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MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Although it is more of a bog than a boardwalk today, a series of paths in the woods is one step closer to becoming a developed trail.
The Macomb Township Board of Trustees on March 12 unanimously supported a resolution to apply for a Michigan Department of Natural Resources grant to help fund the first phase of pathways development at Lucido River Park. Total grant funding, if awarded, would be around $1.2 million with a $733,247 match from the township.
The grant will cover the first phase of the project, which will build 1,750 feet of pathways around wetlands in the northern half of the park, including a lookout area beside the North Branch Clinton River. Much of the pathway will be boardwalk while a 510-foot portion will be gravel. Viviano said the path’s design has been approved by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
“In order to make this project go — through a number of approaches to building this entire thing — the phase one we have to do (costs) a little bit more than we originally hoped,” Township Supervisor Frank Viviano said. “We tried to get it around $1 million, but to make sure there was a full loop that connects to one destination, which would be the overlook along the river … this was the only realistic approach.”
The north loop trail is the first of four phases to develop Lucido River Park, which includes further trails and lookout points along with paving the gravel parking lot. Beyond the park itself, the trails could be incorporated into the township’s section of a North Branch Greenway should more land be acquired. Viviano said applying for the grant would help improve the township’s chances of receiving grants in the future.
“Hopefully this will — if approved (and) if it goes all the way through— become a proof-of-concept piece that we can then continue to ask for more grant dollars,” Viviano said. “Not just for this piece, but for the entire greenway project.”
A public hearing was held for the grant application, during which no members of the public chose to speak.
Radar signs purchased
Trustees approved a $35,000 purchase of six dynamic feedback radar signs from Virginia-based All Traffic Solutions.
Following the approval of a policy to allow the signs in January, the six signs will be used to reflect drivers’ current rate of speed back to them in hopes of calming traffic and deterring speed limit violations.
“The intent at this time is to select three locations on roads that qualify, which are collector roads inside subdivisions, that will be those initial three (locations),” Macomb Township Treasurer Leon Drolet said. “There will be two signs in each of the locations, each going in a different direction.”
The township will work with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office and the Macomb County Department of Roads to determine the locations. Macomb Township will also share data with the sheriff’s office showing how many cars pass each sign and how many instances of speeding occur. Drolet says the data will be used to determine the effectiveness of the signs.
“Based on the results of that feedback, our board can then make a determination that moving forward, should we add more signs on collector roads in subdivisions in the future,” Drolet said.
The signs are expected to be installed later this spring.
