A $500,000 Natural Resources Trust Fund grant was awarded to the City of Traverse City in December to fund the construction of the East-side Boardman Lake Trail that would connect Hull Park with Medalie Park. This trail has been in the planning stages since the 1970’s. TART Trails board member and long time Boardman Trail advocate, Ted Okerstrom, spent countless hours working to obtain easements and further the dream of a non-motorized trail around the lake. However, much of the plans for the trail were held up due to lack of easements.The final easement for the east-side trail was obtained by TART Trails in March of 2002 which allowed the City of Traverse City to apply for the Trust Fund grant. Support for the project crossed jurisdictional lines as the $177,000 local match for the project will be split by Traverse City, Garfield Township and Grand Traverse County. Gosling-Czubak has assembled a final report of the Boardman Lake Trail Project. Construction on the east-side project will begin in the Fall of 2003 and should be completed in 2004.
TART Trails and the City of Traverse City are now working to obtain TEA-21 funding for the 10th Street connection over the Boardman River to Hull Park.
posted 04/7/2003