County talks parks, preserves and trails in Manchester
Do you enjoy Sharon Mills Park or Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve? What about the Leonard Preserve or the Ervin-Stucki Preserve or the Brauer Preserve? These are just a handful of the 14 parks, 34 nature preserves, and 6,000 acres of land owned and administered by the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPRC), and last Thursday WCPRC came to Manchester for a public meeting to determine what other park amenities might be needed in this area. WCPRC is preparing their County Park Master Plan which needs to be updated every 5-years. This meeting, a required part of the master plan process, included a presentation about what they do currently and their plans for the future, and then they gathered input from Manchester residents on the direction we’d like the parks system to go.
After giving an overview of the current park system, the staff provided an update on the B2B trail which, when completed, will run from Stockbridge to Chelsea, Dexter, Barton Hills, Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti. WCPRC staff then talked about Staebler Farm County Park in Superior Township, a farmstead being converted into a park that will feature traditional skills classes in a partnership with the Michigan Folk School. They also discussed three projects proposed or currently under construction in the Manchester area.
The future canoe/kayak livery operation with put-in access at Sharon Mills County Parks and take out in the River Raisin Park, downtown in the village was discussed. This project will be part of a collaboration between the village and county, and in fact it was the water trail between the two parks that enabled the village to receive the grant from the state to construct the park. Although the River Raisin Park is on schedule to be done by early fall, the livery at Sharon Mills is still a few years off.
The Watkins Lake Trail, a multi-use non-motorized trail connecting the village to Watkins Lake Park and Preserve, was talked about. Although this is a Manchester Township project, the feasibility study for this trail was funded with a grant from the county. Manchester Township board member Ron Milkey was present and explained that not all of the land needed for the trail has been secured yet and that realistically it would be 3 or 4 years before the the trail will be completed.
The multi-use trail through the village along a disused rail bed was discussed. While this trail is a Manchester Village project, it was also partially funded with a grant from the county. That trail is currently being prepared for the “phase two,” creating the trail bed for the east side of the trail. A question was asked during the meeting about whether a pedestrian bridge over the Raisin River connecting the two parts of the trail would be constructed. Village manager Jeff Wallace, who was present, stated that a bridge would likely be in stage 4 of the plan.
Last year WCPRC conducted a survey of almost 700 residents and went over the results at the meeting. They sampled based on multiple factors, including geography. The Manchester area maps to the Southwest region they surveyed. Because of this we know that the highest priorities for facilities for the Manchester area are trails, canoe & kayak launch sites and liveries, boating & fishing areas, historical buildings and museums, and a recreation center in the western half of the county. This differed from the overall county results–as while the county in general also prioritized trails, and canoe and kayak liveries, they also prioritized nature centers, indoor aquatic centers, sledding hills, water parks and water slides, dog parks and camping areas. Overall, the county prioritized adult fitness and wellness programs, kayak, canoe and paddle board rentals, community festivals and winter programs. The Manchester area also prioritized adult fitness as well as wellness programs and community festivals, but also senior wellness and fitness programs.
Visit to read the results of the survey HERE.
The second half of the meeting was spent gathering input from attendees. Parks were discussed as beneficial for individuals but also as draws to the community for tourists and new residents alike. Meeting attendees gave their priorities for WCPARC moving forward and these varied from very specific like a boardwalk over the flooded area in the Leonard Preserve, a splash pad, and a pool to support for planned projects like the Sharon Mills canoe livery and trails connecting communities, to more conceptual priorities like staying relevant and interesting, leveraging resources, and collaborating with other communities.
The meeting held in Manchester was one of only three being held. One was already held in Ypsilanti last Tuesday. A third meeting will be held this Thursday at 7 pm at Whitmore Lake Elementary School. If you missed the meeting and are unable to attend the Whitmore Lake meeting but want to communicate your priorities for WCPRC, email parks@washtenaw.org or send a letter to P.O. Box 8645, Ann Arbor, MI 48107-8645.
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