Sharon Mills Park to become contiguous with land purchase
The two parcels outlined in red are the parcels owned by Tom Ellis that are having their boundaries redrawn and are in the process of being purchased by the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Committee to be added to Sharon Mills County Park. Map from the Recommendation for Sales Contract, courtesy of WCPARC.
by Sara Swanson
Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC) announced that it is in the process of purchasing an almost 2-acre parcel of land that will better connect the two portions of Sharon Mills Park, the only County Park in the Manchester area. Currently The Mill and the smaller portion of the park that is on the east side of Sharon Hollow Road do not directly connect with the larger, western portion of the park because of five parcels of private property. That is set to change!
Immediately west of Sharon Hollow Road, across from the historic mill, are two parcels owned by Tom Ellis and, at one time, both contained rental residences. In December 2023 the residence on one of the parcels was lost to a fire. After the fire Ellis contacted WCPARC and nominated both parcels to the County’s nature preserve program for purchase. In the Recommendation for Sales Contract by WCPARC, director Coy P. Vaughn stated, “Staff evaluated the nomination and considered it better suited for parks acquisition given their adjacency to the historic mill, lack of natural areas, and potential for park-related recreational improvements.”
Staff discussed with the property owner the possibility of adjusting the property boundaries of the two parcels to increase the shoreline access. An appraisal was completed in July 2024, based on the proposed property boundary adjustment, which determined the purchase value for the proposed new southern parcel (1.92 acres) is $170,000.
Vaughn stated in the recommendation, “Most notably, the parcels would provide more direct trail access between the mill and hiking trails, provide additional future parking opportunities, and improved water access. There was stronger interest in the parcels’ southern area, for its adjacency to the shoreline and the fact that the remaining parcel contains two houses, one of which has renters.”
WCPARC authorized a sales contract for the purchase at their October meeting. The sale is contingent on the completion of the parcel boundary change and all other necessary due diligence. Ann Ziolkowski, WCPARC communications director, stated, “Once the purchase is approved, it’s a lengthy process of preparing the property to become a park site. We anticipate work would start late spring or early summer.”
Sharon Mills County Park is located at 5701 Sharon Hollow Rd in Sharon Township. It was first established in 1999 through the purchase of the historic mill and surrounding 24-acre landscape and mill pond. Through additional land acquisitions, Sharon Mills County Park now covers 264 acres. Sharon Mills Preserve expands the footprint of land owned by WCPARC to 306 acres in the area. Visitors to Sharon Mills County Park can experience and learn about the history of the mill, picnic in manicured gardens, kayak the River Raisin, and mountain bike and hike across nearly three miles of trail system. Recent developments at the park include the restoration of over 70 acres of grassland and wetland habitat in 2021 and the completion of a trail linking six miles of trails between Sharon Mills and The Nature Conservancy’s adjacent Nan Weston Preserve.
Current parcel boundaries and proposed parcel boundaries. The County is purchasing the southern parcel for addition to Sharon Mills Park. From the Recommendation for Sales Contract, courtesy of WCPARC.
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