Village Council Approves Paint Creek Trail Path Extension Plan

On Tuesday night the Lake Orion Village Council approved moving forward with an agreement between the Village of Lake Orion and , which would allow a path extension to be built.

Over a year ago the (DDA) started looking at ways to extend the Paint Creek Trail into downtown Lake Orion and found the best way to go about the task was to install a new crosswalk across Atwater Street and create a pathway through Lake Orion Lumber's property. Though the council approved the DDA moving forward with the project at Tuesday's meeting at , Lake Orion Lumber still has to sign an agreement with the village before the DDA can proceed with creating the construction drawings.

Suzanne Perreault, DDA executive director, was thrilled with the support the DDA received from the council.

"It's really great; it's a good project," Perreault said.

After Lake Orion Lumber signs the agreement and construction drawings are created the project will go out for bid, said Perreault. She said that the DDA has budgeted $40,000 for the project, including signage, but hopes to spend a bit less than that. 

"People are stopping at that location and turning right around and going the other way and we're trying to bring them back downtown," Lake Orion Village Manager Paul Zelenak said of where the Paint Creek Trail ends at Atwater Street.

According to the proposed plan the sidewalk near where the trail currently ends will be replaced with an eight foot path. Path-goers will be able to cross the proposed crosswalk which will connect to a path just east of Lake Orion Lumber's driveway entrance.

"After Leo's (Coney Island), the path will then turn towards the west and connect with the sidewalk that is currently in place along Lapeer Road/M-24 that leads into downtown," reads the project's narrative.

When obtaining bids the DDA will look at costs for both an asphalt and concrete path and determine which they prefer after considering the prices.