City of Pontiac Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Section 1
Community
Description
The 2012-2016 Pontiac Parks and Recreation
Master Plan was prepared by the City
of Pontiac to serve as a guide and decision
making document for future recreation
facilities and programs. The Plan presents
an inventory of existing facilities and programs
within the community as well as an
evaluation of opportunities and needs. The
Plan considers the existing facilities in and
around the community, as well as the anticipated
demand for additional or improved facilities
and programs. The Plan also includes
goals, objectives and a 5-Year Action Plan.
The jurisdiction of this Recreation Master
Plan includes the geographical limits of the
City of Pontiac.
The Plan is also intended to enable the City
to apply for funding assistance from various
agencies to work toward implementing
the documented recommendations. This
Plan provides for five years of grant eligibility
with the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources (MDNR).
The City of Pontiac is located in Oakland
County, Michigan, approximately 25 miles
northwest of Detroit and covers about 20
square miles of land (see Regional Setting
Map). The City has a total population of
59,515 residents according to the 2010 U.S.
Census. The Clinton River generally traverses
east-west through the heart of the City.
Pontiac’s history is deeply rooted in the
transportation industry, from the wagons
carrying New York state farmers looking
for better land in the 1820’s, to its position
as a General Motors “anchor” city. The City
has been highly dependent on the automobile
manufacturing industry, which resulted
in lost jobs, high unemployment rates and
very tight City budgets as the industry has
declined over the last several decades.
Since then, the industry has sought to
transform its employment base from traditional
assembly-line jobs to engineering,
testing and global leadership operations.
The success of this transformative effort will
undoubtedly have a critical economic impact
in the City and surrounding areas.
Pontiac’s central location in Oakland County
offers convenient access from all areas of
the Detroit metropolitan area. Interstates
75 and 696, M-59, M-1, and U.S. 24 connect
Pontiac to downtown Detroit and neighboring
communities. Pontiac is the terminus
of Woodward Avenue, a major northwestsoutheast
highway in Detroit, while Telegraph
Road (U.S. 24) is the main north-
City of Pontiac Parks and Recreation Master Plan
1