By LISA PERKINS
lperkins@record-eagle.com
KINGSLEY -- New recreational trails may be on the horizon for residents of Kingsley and Paradise Township through the collaborative efforts of county, township and village planning officials.
The first planning committee meeting to discuss the potential development of new trails will be guided by the Partnership for Change Sustainable Communities program. The meeting begins at 6 p.m., Tuesday, at the Paradise Township Hall and is open to the public.
"We are all going to come together and try to think of the trail system users in our area and what their needs are," said Marvin Radtke, Jr., zoning administrator for Paradise Township.
With public support and input, local officials will work to identify community assets, assess potential linkages and draft a preliminary trail plan with the assistance of Land Information Access Association staff. The nonprofit foundation, through their Partnerships for Change Sustainable Communities program, has contributed a $7,000 grant to fund the study.
The Kingsley community is one of 18 communities in the state to receive the Partnership for Change grant, designed to help cities, villages and adjacent townships develop a cooperative approach to the preservation of natural and cultural resources throughout their greater community.
"We require that grant recipients include a village and city or township to work in cooperation for a common goal. They fill the bill very well," said LIAA executive director, Joe VanderMeulen.
Additional study funding, as required by grant guidelines, has been contributed by Paradise Township, the Village of Kingsley, Kingsley Area Schools and Grand Traverse County.
"We hope to walk away from these meetings with a game plan, knowing where we are and where we want to be," said Adam Umbrass, Kingsley village manager.
Umbrass noted that short term goals would include linking Kingsley's Civic Center Park to Mayfield Park with hopes to eventually connect TART trails with the White Pine Trail.
"We would tie in northern Michigan to miles and miles of trails, it would really be a benefit to our community and beyond," Umbrass said.
The cooperative planning effort will also build upon a number of community and regional trail planning initiatives spearheaded by the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, the Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation Commission and Kingsley Area Schools, including its Safe Routes to School program.