One of the more sweeping park projects in the state has been taking shape in Kent County.  The county has amassed almost 1,500 acres in hopes of creating a major regional recreational space.  The park’s master plan calls for 16 miles of new trail.  Grand Rapids Press excerpts and link here:

WALKER — Construction of the first of 16 miles of pedestrian trails in Millennium Park is scheduled to begin this summer, opening a new phase of recreational opportunities in the nearly 1,500-acre park.

The Kent County Commission’s Finance and Physical Resources Committee on Tuesday recommended the county spend nearly $5.5 million it has collected in private donations for constructing what will be 20 miles of paths in the park. Officials last year spent $1.1 million acquiring 111 acres in the park’s center, a key piece of property in completing plans for the Fred Meijer Millennium Park Trail Network.

“We’re going to start with the paved trails around the water, all around the lakes and where people park their cars,” Parks Director Roger Sabine said. “That’s about two miles all in one big loop.”

Recommended on Tuesday was completion of the park’s master plan for trails, which specifies about 13 miles of paved trails in addition to the four miles of paved Kent Trails already in the park. Another three miles of crushed stone nature trails also is planned, Sabine said.

Plans are to complete the first eight miles of paved pathway this year, with the rest built during the next two years, Sabine added. The full board is expected to approve the purchase at its July 24 meeting.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-42/1216214127253050.xml&coll=6

[Editorial Comments:  I love the enthusiasm that Kent County is showing in this project.  However, 17 miles of paved trail within a 1,500 acre space seems excessive.  Also, crushed stone nature trails are almost always a bad idea.  I remember trying to hike the Lakelands Trail when it first opened and I'd have stone dust up to my knees.  It was bad.  Dirt is the best surface for nature trails.]

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