Rather than just giving it a rubber stamp, Orion Township trustees have decided to hold a hearing before voting on a proposed priority list for future safety path construction in the township.
The board received the list from parks and recreation director Rock Blanchard on Oct. 6, and scheduled a public hearing for Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.
Blanchard said the safety path advisory committee began working on the list in 2002 using the following criteria: Links existing paths and trails, access to public facilities, number of residents served, estimated cost, possible outside funding and site of future development.
Each item was assigned a point value within the system to prioritize projects on the list.
“Being near the site of future development was actually minus a point (for the project) because we figured if we can get the developer to (put in the path), it didn’t need to be as high on the list,” said Blanchard.
The proposed priority list presented to the board listed Lapeer Road (M-24), Lake Village to Hiram, as the first project at an estimated cost of $347,000. The second project was Baldwin Road, Waldon to Eaton Gate, at a cost of $120,000.
The rest of the list was as follows: Indianwood Road (Joslyn to Fernhurst), estimated cost $740,000; Joslyn Road (Silverbell to Judah, west side of road), $507,000; Atwater (Perry to Orion with curb and gutter), $160,000; Lapeer Road (Clarkston to Brown), $1,575,000; Atwater (Perry to Orion with Sewale), $143,000; and Joslyn (Silverbell to Judah, east side), $527,000.
Other projects on the list, respectively, were: Baldwin Road (Maybee to Judah), Clarkston (Independence Line, south), Orion (west side), Clarkston (Independence Line, north), Indianwood (Joslyn to Baldwin, south), Indianwood (Joslyn to Baldwin, north), Lapeer (Scripps to Waldon), Baldwin (Maybee to Gregory), Goldengate (north), and Goldengate (south).
Rounding out the list: Indianwood (Fernhurst to Cushing/Knollwood), Indianwood (Cushing/Knollwood to Lapeer), Markdale (west), Silverbell (Lapeer to Giddings), E. Silver Bell (Lapeer to Kern, north), E. Silverbell (Lapeer to Kern, south), Baldwin (Brown to township line, east), and Baldwin (Brown to township line, west).
Bastian applauded the advisory committee’s efforts, but felt a public hearing needed to take place before the board voted on the list.
“That way the public is made well aware of where we’re going with our safety path program,” she said.
“There are lots of people that want safety paths, but unfortunately there’s not the dollars to do all of them,” trustee Michael Gingell said. “I will predict we’re not going to please everyone…but we must give everyone their chance to speak.”
Blanchard said with the funding the township currently had, it would take a long time to complete all of the paths on the list.
“We have probably $7 million worth of requests here,” he said.