NILES – Parks and trails continue to be a big focus for community leaders in Southwest Michigan. Open houses were held recently in the Niles area to talk about the new Berrien County Parks Plan as well as a proposal to extend the Indiana Michigan River Valley Trail from Niles to Berrien Springs.
The proposal to extend the River Valley Trail from Niles to Berrien Springs was first discussed at a non-motorized trail summit held in February at Andrews University. A similar summit for Cass County is set for June 5 from 7-9 p.m. in the Mathews Library Conference Room at Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac.
In Berrien County, organizers from the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission and Be Healthy Berrien hosted an open house about the Niles-Berrien Springs trail in May at the Niles YMCA. They said they will hold another open house in late July or early August in Berrien Springs and then a third wrap up meeting in either Niles or Berrien Springs in early fall.
With over 30 miles of trail from Mishawaka through Niles scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, SWMPC planner Kris Martin said people are now looking at how the trail can be extended northward to Berrien Springs and eventually to Lake Michigan.
He noted that trails have proven to be beneficial in many areas including economic development, tourism, health, quality of life and safety. With the last item, trails help reduced bicycle and pedestrian injuries and deaths when they aren’t in contact with motorists.
He said the current plans call for using the old interurban rail line that runs parallel to and west of M-139 north of Niles and ends near Rangeline Park in Berrien Township. Much of that right of way is owned by American Electric Power with smaller amounts owned by the city of Niles, Niles Township and private landowners.
The timeline he gave to those gathered has planning continuing over the next few years, culminating in cost estimates developed and fundraising started between 2021 and 2023. He and other organizers have said that this nine mile section of trail could cost between $500,000 and $1 million a mile to develop.
Niles Township farmer Matt Warda was in the minority who didn’t like the idea. The old interurban rail line right of way runs through his family’s
property. “I’m not for it, we’ve already had our property cut in half with the (U.S. 31) freeway,” he said. “It will cost us money. We have hunting leases on our land, then there are the liabilities if people wander off the trail.”
South Bend resident Ken Sauer belongs to the Michiana Watershed group and liked what he saw. “This has been part of our mission for over 50 years,” he said. “It’s been a longtime dream to extend the trail toward Lake Michigan. We’re big supporters of the project.”
Buchanan residents Wayne Writer and Jerry Flenar are involved with the McCoy’s Creek Trail project and said they’d like to see a side trail built along Walton Road to connect the proposed Niles-Berrien Springs trail with their Buchanan area trail. “It would be neat, we’d be to go different directions from Buchanan,” Writer said.
As for Berrien County Parks, Berrien County Parks Commissioners continue to seek public input for the county’s new five year 2020-2024 parks plan. To that end, they are holding open houses before their parks board meetings around the county.
The third of their open houses this year was held in May at Madeline Bertrand County Park south of Niles. Members of the public had the opportunity to come and see some of the proposals that have been put together for the county’s eight existing or proposed parks. Prior open houses were held in St. Joseph and Berrien Center.
The commission’s next meeting and open house is scheduled for Aug. 21 at the New Buffalo Township Hall, across the street from the Galien River County Park. An open house is set for 3-4:30 p.m. followed by the parks commission meeting at 5:30 p.m. that day.
Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey said a draft of the proposed new five year plan will be presented to the parks commission and Berrien County Board of Commissioners in October. Once approved by the county, the plan will be submitted to the state by the first of the year.
“We decided to take longer to give the public all around the county a chance to give input,” Bailey said. He noted that the plan serves as both a guide to county officials for current and future developments as well as a wish list of projects they’d like to see done if possible.
The county needs to have a new five year plan in place so that it can apply for grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and other state departments over the next five years. The county has received a number of state grants over the years which have funded improvements to existing county parks and the development of new ones.
The county’s current parks are Rocky Gap, Silver Beach, Love Creek, Madeline Bertrand, Paw Paw River, the Historic Courthouse Square and Galien River. The proposed plan also talks about the possible development of the Red Arrow Linear Trail.
Those who cannot get to the next open house in New Buffalo in August can send written comments to: Berrien County Parks, 701 Main Street, St. Joseph MI, 49085 or email comments to parks@berriencounty.org.
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