We submitted this formal letter to the Sterling Heights City Council regarding the proposed sale and development of land purchased for "Riverland Park Improvements." Our message urges city leadership to honor the intended public purpose of this property, protect floodplain habitat, and prevent the loss of community green space for private development. See below:
Dear Members of the Sterling Heights City Council,
We are writing regarding the planned sale and development of land that, according to public documentation, was purchased with federal taxpayer dollars through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for “Riverland Park Improvements.” We are deeply troubled by what appears to be a decision to sell publicly funded green space for private development.
If ARPA funds were allocated and approved for “Land Acquisition for Riverland Park Improvements,” it is our impression that they cannot be repurposed for housing or any unrelated project without a formal reallocation process that includes public input and compliance with federal and local requirements. Please provide documentation showing that this process has been completed, or that the property was not acquired with conservation intent. Housing development is not a park improvement. If this land was intended to serve the community as natural parkland — a place for residents to enjoy recreation, wildlife, and green space into perpetuity — why was it instead sold for development? Whether or not ARPA procedures were followed properly, selling property for development that was purchased as riverland parkland undermines the trust between citizens and local government and sets a harmful precedent for future conservation efforts.
This decision also appears inconsistent with the city’s Pathways to Play and Preservation millage, which passed in November 2024 and included a commitment to land preservation. Additionally, the 10-acre parcel in question lies entirely within a designated floodplain. Developing in this sensitive area and the surrounding habitat poses significant risks to the watershed's biodiversity and could cause irrevocable environmental harm. Once a floodplain is altered through cut-and-fill operations and the floodplain forest’s trees are removed, its natural ecological functions cannot be restored for hundreds of years. Over 80–90% of Michigan’s original floodplain forests have already been lost in many watersheds due to development, channelization, damming, and agricultural conversion, so protecting areas like this is critical.
We urge the City Council to reconsider this sale and uphold the documented original intent of the ARPA funding and to preserve this public natural space for the benefit of current and future generations. Our understanding is that there is a clause in the purchase agreement allowing either party to withdraw if closing does not occur by January 1, 2026. We strongly encourage you not to extend or renew this agreement. Instead, we ask that you maintain this property as protected parkland in perpetuity.
Thank you for your attention and for your commitment to the responsible stewardship of Sterling Heights’ natural resources. We appreciate your consideration in this matter.
Sincerely,
Executive Committee
Southeastern Michigan Group of the Sierra Club