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Smoking Ban in 77 City Parks Takes Effect Feb. 1, 2015

The City of Ann Arbor smoking ban in 73 parks with playgrounds and four downtown parks goes into effect on February 1, 2015. Ordinance 14-03​ (PDF) was passed by City Council in April and empowers Ann Arbor's city administrator, in coordination with the Parks Advisory Commission, to designate any city park, or any portion of a city park, as smoke-free.

The Parks Advisory Commission made a formal recommendation to the city administrator to designate 77 of the 158 city parks as smoke-free, which includes the ban of cigarette, cigar, pipe and e-cigarette usage.  

Archived News Release: January 20, 2015 - "The ordinance is intended to protect the health of our park visitors, many of whom are children, by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke, keeping our parks clean by reducing litter and aligning with a national trend toward smoke-free outdoor environments," said Parks Advisory Chair David Santacroce. "Approximately 900 municipal park systems across the country are smoke-free, including Chicago, Berkley, Portland, and Des Moines. Our park users also deserve to benefit from clean, healthy and smoke-free outdoor environments." 

Before February 1, non-smoking signage will be posted at all 77 parks and, where possible, near all playgrounds and inside recreation facilities to notify users of the smoking ban. The goal is to obtain no-smoking compliance at designated parks and playgrounds primarily through education efforts and warnings. When needed, reminders of smoking restrictions will be provided by Parks staff, however, non-compliance enforcement will be directed to the Ann Arbor police department. Per Ordinance, citizens who refuse to comply could face up to a $25 fine.

 "The City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Department welcomes thousands of visitors annually, a large number of which are families with children," said City of Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services Manager Colin Smith. "Having smoke-free designated facilities helps us meet the goal of providing clean, healthy and safe facilities for our park users to enjoy."

On February 1, a smoking ban will be in place at the following parks with playgrounds as well as four parks located downtown.

A

Allmendinger Park

Arbor Oaks Park

B

Bader Park

Baxter Park

Beckley Park

Belize Park

Bromley Park

Brookside Park

Bryant Community Center

Buhr Park

Burns Park

Burr Oak Park

C

Churchill Downs Park

Clinton Park

Cloverdale Park

Cranbrook Park

Creal Park

E

Ellsworth Park

Esch Park

Evergreen Park

F

Foxfire North Park

Frisinger Park

Fritz Park

Fuller Park

G

Gallup Park

Garden Homes Park

Glacier Highlands Park

Greenbrier Park

H

Hansen Nature Area

Hunt Park

Huron Highlands Park

I

Island Park

K

Kelly Park

Downtown Parks: Kempf House

Kilburn Park

L

Landsdowne Park

Las Vegas Park

Leslie Park​​

Downtown Parks: Liberty Plaza

Longshore Park

M

Mary Beth Doyle Park

Maryfield Wildwood Park

Meadowbrook Park

Mixtwood Pomona Park

Mushroom Park

N

Downtown Parks: North Main

North Main Park

Northside Park

O

Olson Park

P

Pilgrim Park

Placid Way Park

Plymouth Parkway Park

R

Riverside Park

Rose Park

Rose White Park

S

Scheffler Park

Downtown Parks: Sculpture Plaza

SouthEast Area Park

South Maple Park

Sugarbush Park

Sylvan Park

T​​​

The Pond​​s

Turnberry Park

V

Veterans Memorial Park

Virginia Park

W

Ward Park

Waterworks Park

Waymarket Park

Wellington Park

West Park

Wheeler Park

White Oak Park

Winchell Park

Windemere Park

Winewood Thaler Park

Woodbury Park

Wurster Park  ​

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Media Contact Information

Colin Smith
Parks and Recreation Services Manager
734.794.6230 ext.42500
[email protected]


Ann Arbor has 123,851 residents, spans 28.97 square miles and is frequently recognized as a foremost place to live, learn, work, thrive and visit. To keep up with City of Ann Arbor information, subscribe for email updates, and follow the city on Twitter and Facebook. The city's mission is to deliver exceptional services that sustain and enhance a vibrant, safe and diverse community.