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Nancy Darga accepted a recognition plaque
from Mayor Ken Roth for her years of service. |
While Nov. 4 may have been her final meeting as a Northville City Council member, Nancy Darga took the opportunity to remind her fellow council members of a plan by the state to construct a Heritage Trail in Hines Park and promised to keep citizens aware of the progress.
Darga chose not to seek reelection after serving 12 years on the city council and 20 years as an advisor to the Northville Parks and Recreation Commission.
Darga's career as a licensed landscape architect with the Wayne County Parks Department and with the former Wayne County Road Commission provided input into multiple recreation plans in Northville. Her husband, Mike, is a civil engineer who, she said, was good counsel as she reviewed plans and contracts for the city. The couple has two adult children, Anna and Alex.
During her time on the city council, Darga requested more detail about the bidding process for engineering contracts and recommended a matrix that performed cost comparisons and quality features among bidders. She was a strong advocate for
historic Mill Race Village in the community and helped craft the special events policy for the rental of Ford Field in the city. A strong supporter of the historic district in the city, she said she believes it is vital to keep the context of Northville.
“If any tree is going to bear fruit, you have to protect its roots. It's the same with communities. You need to protect your heritage,” she said. “Northville has a unique, strong and profound history.”
She is a founding member of Friends of the Rouge and a founding member of Motor City National Heritage Area, which is part of the National Park System. She has been a board member of the Northville Art House since its inception, and will continue to serve on the board, this time as treasurer.
Darga retired as executive director of the Ford Piquette Historic Plant in April, and has become active in the “Save Hines Park” initiative to prevent the sale of parkland to developers. She said her decision not to seek reelection to the city council was due, in part, to her activism in opposing the sale of Wayne County park property.
Mayor Ken Roth and members of the city council presented Darga with a special recognition for her service at the Oct. 21 meeting of the council.
