Possible routes through VBT for Iron Belle Trail discussed with public

A possible route for the Iron Belle Trail through Van Buren Township was explained to a crowd that gathered Jan. 31 at the Commons at Belleville High School.
The session, put on by Van Buren Township, was planned to have the public walk around and look at maps and pictures and ask questions of PEA, Inc. representatives.
PEA is a landscape architectural firm that has done several links in the Iron Belle Trail and was hired by VBT to work out a trail through the township.
But, as the crowd grew and the questions multiplied, Sam Loball of PEA said they decided it would be better to have everyone sit down and have a presentation and discussion as a group.
The Iron Belle Trail goes from Belle Isle in Detroit to Iron Mountain in the Upper Peninsula and communities along the route are working on links. The Iron Belle is 2,000 miles long and the longest state-designated trail in the nation. It is divided into a cyclist trail and a hiker trail.
The path PEA proposed for VBT, started at the Lower Huron Metropark entrance at Haggerty and E. Huron River Drive. The 10′ wide hard-surfaced hiking/biking trail would go across E. Huron River Drive north on Haggerty to the abandoned road bridge over the Huron River, south of the French Landing Dam. Then the path would head out on Edison Lake Road along Sandy’s Marina and out to E. Huron River Drive heading west to Edgemont Street in the City of Belleville, where the path would cease and hikers/bikers would use the city sidewalks to get to W. Huron River Drive and eventually the path again to the Washtenaw County link at Rawsonville Road.
Although there are separate hiking and biking routes for the trail in the state, Loball said in Southeastern Michigan there is hiking and biking on both routes.
He said in VBT it is difficult because the township is all built up and they are forced to work with road rights of way.
Loball said on E. Huron River Drive, the homes are close to the road and the residents are not happy about the route.
He suggested they could use the ITC electrical power lines easement to go back to the railroad and use the railroad right of way for the trail,
But, he said, Norfolk and Southern will not allow use of its right of way. He said they are investigating the project with Norfolk and Southern anyway, but because of the liability the railroad wants no part of it.
Loball said another idea was to develop an easement on the backs of the properties along E. Huron River Drive, just north of the railroad right of way. He said just 15′ is needed from the homeowners.
Joe Monte said where he lives on the curve is dangerous and mailboxes, a fire hydrant and tree have been hit by motorists. His wife Karen said when pulling out into traffic from their drive, sometimes they have to pull back in to get out of the way of cars that speed around the curve.
Residents suggested a route that leaves the Metropark at Bemis Road, goes west to the ITC power lines and then north to just beyond Hull Road and then over to Martinsville Road and north to Riggs Park. Then the route would head west to Belleville on E. Huron River Drive.
Loball said that route would miss some of the “cool stuff” along the lake, including crossing the river on the old bridge.
One resident said VBT Supervisor Kevin McNamara said the route was supposed to be on the North I-94 Service Drive. She said he told her originally the plan was to take the bridge to the North Service Drive and then to Haggerty Road south to the Metropark.
Loball said that was never a part of any plan he heard of.
Jennifer Wright, VBT Director of Parks and Recreation, said people wanted more sidewalks along Huron River Drive and it is the more scenic route.
A resident asked how they had proposed to get over E. Huron River Drive from Edison Lake Road and a PEA representative said there is some undeveloped land by the railroad at that point and they could get an easement at the backs of the properties.
Loball said he thinks bicyclists would go straight across and make a dirt trail through people’s front yards because it would be a more direct route.
When asked who would maintain the trail, Wright said township parks crews would remove the trash.
VBT Trustee Sherry Frazier asked about snow and leaves and Loball said some communities don’t remove snow.
Trustee Frazier said there would be liability if someone broke a leg.
Another person said the Metroparks don’t maintain their trail and have signs to that effect. He said it doesn’t seem to be a problem.
Monte asked who would make the final decision on the route and Loball said the township board would make that decision.
Loball said some communities are having difficulties making that decision because they have worse problems than VBT.
“It sounds like people are pro trail, but it’s the route we have to agree on,” Loball said.
He said the next step is to write grants to the DNR Trust Fund and Michigan Department of Transportation. He said there is money available.
Wright said the township has to apply for funds. It got $30,000 to hire PEA. She said they did apply once before and got turned down. But now the township is applying to the Trust Fund and the application is due in April. It’s a slow process, she said.
She said this is Gov. Snyder’s project and with his term almost being up, it makes you wonder.
Loball said they are talking to Wayne County and some of the ditches and drains proposed are not to their standards. He said the road right of way is 33′ from the center line and goes up to 60′.
He said there is some drainage work to be done in the City of Belleville and they could write the grant to cover the township and the city.
“I thought we got the grant to pay PEA to tell us where to go,” Frazier said.
“We came up with a lot of challenges,” Loball said. “We brought it to the DNR and VBT and we’re looking at big ideas.”
Frazier asked about the biggest problems.
Loball said the path is planned for 10′ wide, but it may have to be 6′ in some places which doesn’t comply with the state plan for biking paths. He said they have to identify where they need easements. The plan didn’t allow for any ditch, so they will have to add underground drainage and a curb.
He said maybe a 6′ path would leave room for a shallow swale and to build some type of underground drainage so they don’t need a curb. For a curb, they would have to rebuild the road, which is too much.
He said it is a significant cost to repair asphalt or concrete and some paths are crushed limestone.
“This trail has challenges,” he said, adding if it is only 6′ wide it does not meet trail standards for bikes, so there would be no grants for that. It would only be for walking. He said bikes can legally ride in the street.
They had planned to have the path 10′ wide in Riggs Park and then go back to 6′ when it leaves the park.
Loball said they could have a push-button stop light to get cyclists over Haggerty Road. He said some want the path to go over to French Landing Park, as well.
He said some of the land along Sandy’s Marina is being used, so it will be a tight squeeze.
“Where do we go from here?” Wright asked.
“We’re done with our work,” Loball said. “Next is a contractual issue. The township is interested in getting a grant by April 1 … Right now it’s all about contracts and money. We needed the public hearing today as part of our work. Community impact is a valuable tool.
“We keep going and going until it’s built,” he said.
He said if they apply in April, they won’t hear back until late fall or next year. The end of next year it might start.
Frazier said earlier that day she went to a DNR workshop on grants and loans. She said the township could get a $100,000 loan and then get a grant for $100,000 and pay it off.
A woman said they could use money from the landfill.
Wright said there are other grants out there that she will be pursuing.
Loball said a TAP grant pays off the DNR loan and you don’t pay a dime.