By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

Ortonville

– Despite opposition that has stalled the trail in Brandon Township and threatens to halt it in the village, Dave Van Dis still hopes to see trails in this community.

Toward that end, he plans to be in attendance at the village council meeting set for 7 p.m., Monday, March 27 at the Brandon Township offices, 395 Mill St. A public hearing regarding proposed grant applications for use to establish an Iron Belle Trail connection will be held at the start of the meeting.

Van Dis is frustrated by new members on the council who voted against holding the public hearing and have voiced concerns regarding safety and potential costs of the trail, as well as community residents who have also voiced opposition to a proposed trail route.

“They are not wanting to make the village viable and are willing to turn down large amounts of grant money that could pay for all the pathways and trails, especially the Iron Belle Trail,” said Van Dis, a member of the Blackhawk Community Trail Committee. “I think a lot of people are going on impulse or just hearing from a few people rather than getting all the facts from Lansing, Oakland County, the trail committee and what other trails within 20 or 30 miles from here have gone through in the past.”

The Iron Belle Trail is a proposed statewide trail system with two routes— both of which would extend from Belle Isle in Detroit to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula.

The state has offered grants to help communities on the proposed routes connect into existing trail systems in order to make a continuous trail possible.

The village, as well as Brandon, Atlas, and Groveland townships, are part of the proposed bicycling route for the Iron Belle Trail, which would extend 774 miles in total.

In January, the village applied for a $35,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources to establish a new trailhead at the juncture or curve of Church Street, across from the post office that would include a bike rack, bike fix station, benches and signage.

The trail segment itself in the village would be approximately 700 feet along the ITC corridor and 500 feet extending south from Church Street at the trailhead.

Monday night’s public hearing is necessary to proceed with developing two DNR grant applications to acquire property owned by the Brandon School District as well as a private parcel for sale at 25 Church St. Both would be incorporated into the 43-acre village owned property west of the Crescent Hill subdivision. This property, mostly wetlands, was donated to the village in 1984 under the stipulation it only ever be used as a park or recreation area. The looping trail is planned for this land.

The Church Street parcel that Village Manager David Trent would like to pursue grant funds to purchase is currently for sale for $100,000 and is also known as the “red barn property” as it comes with a historic barn. It is less than an acre and the village would retain the barn.

Trent also hopes to acquire with grant funds two parcels currently owned by the Brandon School District for which only one grant application is necessary. One parcel is three acres along the ITC corridor, and the other parcel is 5 acres in size and fronts Church Street. Trent said a market analysis has not yet been done on these parcels, but because they can not be built on due to wetlands, he expects they can be attained “at a very reasonable price.”

An April 1 deadline in applying for the DNR grants lends urgency to the public hearing, and both Trent and Van Dis have noted that Gov. Rick Snyder and the state’s desire to get the trail done has made for extraordinary funding opportunities.

“There is so much money available right now that is earmarked for trails and pathways, both from the DNR and the private sector,” said Van Dis. “If we don’t go after it, somebody else will get it and bypass us. This is a large avenue for people to get out walking, biking and hiking, and it incorporates learning about nature. The goose that lays the golden egg is only here for a couple years. If we don’t grab it, shame on us.”

If you are interested in joining the Blackhawk Community Trail Committee and supporting the trail, email Dave Van Dis at dvd007@juno.com.