Ortonville-It’s only about a half-mile trail that meanders near the Duck Creek.
However, if village officials get their way that short jaunt could be extended more than 500 miles.
Last week Village Manager John Lyons announced plans to begin development and seek grants to build a pathway near Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School on the south side of the village. Once completed the trail could fit into a much larger statewide plan that ends at the Wisconsin line in Ironwood, Mich.’about 550 miles to the north.
‘We have a lot of walkers in our community,? said Lyons. ‘The trail could easily connect with proposed township trails coming from the south and the governor’s trail plan.?
In 2012, Gov. Rick Snyder announced plans to begin work on a 924-mile trail from Belle Isle in Detroit to the Wisconsin border in the western Upper Pennisula. The trail plan would include using a mix of existing pathways and creating new ones. The plan would require 81 miles of new trail in the Lower Pennisula and 151 miles of additional trail in the Upper Pennisula. According to a map outlining the trailway, Paint Creek and Polly Ann trails in Oakland County were included in the plan. In addition, several areas of the conceptual non-motorized pathway were still under consideration, providing a possible opportunity for a route through Brandon Township and the village to Atlas Township.
The 10-foot-wide asphalt trail could be funded by a Department of Natural Resources grant. The village would be responsible for 20 percent of the cost with the DNR funding 80 percent.
‘It’s a good place to start going small to begin,? he said. ‘Our intention would be to tie in with the rest of the state’the best chance of getting a grant is to have a trail project ready to go when the money becomes available. Also key is the recent master recreation plan with the township.?
The Brandon Township Board approved 6-0 at their Nov. 10 meeting a motion to write a joint parks and recreation master plan with the Village of Ortonville. The components of the plan includes an existing recreation plan, public participation and needs assessment, as well as the township master plan.
The village’s trail plan now parallel recreational pathways in Atlas Township approved by voters in November. The 1/8 mill or $6 per year for a $100,000 home will generate about $33,292 per year to fund the pathways in the township.
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