By Susan Bromley

Staff Writer

Brandon Twp.-The township board will discuss the Iron Belle Trail during a workshop set for 6:30 p.m., July 18, at the township offices, 395 Mill St.

Scott Broughton is hoping they consider a route other than the one known as “Route C.” In a survey of township residents, 40 percent of about 558 respondents expressed their preference for that particular route, which would take it across the front of Broughton’s Granger Road property.

“I’m all for a hiking and biking trail, just not one winding through front, back and sideyards,” said Broughton, founder of the website, privacyandsafety.org. “Any of the others were acceptable… The results of the survey were 40 percent for that route, but that means 60 percent chose something else. If there were two routes offered, a majority would have voted for something different, but the neighbors weren’t organized and don’t know what to do.”

Kristen Wiltfang, senior planner for Oakland County Economic Development and Community Affairs, presented the results of the survey last month and also discussed estimated costs for each of the routes that would bring the bicycling portion of the Iron Belle Trail, which is proposed to go 774 miles from Belle Isle in Detroit to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula, through the township. The trail would connect existing trails with new ones.

In Brandon Township a trail would have to be established and engineering firm Hubbell, Roth and Clark developed four potential routes for consideration, all of which connect to a trail in Oxford. Route C, said Wiltfang, is the safest of the four proposed routes and includes a small portion of Baldwin Road, a large portion of the ITC corridor, and continues to the corner of Kent Road and Granger Road in the village.

The 7.7 mile route is also the least expensive, with an estimated cost of $4,968,900, or $647,877 per mile.

The board may also still consider the other three proposed routes including the one known as Route A, which is 7.6 miles from Baldwin to Sherwood to Sashabaw to Hummer Lake to Mill Street, estimated to cost $5,851,400.00; Route B, which is Seymour Lake to the ITC corridor to Granger to Hadley to Hummer Lake to Mill for 9.7 miles and costs $7,918,510; and Route D, from Baldwin to Granger to Hadley to Hummer Lake to Mill Street and stretches 8 miles for $8,127,205.

If the township chooses to pursue developing the trail here, funding opportunities include grants and Wiltfang said the Department of Natural Resources is seeking contributions from private donors.

Each proposed route would also carry with it maintenance costs, which are estimated between $500-$5,000 per mile annually.

Those costs will be among many topics of discussion at the Monday night meeting, as well as liability, costs for police patrols, privacy issues, and effect on property values. Wiltfang, as well as a representative from HRC will be present at the workshop to answer questions.
“I’m expecting the board to have a better perspective on everything entailed with having a trail through the township,” said Supervisor Kathy Thurman. “I know there will be issues that need to be worked out. After the meeting, we’ll have a better idea of areas of concern and that will help us choose a route.”