OAKLAND COUNTY, MI – A new county park along the Clinton River is moving from concept to reality following recent approvals and a series of partnership agreements between Oakland County and the cities of Rochester and Rochester Hills.

Rochester Hills City Council approved a maintenance agreement Jan. 26 that allows Oakland County Parks to lease and ultimately manage roughly 108 acres of Bloomer Park and the adjacent Yates Park area as part of the future Clinton River Oaks Nature Park.

The agreement had already been approved by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.

Clinton River Oaks will span roughly 275 to 285 acres across Rochester and Rochester Hills, preserving nearly three miles of Clinton River frontage and connecting major regional trail systems, including the Clinton River Trail and the Paint Creek Trail.

Oakland County Parks Director Chris Ward said the project represents the county’s first entirely new park since 2007 and grew out of a rare opportunity to protect environmentally significant riverfront land while expanding recreation.

“This was a confluence of multiple factors that created an opportunity,” Ward said. “It’s a chance to protect a beautiful stretch of the Clinton River while also connecting some of the best outdoor recreation assets in the county.”

At the center of the project is the county’s acquisition of more than 128 acres of undeveloped riverfront property previously held in private ownership. The land includes nearly two miles of shoreline and will support river restoration work and invasive species control in partnership with the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission and the Clinton River Watershed Council.

The park also incorporates land through partnership agreements with Rochester Hills and the city of Rochester, bringing together Bloomer Park, Yates Park and adjacent properties into a single county-managed river corridor.

Ken Elwert, Rochester Hills’ director of parks and natural resources, said the partnership allows the city to maintain ownership of Bloomer Park while benefiting from the county’s expanded resources.

“We’re leasing a portion of it to Oakland County to fit with their goals for the larger park,” Elwert said.

Under the agreement, Rochester Hills will continue maintaining the leased portion of the park through a transition period while Oakland County prepares to assume full operations in 2026. The county will pay the city about $65,000 for roughly eight months of maintenance this year.

Oakland County will also provide $4 million to Rochester Hills to recognize prior capital improvements made in Bloomer Park.

Elwert said the project is expected to ease pressure on Rochester Hills’ heavily used park system, which sees about 1.7 million visits annually in a city of roughly 75,000 residents.

“There is no Oakland County park in this area,” Elwert said. “Our parks have been fulfilling that role. This will help take some of that pressure off and provide more walking trails, which is one of the top things residents ask for.”

Much of the land included in Clinton River Oaks is already open to the public and will remain accessible as the transition to county management continues. That includes existing trails, river access and parking at Yates Park near Yates Cider Mill.

Ward said the county does not plan to make immediate or dramatic changes to how the area is used.

“We start with ‘do no harm,’ especially when these are beloved community assets,” he said.

Initial county investments tied to the park and related projects total roughly $8 million to $12 million, Ward said. That includes funding for land acquisition, river restoration and a $700,000 contribution toward rebuilding a washed-out section of the Clinton River Trail in Rochester that was damaged during flooding in 2024.

Public engagement will guide future improvements and design plans.

Residents can provide input through Oakland County Parks’ online “Co-Creation Lab” at engage.oaklandcountyparks.com or attend an open house scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29 at Rochester Hills City Hall, 1000 Rochester Hills Dr.

Ward said a more detailed concept plan is expected later this spring, followed by additional opportunities for public feedback.