Manchester Township receives grant to continue Watkins Lake trail

Trail heading east toward the Village at the intersection of Sharon Hollow Road. This trail will eventually connect all the way to the village limits, thanks to a grant from the Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission.

submitted by Ron Milkey, Manchester Township Supervisor

Manchester Township is excited to announce that it has received a $370,000 Connecting Communities Grant through the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission. The grant will be used towards completing the final engineering and bid package and then constructing the first segment of the non-motorized trail through the township. This first segment will extend from Carr Park to Grossman Road and will run along the south side of Austin Road in the road right of way. Eventually, the trail will connect the Village of Manchester to Watkins Lake State Park. 

The trail concept was first introduced in spring 2017, when the village and the township of Manchester worked together to develop a region-wide recreation plan. During the planning process, input was received from Village and Township officials, Parks Commission members, and residents of both communities. Residents were given opportunities to comment in a variety of formats. After a community open house and public hearings at both a Village Council meeting and a Township Board meeting, a trail feasibility study was completed. 

Public input was overwhelmingly in favor of trail development between Watkins Lake State Park and the Village. In fact, the survey that was completed showed an 85% approval rating for trail development! Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation subsequently acquired the rail corridor running from Austin Road to Watkins Lake State Park, Construction on this section was started this year and should soon be open to the public. 

Once completed, the township trail segment will be a great asset to the community. Residents and visitors alike will be able to travel safely from the village into Watkins Lake State Park on a hard surface, non-motorized trail. 

Timing of the project will allow for final engineering to be completed and a bid package prepared to go out for bid in early 2022. Construction will be scheduled to begin in late 2022 or early 2023, depending on contractor availability. 

The Township Board would like to extend a big “Thank You" to Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation for selecting this trail project for the Connecting Communities Grant. Stay tuned for further updates!

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.