Independence Township Supervisor cuts Jose Aliaga the ribbon to signify the opening of the new playground at Bay Court. Photo provided by Clarkston Chamber of Commerce.

INDEPENDENCE TWP. — On April 23, Independence Township Supervisor, Jose Aliaga, held the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Bay Court playground.
The project has been several years in the making starting with a public input meeting in 2020.
“We invited people to share with us what they wanted to see as part of this new playground,” said Amy Laboissonniere Community Relations, Coordinator for the Independence Township Parks and Recreation Department. “It was a great way to involve the community, bring everybody in and see what was wanted for this new space.”
The playground is the first of its kind in the township with a partial poured in place surface to accommodate both foot and wheel traffic and is safe for children of all ages and abilities, the township says.
Funding for the project came from a $200,000 grant from the Land & Water Conservation Fund, capital improvement dollars from the township’s park and rec department, a $100,000 fundraising match from the Independence Township Board of Trustees and a number of other fundraising efforts.
“This playground was a huge fundraising project for our department,” Laboissonniere said. “Everyone really chipped in and the community really stepped up to the plate to help us out with this.”
The playground features a number of structures for children to play on as well as swings, slides and other playground staples.
The Bay Court playground is located 6970 Andersonville Rd. in Independence Township —M.K.