Sharon Township to hold green infrastructure workshop in June

Sharon Township Hall

The Huron River Watershed Council announced this week that it will hold a Green Infrastructure Vision Workshop for Sharon Township on Monday, June 5, 2017 from 7 to 9 pm in the Sharon Township Hall located at 18010 W Pleasant Lake Rd.

Come help the township and the Watershed Council create a green infrastructure vision for Sharon Township. Attendees will study maps of the township’s natural areas, water resources, recreational areas, and master plan, and participate in a hands-on assessment of the township’s green infrastructure and potential future plans for its protection and enhancement.

The Watershed Council will facilitate the session and then take input from the meeting to create a draft version of a green infrastructure network map showing the interconnected network of open spaces, natural areas and waterways that supports native species, maintains natural ecological processes, sustains air and water resources, and contributes to our health and quality of life. They will then return to present the map and a plan to support the township’s green infrastructure to the local community. The community will be able to use this map and plan for parks and pathway planning, site plan review, and master planning.

Other townships in the Huron River Watershed that have participated in the green infrastructure planning and have adopted or are in the process of adopting recommendations that have come out of this process include Lyndon, Unadilla, Dexter, Webster and Northfield. Freedom Township held a similar meeting in January of 2016 and were presented last spring with a green infrastructure map. The board in Freedom Township, the other township in the Manchester area located partially within the Huron River watershed, voted in June to allow the Watershed Council to create recommendations of possible master plan modifications based on the map and visioning session.

Your input is important! All Sharon residents and individuals interested in the future of Sharon Township’s natural and working lands and invited to attend and participate. To RSVP for this meeting, contact Kris Olson of the Huron River Watershed Council at kolsson@hrwc.org, 734-769-5123 x607.

This event is co-sponsored by Sharon Township and the Huron River Watershed Council.

A draft of the green infrastructure map created through a similar visioning session in Freedom Township last year.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.