for all ages.”

The settlement is awaiting the ultimate approval in August by the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Fee and the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.

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