From our beautiful parks and trail ways, to our shopping and entertainment, Rochester Hills continues to be a place where visitors flock to experience what we get to enjoy each day as residents of this community. Summer in Rochester Hills has always been one of my favorite times. There’s so much to do here in this little corner of Michigan. But this year, things seem to be turned up a notch.
While August is upon us, there is still plenty of summertime fun to be had, and as you make your list of places to visit and things to do, I hope you’ll explore ALL of our parks, the river, and the bike paths and trails that traverse our City. We’re very proud of our parks department and the job they do to make sure that the parks are ready for your visit! In fact, last summer marked a significant milestone for our parks as we welcomed more than 1 million visitors, and early numbers indicate that we will far surpass that this year.
And speaking of records, this year’s Festival of the Hills was an amazing success! More than 53,000 residents and guests came out in record breaking fashion to celebrate and honor those who have served our country. We look forward to next year’s event! 
We hope you do, too!
One summer time “must” is to carve out some time, pack the cooler, and head to Spencer Park. We like to say that Spencer Park is one of the secret gems of Southeast Lower Michigan. Enjoy miles of nature paths, boat rentals, picnic areas, and even some of the best fishing spots are all located at Spencer Park.
Ahhh…yes, and what summer would be complete without all of the signs? Signs like “road closed,” “detour ahead,” and “traffic shift.” The road construction season is definitely upon us and I, like many of you, experience the traffic delays and frustration as you sit in a steamy car trying to avoid Tienken, Hamlin, Livernois, and M-59.
The good news is that relief is in sight, at least to some of our local roads. The roundabout at the intersection of Hamlin and Livernois is just days away from opening to traffic. It’s been exciting to watch crews put the final touches on what we hope is the future of traffic control in Rochester Hills. To learn more about driving through roundabouts, please visit the City’s website for an informative video.
And finally, anyone who travels through the Crooks Road/M-59 Interchange on a regular basis should be happy to know that relief is on the way. We’re very pleased to learn that the Crooks Road Bridge has been given the green light for replacement with Federal and State monies covering 97% of the cost! That’s great news for local drivers and all of our taxpayers!
So, get out and enjoy all that Rochester Hills has to offer and find out for yourself why we remain the preeminent place to live, work, and spend your summer!
