Grant may help trail improvements

The Alpena to Cheboygan trail may be getting ready for some improvements.

Local officials are working on a grant application that could create a hard packed limestone surface on the trail, making it suitable for use all four seasons.

"It is open all season now, but really only used for the winter," said Emily Meyerson, AICP, Northern Lower Peninsula trailways coordinator for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

It is estimated the project would cost over $3 million for a 10-foot wide surface on the entire 69 mile former railroad corridor owned by the DNR, which along with Onaway City Manager Joe Hefele, is seeking a local match of 5 percent.

This translates into a local investment of approximately $157,000 for an over $3 million improvement to the trail.

"It's a lot of money from them and a little money from us if we can put it together," Onaway City Commissioner Mel Perkins said.

Hefele said the money is going to be used for improvement somewhere.

"It is tax money, obviously, but it is going to be spend somewhere, my thought continues to be why not in Northeast Michigan," he said.

Hefele has been traveling all over the area seeking resolutions in support of the trail improvements from townships, villages, cities and counties in the area.

"What that does is it triggers the grant writing process," he said. "It lets them know the communities do, in fact, support this."

Various townships and cities have adopted resolutions in support and recently, Presque Isle County passed a resolution in support of the project.

Hefele and others have come up with a formula based on population and the amount of trail that is in each township, village, city and county that determines what each entities portion of the grant match would be.

The formula includes a $20,000 donation from each of the three counties - Presque Isle, Alpena and Cheboygan - as well as smaller amounts from townships and cities.

If the entities agree to pledge the funds, it would be four years until the money would need to be paid, and only if the grant application is approved.

Meyerson said it is a very competitive grant and the resolutions from the local units of government are an essential part of the process.

Recently, the Gaylord to Mackinaw trail received the same surface as it proposed for the Alpena to Cheboygan trail. The local support was one of the reasons the hard pack surfacing of the Gaylord to Mackinaw trail was so successful.

"The reason it was successful is because we had support from the local units of government," Meyerson said.

Hefele said the new surface would make the trail usable for a variety of different activities.

"It would be excellent for biking, walking, horseback riding, as well as the snowmobiling that the trail is primarily used for now," he said.

Meyerson said if completed, the trail would be "a great asset for Northeast Michigan."

Janelle Packer can be reached via e-mail at jpacker@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5695.