At a work session on Thursday, Oct. 3, the Chelsea Downtown Development Authority heard about preliminary plans for a new mountain bike trail in the area from Mike Casey, owner of Aberdeen Bike and Outdoors.
He told the DDA that there plans are being drawn-up for about 20 miles of mountain biking trails in this area and about 70 total trail miles.
He said he’s secured a grant from the Department of Natural Resources, and additional fundraising bike races are also being planned to pay for the trails.
DDA Member Bob Pierce said that the mountain bike trail is part of the Big 400 long-range planning for economic development in the area utilizing its natural resources found here.
Longterm, Casey said, the bike trail would start in Jackson County, go through the Waterloo area and connect M-52 to the Potawatomi Trail, offering mountain bikers about 70 miles of single-track trails when completed.
He said biking clubs were planning races for next fall to raise money for the trail and that in December, he planned to host “a big community meeting to get people vested in the project.”
Casey asked the DDA to consider a structure where bikers, perhaps 300-400 in a weekend, could shower, clean up and change clothes before going out to eat at a Chelsea restaurant, adding perhaps there could also be a place with a hose where they could clean off their bikes.
He said when complete, it would be a “single-track trail that will be the best in the country,” and that Spectrum Trail Designs was in the process of putting together a plan for about 20 miles of trails.
Pierce told the DDA that this bike path “won’t happen tomorrow,” but its part of the long-range plans of the Big 400.
Currently, Casey said, Potawatomi is the busiest bike trail in the area and that there is also one in Brown County, Ohio that’s well traveled.
“When this trail gets done, it will be very popular,” Casey said, and receive national press in bike magazines.
During a second presentation, the DDA discussed a possible permanent home for the two Chelsea farmers’ markets.
Market Manager Ashley Miller Helmholdt said, “We have a great interest among our vendors for a permanent location.”
The Saturday market, which is sponsored by the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce, is located in the library parking lot while the Wednesday Bushel Basket Farmers’ Market is in a parking lot across from the Chelsea Wellness Center. The Wednesday market used to be located in a parking lot on the Chelsea Community Hospital campus, then it moved to the Chelsea Community Fairgrounds while construction was underway at the hospital, and this year, it was moved to a third location.
If a permanent location can be found, there’s the possibility of a year-round farmers’ market.
“We’d like to see the market space expand,” the market manager said, adding that there are about 60 vendors between the two Chelsea markets.
The vendors, she said, use a space that’s about 10 by 18 — the size of a parking space. She said additional space would allow the markets to have more crafters in addition to those that sell produce, flowers, bread and other products.
DDA Chairman Peter Flintoft did some quick figuring and said that the requested space would equal about a half-acre and this wouldn’t leave room for customer parking at the the Palmer lot location.
Miller Helmholdt said she planned to meet with all the vendors and bring back more information to the DDA about what they wants and need in a permanent space.
The third major discussion item was a concept design for the Longworth alley area provided by Howard Deardorff.
It includes a one-way ramp with 10 parking spaces on the lower level where the Livery building is, four parking spaces on the upper level near the First Congregational Church, as well as a barrier-free walkway and underground utilities.
Deardorff said he met with representatives from the church and they were concerned about the city taking property, as well as having enough space to hold its annual chicken BBQ fundraiser during the Sounds and Sights Festival.
Officials said they have not spoken to representatives from either Farmer’s Supply or The Depot about the preliminary plans but they will get their input as well.
Hanifan told the DDA that they were making progress on a number of plans that had been approved for this budget year, such as the heated ramp off Park Street next to the Purple Rose Theatre, as well as the bump outs and planters on M-52 and the pedestrian cross walks.
However, with the future projects that are under consideration, he said the DDA would probably need to bond for about $1 million to complete them.
