Official Newspaper of Record for the City of Belleville, Sumpter Township, & the Charter Township of Van Buren 152 Main St., Suite 9, Belleville, MI 48111 • (734) 699-9020 www.bellevilleareaindependent.com Vol. 23.20 Thursday, May 18, 2017 VBT accepts $30,000 grant for Iron Belle Trail through township By Rosemary K. Otzman Kevin McNamara, noting Gov. Rick Snyder Independent Editor will be leaving office because of term limits The Iron Belle hiking and biking trail that and it is his initiative. “We want to have the runs from Belle Isle in Detroit to Ironwood west link set up before he leaves.” in the Upper Peninsula will be running “This is worrisome to me,” said Trustee through Van Buren Township between the Sherry Frazier, voicing concerns that the Lower Huron Metro Park and Edgemont township will end up without the money to Street in the city of Belleville. finish the trail to the west. At Tuesday’s regular meeting the VBT Ron Akers, director of planning and board of trustees voted 6-1 to approve the economic development, said PEA will agreement with the Michigan Department identify where the trail will go and will of Natural Resources to accept the $30,000 look at properties where easements are offered, which will be paid to contractor needed and talk with property owners. PEA Inc. to figure out and secure the Akers said they will figure out how they exact route. PEA is the contractor used get from one spot to the other. He said the throughout the state for the trail. trail will be 10’ wide pavement with 2’ Another $10,000 in matching services by on either side for drainage. It will be for the township is required. hiking, biking, and walking. The 2.5-mile segment is expected to be “I’m not confident we’ll get more money eventually joined with another segment after Gov. Snyder leaves,” Supervisor on the west side of the city of Belleville McNamara said, estimating it would take to continue the route through VBT to two to three years from now for it to be hook up with the trail already in Ypsilanti constructed because rights of way take so Township. long. A report from VBT Parks and Recreation The $30,000 is not for construction. Director Jennifer Wright during Monday’s “Hopefully the homeowners won’t mind work/study session said the first segment having a trail in front of their homes,” will start at Lower Huron Metro Park and Trustee Frazier said. follow East Huron River Drive, Edison Frazier cast the only no vote against the Lake Road, and Haggerty Road. A Norfolk project. Southern Railroad crossing is required on Haggerty Road. Preliminary planning suggests that about Belleville Police seek five easements over private properties will more charges against be necessary to complete the project, she said. Alexzander Wynder The Iron Belle Trail is listed in the Capital Improvement Plan of the VBT Parks and By Rosemary K. Otzman Recreation Master Plan and an online Independent Editor survey found that 98 people checked that Belleville Police Chief Hal Berriman said walking/biking trails were important to Tuesday that his department has delivered them, Wright said. requests to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Jennifer Zaenglein, deputy director of office for more charges against Alexzander Wynder, 23, of Van Buren Township. Parks and Recreation, said the DNR came Connor Williams who placed first in the 11-12 year old, 119-pound division, is the first to VBT and asked them to join in since Wynder had been arrested on two felony charges for larceny from a building and Belleville Wrestling Club member to win a national title. Connor won a NUWAY (National VBT was the missing link in the trail. United Wrestling Association for Youth) title and brought the Eagle trophy home to (continued on page 13) “We lobbied hard on it,” said Supervisor Belleville. Connor also placed second in the MYWAY state championship this year. In his 2016-17 season, Connor placed first in 12 tournaments and second in three tournaments. Permit No. 26 No. Permit This Space On The Front Page. Front The On Space This 48111 He finished his season with a 49-win/3-loss record. On April 9, three members of the BWC Belleville, MI Belleville, Postal Regulations Require Regulations Postal – Blake Williams, Austin Martin, and Conner -- headed to Battle Creek for the national US Postage Paid Postage US wrestling championship. Austin Martin of Romulus, son of Jim Schlener and Stephanie STANDARD Martin, placed sixth and Blake Williams placed third. Blake and Conner Williams are PRESORTED brothers and are the sons of Shannon and Kelly Williams of Belleville. 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Expires 5/31/2017 BAI • Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Website: www.csi.coop 60 Main Street, Downtown Belleville Open 7 Days 6am – 10pm • (734) 697-3033 “Camaraderie and serenity of mind make ours a happy home!” Page 2 Belleville Area Independent/May 18, 2017May 18, 2017/Belleville Area Independent Page 3 SECOND FRONT PAGE Belleville Planners approve Davenport Suites site plan By Rosemary K. Otzman didn’t pass. would be fine. or two hours long, putting a left turn light Independent Editor In April, the special approval use was “If the plans are approved, my there would be impeding traffic because At its regular meeting May 11 the Belleville reconsidered, some votes were changed recommendation would be to require a that roadway is not always busy. Planning Commission voted unanimously and the project was approved. performance bond (guarantee) of $5,000,” People would have to sit through the to approve the site plan for the Davenport At the May meeting the board voted 8-0 Rutherford wrote. “This will cover DTE changes of the traffic signal when traffic is Suites project at 337 Main Street. to approve the site plan. Commissioner borings, plantings, etc. that may come up flowing smoothly otherwise. This will be the first new construction Matthew Wagner, an early opponent of the before the project is completed.” Rutherford said the city has to do a traffic on Main Street in decades. The lot was project, was absent. The performance bond was included in study first before it can ask the county for a formerly occupied by Trojan Cleaners that Earlier in the year, Davenport lobbied to the site plan approval. different kind of light. was destroyed in a fire. get the ordinance changed so that he could After voting on the site plan, the Commissioner Becky Hasen said the light After submission of construction drawings build a single-story building rather than commission discussed possible items to add on Sumpter Road at Owen is not timed right to the city and getting permits, Davenport the two stories prescribed in the ordinance.