Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Plans could be proceeding with a Metropark-to-State Park Pathway Connector Project in Green Oak Township.

Huron-Clinton Metroparks have been working to connect their parks with state rec areas – namely Huron Meadows Metropark, Island Lake State Recreation Area, Brighton State Recreation Area, and Kensington Metropark. Back in 2021, a feasibility study of pathway alignments, highway crossing options, and alternatives were evaluated with public and stakeholder input for preferred routes. A group prepared preliminary plans for five miles of pathway, including a pedestrian bridge over US-23.

Design work calls for a pathway connector from Huron Meadows to Island Lake utilizing the road right-of-way of Maltby Road. There are not any trail connections to Huron Meadows currently, which limits access as people can’t easily walk or bike to it. It’s also less than two miles from both rec areas.

As of now, a pathway is proposed to run parallel to Maltby Road across the Township, including a bridge crossing over US-23. It will ultimately intersect with the township’s Fieldcrest Trail, just south of the Green Oak Village Mall, and connect to the trail system within Island Lake State Rec Area.

Green Oak is being asked to cover maintenance responsibilities for trail segments located outside of Metropark property. That includes the section from Whitmore Lake Road to Rickett Road, and the section from Rickett Road to Scranton Middle School. That’s a distance of roughly 1.23-miles.

The Board of Trustees met Wednesday night and approved a resolution regarding an intergovernmental agreement for the maintenance of the trail sections.

The Metroparks are seeking a grant for the project, and part of those requirements was to secure the agreement from Green Oak.

Maintenance would follow the same standards and services the township currently provides for on its existing trails. Given the pavement's expected lifespan of around 20 years, short-term maintenance costs are expected to be minimal. It was stated that taking care of the asphalt, de-weeding, and mowing can be done by the township maintenance crew or they could hire it out – noting they have the capability and resources to handle it.

It was stated the first phase would be to connect to Scranton Middle School. Future phases would continue westward and eventually tie-in with the Brighton Rec Area.

Supervisor Mark St. Charles and other members liked the project idea but noted there will be some hurdles.

St. Charles said he thinks it’s an attractive alternative for the foreseeable future to try and get a connection made. However; he "has no idea if, when, and how" their Fieldcrest south trail would get connected. St. Charles referenced grant standards and agencies typically require a 10-foot path and 2-foot shoulders - and there is physically just not that much room there between Fieldcrest and MDOT property fencing. He mentioned there are also some extensive wetlands to take into account and boardwalks - noting those are good in the beginning but later become a “maintenance nightmare”.

St. Charles had some concerns related to the bridge over US-23. He made sure to include language in the resolution that Green Oak Township would explicitly not be responsible for maintaining the bridge over US-23. St. Charles stated they lack both the technical expertise and the financial resources to maintain such a structure safely and effectively.

St. Charles made a point to highlight that they’ve had a really good working relationship for many, many years with the Huron Clinton Metropolitan Authority. He said they’ve been good corporate/municipal neighbors and have always stepped up – notably when they needed property for the new police and fire stations, a deal was worked out.

One resident spoke in favor of the project during call to the public, saying she thought it was a fantastic idea as trails support neighborhoods, property values, and healthy living.

More information about the preliminary plans is available in the provided link.