By David Fleet
Editor
Atlas Twp.- On Monday night the township board of trustees voted 4-0 to move forward on extending the Gale Road trail west to Grand Blanc. Trustee Barry June abstained.
The Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission are proposing to extend the Iron Belle Trail from the Village of Atlas to the Grand Blanc Township line.
township and .5 miles in Grand Blanc Township. The dividing line is Vasser Road.
“The township pay for the engineering and matching funds at a cost of $174,000,” said June. “(For that) you’re going to get a $1.8 million trail.”
The funds will come from the recreational pathways fund. Revenue is generated by a millage of .125 or $6.25 per year taxable value $100,000 was first approved by

The 2.25 mile trail will include 1.75 miles in the township and .5 miles in Grand Blanc Township. The dividing line is Vasser Road.
“The township pay for the engineering and matching funds at a cost of $174,000,” said June. “(For that) you’re going to get a $1.8 million trail.”
The funds will come from the recreational pathways fund. Revenue is generated by a millage of .125 or $6.25 per year taxable value $100,000 was first approved by voters in November 2014 and then renewed earlier this year. Currently there is $129,000 in the trail fund which grows at a rate of about $40,000 per year.
“We’ve committed to it,” said Tere Onica, township supervisor. “This will get us in Grand Blanc and connection to the Iron Belle Trail.“
The resolution includes not only the operations and construction but also the maintenance of the trail. The trial would be built in 2021 and part of more than 2,000 miles from the far western tip of the Upper Peninsula to Belle Isle in Detroit.
The trail to Grand Blanc Township would connect to the Gale Road trail completed last year. The projects were spearheaded by the ‘Walk, Bike, Run Atlas Township committee which formed in 2013 and gathered 358 signed petitions from residents in support of recreational paths in the township. The committee reported trails are necessary to provide a sense of community, increase property values, offer a safe location for outdoor activities, attract young families to the community, and improve the health of residents. Much of the funding for the project will come from established grant sources such as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.