York Township Hosts Open House to Get Feedback on Nonmotorized Trail Plans

York Township is holding an open house from 7-8:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 11, to discuss plans for a non-motorized trail,

The meeting will be held at York Township Hall, 11560 Stony Creek Road, Milan.

Bill Cook is chair of the York Township non-motorized transportation subcommittee.

"Our committee has been trying to navigate the process of installing a bike path along Willis Road, and then down to Bemis, to connect what Pittsfield is building," Cook said. 

Cook said the township is still in the early stages. The township conducted a nonmotorized connectivity study in 2021. Since then, the nonmotorized transportation subcommittee has been working on the plan.

The township will explain some options and goals at Thursday's open house. It will also seek feedback from the public.

"There's a lot of excitement from residents who want a path, like the paths Pittsfield has built, to connect to Saline, or to connect to Pittsfield's paths and the Ann Arbor system. But there may also be concerns from residents. Digging around in someone's yard might cause consternation. We want to make sure people's voices are heard," Cook said. "All residents are welcome to attend."

Plans are very preliminary at the moment. There are no designs, timetables,  or concrete cost estimates. Cook said the township wants to emulate its neighbor to the north. Pittsfield Township used many government grants to fund its trail network and limit the burden on local taxpayers.

Cook said the committee has identified Willis Road as the first phase of the trail project. 60 percent of York Township lives off of Willis Road or in a subdivision that can be accessed from Willis Road, Cook said. 

"It's a main artery in the township," Cook said.

The 2021 study estimated 4.6-mile project would cost $2.2 million.

A Willis Road trail would allow runners and cyclists to connect with Saline or the Pittsfield trails (if it was connected down Platt Road to Bemis). It would also connect to Sandra Richardson Park and to the Toyota R&D center

There are also preliminary plans for connecting to Milan via Platt and Carpenter Roads in phases two and three. The Carpenter Road plan doesn't provide the same desired connections and would require retrofitting the Willis Road bridge.

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