Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail holds preliminary design update

From staff reports

After a year-long process, preliminary design for the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail from County Road 669 to County Road 651 is wrapping up and a trail alignment is being recommended for consideration by Cleveland and Centerville Townships. The recommended trail alignment will be presented by OHM Advisors at the Cleveland Township Board meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7 pm. The Township will then vote on a resolution on whether or not to support the recommended alignment within Cleveland Township. 

To support the process, a Study Group was formed in summer 2018 to help engage all interests in the project and provide input throughout design. The Study Group is advancing an alignment that has been informed by public outreach efforts and on-the-ground physical conditions, and recommended by the design engineers. 

The goal of this process has been to address the opportunities and constraints of the trail and to identify and design a trail alignment with cost estimates to inform strategies for funding, engineering, construction, and maintenance. 

The alignment needs the support of the townships before it can progress to the Leelanau County Road Commission, Michigan Department of Transportation, and National Park Service for final approval (in their respective jurisdictions).