The easement in question has trees and large rocks for the purpose of erosion control. When the property was originally developed the easement suffered large deep crevices from rain runoff. The entire hill was affected. There is still evidence from 20 years ago of the erosion behind the homes. The neighbors on either side worked WITH the city to get approval to plant trees
and contour a flat area half way down the hill. The plantings have eliminated the erosion After heavy downpours, rocks do have to be replaced

It is not permissible to block an easement with private landscaping. The park is public land which is land locked except for the easement. The public has a right to use the park and access should not be denied to them. If the adjacent property owners wish to keep the landscaping, a path should be constructed adjacent to the landscaping to allow access to the park.

It is permissible when the city approves the replacement of trees that were originally placed by the developer and lost to erosion
Guenther building company placed in excess of 20 evergreens in the easement
All but one was lost due to erosion.
With permission and coordination with the city of Ann Arbor, 9 were replaced. Of these 4 have been lost to erosion. 2 of the trees lost were removed by contractors hired and paid by the city. The erosion problem has been a joint effort between the neighbors and the city. And successful.

As for a path- Gunther building company spent a lot of money constructing a path for the park. Within 2 years it was totally destroyed by erosion. The hill washed away
The low area had a path that was supported by 2 bridges of steel pipes in 1988. In less than 2 years the lower path and bridges were destroyed. The park is in a flood plane. The carcasses of steel are still present but moved by the flow of water. The supporting structures are gone. The creek has the largest change in elevation in the Huron river chain per the Huron river watershed council. The water flow is impressive in a heavy downpour.
We determined with the city years ago that a path was not possible and the area could be dangerous in heavy flow.

Forgot the comment about the easement being the only access to the park. The park in fact has a border with Glazier Road When the road was paved many years ago there was talk at the public meetings at the baptist church to add an access point from Glazier but the idea was dropped due to the flooding and erosion. City administrator said it was not worth the cost.

Also, a City parks representative met with one of the neighbors 3 years ago and indicated the easement looked great. Thanked us for our help to preserve the integrity of the hill.

The landscaping in question consists of 3 smaller trees and some ground cover.
While a gravel or dirt path would likely be inadequate, as it would in many Ann Arbor parks, there is no reason that an asphalt path can't be installed.
The people in the Woodlands have a right to access their neighborhood park.
It's time to revisit the issue of opening the park via an asphalt path and a possible retaining wall.

Was determined years ago that Ashfault would not hold up to erosion. --Well if you want to open the park to everyone there is simple access via vintage valley at the end of pepper pike street. If you review the subdivision plot the park extends from Glazier road to the dead end of pepper pike st following the creek bed. Park borders property of 7 land owners This option was the final choice before the city decided the flooding and erosion was to extensive to use the area as a park. It's a waste of city funds.
Any development of the park will be destroyed by flooding. We've already been down this road. Have you looked at the property? Bring your hip boots. It's a great green space.

Could we get a response from the city on this issue please, instead of just from an adjacent landowner?

Great idea Micheal. I'm out of info.

Your request has been acknowledged and/or addressed to the best of staff's ability. A more detailed description of action taken by staff, if available, is provided in the comments above. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

It was just a week ago Ann Arbor Admin told us that "we certainly do not ignore any complaints". So please tell us, here, what you have done about this issue.

Thank you for your A2 Fix It request, #312726. Your request is important to us and will be prioritized and addressed based on the overall availability of city resources. Please note: If the nature of your request is urgent, such as water emergencies, please check http://www.a2gov.org/a2fixit for phone numbers to contact us. A2 Fix It is for non-urgent, non-emergency issues and is monitored during weekday business hours only. Your patience is appreciated.

We would like for the City to wait a few more weeks until Spring, and then send out a Landscape Architect to render a professional opinion as to what it would take to finally open the park to the City. It is clear that the entrance path will need to be paved with asphalt (as it has a slight downward slope), but it may also be necessary to construct a small foot bridge just past the entrance way to allow access to the green space. It would be really wonderful for the residents of Ann Arbor to have access to a park on the northeast side of the City.
We very much appreciate your efforts!

This request will be passed on to the City Parks Planner for them to review and decide.

Your request has been acknowledged and/or addressed to the best of staff's ability. A more detailed description of action taken by staff, if available, is provided in the comments above. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

I am interested in updates on this park and SeeClickFix provides the most transparent method while not burdening staff with neighborhood notices.

Thank you for your A2 Fix It request, #312753. Your request is important to us and will be prioritized and addressed based on the overall availability of city resources. Please note: If the nature of your request is urgent, such as water emergencies, please check http://www.a2gov.org/a2fixit for phone numbers to contact us. A2 Fix It is for non-urgent, non-emergency issues and is monitored during weekday business hours only. Your patience is appreciated.

If there is no current public access to the park and the gravel path has indeed been washed away, then the city should change the current description of the park on their website, which is misleading.

3 years and a pandemic later and that park finally seems to be getting a facelift.

Our apologies for not responding to this issue previously. If this remains a problem, please create a new ticket so that staff can investigate. Thank you.

Your request has been acknowledged and/or addressed to the best of staff's ability. A more detailed description of action taken by staff, if available, is provided in the comments above. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.