DETROIT — This morning, state Rep. Isaac Robinson (D-Detroit) led a group of community leaders in speaking out against Detroit city officials’ plan to designate Lodge Playfield as surplus property, making it vulnerable to sale and industrialization. Concerns have grown over the recent announcement that the US Ecology Corporation is planning to expand its hazardous waste storage facilities, with some considering the timing of their announcement and the suddenness of the city's proposal as somewhat suspect. The possibility that Lodge Playfield could be converted into a hazardous waste storage facility or any other industrial use has raised concerns about threats to the health and safety of the families in the area.
“The community should not be excluded from conversations on what and how to develop their own backyards,” Rep. Robinson said. “Not only is this not how any piece of land should be reclassified or sold, but it is also imperative that whatever happens here, the safety of the families in our Detroit and Hamtramck communities is treated as paramount. The families in these communities deserve to have a place in their neighborhood where children can play, investment in our neighborhoods and better and more transparent communications from their local government.”
The Detroit city council plans to consider the proposal tomorrow. The 12 acres in question include Lodge Playfield and the former Crockett High School. Local faith and community leaders stand together in opposition to the re-designation and any potential sale, citing serious concerns with the complete lack of public input during this process. Joining Rep. Robinson to oppose this decision were former state Rep. Alberta Tinsley-Talabi (D-Detroit); Reverend Sylvester Davis of the St. Jude Missionary Baptist Church, Kt Andresky of Breathe Free Detroit, Meeko Williams of Hydrate Detroit, the Hamtramck Community Initiative, local resident Joyce Jennings, activist Henrietta Ivey and Mark Covington, with the Georgia Street Collective. At this time, no hearings for public input have been scheduled.