TROY — The Troy City Council unanimously approved a request to exchange city parcels for a privately-owned parcel that could be used for an additional part of the Troy Trail route during its May 19 meeting.

Plans for the development of the Troy Trail began in 2015, with an interest in focusing on the northwest corner of the city which has led to trails at the P. Terry & Barbara Knight Park/Daisy Knight Dog Park, Sylvan Glen Lake Park, and Jaycee Park. Since 2018, there has been an interest in continuing the first phase of the Troy Trail beyond its current end point at Wattles Road which would extend the trail north to Long Lake Road.

Property changes and City Council agreements have helped the new trail plans come further to fruition.

“The Goodman property has been sold to Robertson Brothers and City Council has approved a Planned Unit Development (PUD) which includes a dedicated trail easement,” an agenda item from the May 19 meeting said. “Similarly, an agreement with the developer of adjacent Eckford property has allowed us to extend the trail nearly half a mile south from Long Lake through Eckford and Tallman, and this stretch will include new amenities at the Department of Public Works (DPW) detention pond.”

“An opportunity emerged when the Troy School District sold land near Leonard Elementary School to Gary Abitheira, a long-time trail advocate and former member of our Trails and Pathways Committee,” the agenda item said.

Abitheira proposed that, in exchange for six city-owned vacant parcels totaling 3.53 acres, he would offer the city approximately 10 acres of his land to accommodate a future trail.

“We intended to still use this,” Troy Public Works Director Kurt Bovensiep said. “So, we were almost back to the drawing board when Mr. Gary Abitheira approached the city, who was at one time on our trails and pathways committees. (He) is a big trail advocate and said, ‘Hey, I don’t want to disrupt this plan. What can we do? How can we work something out?’”

He also pledged to clear vegetation along the future trail route. The trail route plan would also include a section on Troy School District property.

“If City Council approves the proposed land exchange, City Administration also intends to use the undeveloped rights-of-way, or ‘paper streets,’ south of the School District property to connect to the Wattles Road Trail crossing,” the agenda item said. “This will allow the Troy Trail to be continuous from Big Beaver at City Hall to Long Lake.”

Abitheira has requested the property be preserved as a park for the Troy Trail and that once the property is conveyed to the city, that for a 25-year period of time, no public or franchise utilities be allowed on the property without his or his successor’s written consent.

City Council members have been very supportive of plans to further develop the Troy Trail.

“What I love about this is this new parcel we’d be getting, it’s preserving green space which is what our residents want,” City Councilwoman Rebecca Chamberlain-Creanga said. “Secondly, it’s recreational activity and, as you showed, we have reached out to residents. They’ve been clear that this, what they’d like more of, (is) trails and pathways.”

“I love that we’re protecting green space, particularly in this area because the residents there have taken a hit with development through that area and have probably been feeling panic about what could potentially happen there,” City Councilwoman Ellen Hodorek said. “So it’s the right thing for the city overall. It’s the right thing for that area. It’s a no-brainer yes for me.”

Official trail plans for this area could start as soon as 2027, depending on budget concerns.

For more information, go to troymi.gov and navigate to the parks and facilities page.