POSSIBILITY OF FUNDING TO DEVELOP LOCAL PARKS

Four park projects in Berrien County have been recommended for funding in 2017 from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The trust fund board is recommending that $47.6 million worth of development of acquisition projects including four development projects in Berrien County.
“For 40 years, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has provided opportunities to Michiganders to experience our state’s world-class natural resources,” Gov. Rick Snyder said. “These recommendations reflect that ongoing commitment to a better quality of life for Michigan citizens in every part of our state.”
The board’s recommendations will be taken up by the state legislature after the first of the year and approved for funding. Of the more than $47.6 million worth of projects recommended for funding in 2017, $19.9 million is for recreational development and $27.7 million for land acquisition projects.
In 2016, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund celebrated 40 years of funding high-quality outdoor recreation opportunities for Michigan residents and visitors. Over the past four decades, the Trust Fund has granted more than $1 billion to state and local units of government to develop and improve outdoor recreation opportunities in all 83 counties.
“The board’s grant recommendations reflect the long-standing tradition of the Trust Fund’s support of healthy lifestyles, public recreation and regional economies,” said DNR Director Keith Creagh. “The Trust Fund is truly a unique treasure and we look forward to the continuing support it will provide Michigan communities.”
The Niles city trailhead project as well as the River Valley Trail extension project in Niles Township received the top scores of all development project applications in the state, Southwest Michigan Planning Commission Senior Planner Marcy Hamilton said. She worked with both the city of Niles and Niles Township on their grant applications.
She said both projects were helped by the fact they are in urban areas, have good local funding matches and partnerships with other entities. In the case of the city of Niles, it is a partnership with Lakeland Health.
The city of Niles trailhead project was the top scoring project statewide. It will extend the riverfront trail from the east to the west side of the St. Joseph River in a project that partners with Lakeland Health. The state is expected to give $220,000 toward the project with the trust fund grant, while Lakeland and the city will provide another $280,000.
The trailhead will offer trail users more opportunities to enjoy the river in the downtown area of Niles. The project calls for the creation of a new walking trail, a fishing platform and outdoor gathering spaces on the west side of the river. The fishing platform will be similar to a platform that’s on the east side of the river but with more accessibility.
The trail will include some switchbacks right off the Main Street bridge which is at a higher elevation than the Broadway bridge. The switchbacks will take the elevation down to the level of the lower Lakeland parking lot off of Grant Street. Outdoor gathering spaces could include a seating area and space where food vendors could set up.
Both the trailhead project in the city as well as the trail extension in Niles Township are designed to capitalize on people’s interest in the River Valley Trail which will extend 34 miles from Mishawaka to the north side of Niles when completed.
Hamilton said the trail is getting closer to completion on both sides of the state line. The Michigan side of the trail will be complete from the state line to the northern city limits of Niles when work is completed on the last leg of the township trail, she said.
The new trust fund state grant for Niles Township will complete work on that last leg which is 1.2 miles from the Brandywine Creek Park to the southern end of the existing city trail at Fort and Third Streets. That project was the second highest rated project statewide in terms of points.
The state is expected to award $300,000 which will be coupled with $300,000 from the Michigan Department of Transportation and another $135,000 from local sources. Niles Township Supervisor Jim Stover said the local match will come from either the township general fund or private donations.
“This is definitely good news,” Stover said of the news of the grant recommendation. “We’re glad to see it all come together with the MDOT grant and the local match. We were able to capitalize on the fact that we already have part of the trail in place. I’m really impressed how it all worked out.”
Hamilton reported that work is also continuing on the Indiana side of the state line with plans worked out to take the trail over Cleveland Road and then a route picked out to link up to the end of the Michigan trail at Stateline Road.
Construction on both trail projects could start later next year after funding, engineering plans and contracts are approved. The township trail extension will wind around Brandywine Creek Nature Park and then cross the creek before turning back west toward South Third and then north on South Third.
Amenities in the new project include a pedestrian bridge and fishing pier as the 10-foot wide paved trail crosses Brandywine Creek as well as picnic tables, benches and bike racks on the edge of the Niles Township Community Park off of South Third Street. The project will also pay for trail signs and a pedestrian crossing of South Third.
The other two Berrien County grant applications recommended by the trust fund board to receive funding are those from the city of Watervliet and the village of Eau Claire. As with the two Niles area grant projects, local entities will be putting up local matching funds.
The Watervliet project is for a trailhead for the Paw Paw River Water Trail and includes $296,000 for development of 20 acres with one mile of Paw Paw River frontage. The Paw Paw River Water Trail as a whole connects the city directly to the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan.
The park land is in a brownfield area and has recently become part of the county park system. County Parks Board Chairman Dick Schinkel said that having a county park in Watervliet gives the county a great opportunity to offer recreational opportunities to residents in the northeast part of the county.
Items to be constructed include an ADA kayak launch, hard surface walkways, a parking area, security lighting, trash and recycle bins and bench seating.
The village of Eau Claire will receive $214,400 to help fund the development of 5,000 feet of non-motorized pathways connecting parks in the village. Parks to be connected with the pathway are Elizabeth Park, Veterans Park, Village Park West, two trail-head areas located in the southeast corner of Veterans Park and near the ball fields in Village Park West.