And the continuing 
saga continues for the City of Wayland’s attempts to have a non-motorized paved recreation trail built 1.2 miles along the interurban.
The Wayland City Council Monday evening adopted a resolution 5-1 to provide a match of $125,000, or 17 percent, for a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant of $276,000, along with a Michigan Department of Transportation grant of $322,000.
The city in 2015 applied for the state grant, but wasn’t one of the recipients.
Councilwoman Tracy Bivins once again was the lone dissenter on the vote for the resolution. She has been opposed to the trail since joining the council in 2012.
Bivins said the grant application did not take into account the city’s costs for providing fencing between the proposed trail and neighboring residences that ask for it.
“Where is that money going to come from?” she asked.
“I don’t have a direct answer,” said Councilwoman Jennifer Antel, who has been a trail advocate ever since she became involved with the council and with the Planning Commission. “Every dollar has not been identified yet until the grant is received… We’ve been working on this for 15 years,” she added.
However, City Engineer Mickey Bittner explained, “We include a construction contingency for every project.”
He said a 10% set aside should cover fencing costs.
One of Bivins’ greatest objections to the trail over the years has been the possibility of unwanted vandalism and crime that might come with it for its neighbors.
But City Police Chief Steve Harper said he has checked with other communities with trails, particularly Rockford, and has found there has been little, if any, trouble.
“On average, they (Rockford citizens) are seeing about an 11% increase in property values with no increase in crime,” Harper said. “It’s a great draw for the downtown.”
Councilman Tim Rose confided, “I’ve never been a fan of the trail, but a lot of residents have told me they’re interested. But I’m more interested in completing it (the trail).”
Indeed, the big picture is to have a non-motorized paved trail running north and south between Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, but the City of Wayand’s immediate neighbors, Wayland and Leighton townships, haven’t done anything as yet. Antel said Wayland Township is considering feasibility study and is not opposed.
But Leighton Township hasn’t showed much interest in extending the trail beyond Dahila Street on the north side of the city. And this is another reason for Bivins’ opposition, building “a trail to nowhere.”
Bittner said, “This is part of a larger, bigger picture. A lot of people (in the region) have said ‘let’s take the lead on this. Somebody’s got to start it.’ I think it would be a spark for others.”
Antel asserted that Kalamazoo, Plainwell and Wayland Township all have been positive about the project and she suggested that if Leighton doesn’t want to be part of it, the city could take a right turn on Dahlia and continue the trail east to Middleville with the intent eventually of hooking up with the Kent County Trail.
Bittner said a project like this could take between 15 and 20 years.
PHOTO: Antonio Perez was sworn in Monday night as the City of Wayland’s newest police officer. City Clerk Michelle Herman is administering the oath.
