Public open house planned at Waterloo Recreation Area April 24

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2014

Contact: Joe Strach, 517-641-4903, ext. 227 or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815


Waterloo Recreation Area to host public open house on proposed mountain bike trail expansion and park rezoning

The Waterloo Recreation Area in Washtenaw County will host an open house Thursday, April 24, from 4-7 p.m. at the recreation area's Gerald Eddy Discovery Center, 17030 Bush Road in Chelsea. The public is invited to review and comment on a proposed mountain bike trail expansion and rezoning of three areas of the park. 

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is partnering with the Potawatomi Chapter of the International Mountain Bike Association in an effort to provide state-of-the-art mountain bike trails at Waterloo Recreation Area. The proposed trail network will offer a variety of trail experiences for users of all abilities. Easier trails will be located near the trailhead, while more difficult trail loops will extend further into the park. The expansion will include varied terrain to provide long climbs, memorable descents and extended views onto neighboring wetlands. Portions of the trail system will wind through the many kames and kettles of the park for a historic glacial experience. The trails system will leave large areas of park land undisturbed for other park-user experiences.

In addition to the mountain bike trail recommendations, the DNR is proposing to rezone three small areas of the park. The first area, located at the southwest corner of Roe Road and Route 52, will change from a “Backcountry Zone” to a “Developed Recreation Zone.”  The two other areas, located just north of Cassidy Road, are currently designated as “Primitive Zones.”  The proposal is to rezone these two areas as “Backcountry Zone” to more accurately represent the existing terrain.

Comments regarding the proposed plans also can be submitted online by visiting the DNR website at www.michigan.gov/dnr.  Select “Camping and Recreation” then “Recreation Improvements” and click on the “Waterloo Recreation Area – Proposed Mountain Bike Trails and Management Plan Rezoning.”  Comments will be accepted until Friday, May 2.

For information about this open house, or individuals needing accommodations to attend, contact DNR regional planner Joe Strach at 517-641-4903, ext. 227 (TTY/TDD711 Michigan Relay Center for the hearing impaired) at least five business days before the open house.  For information about the Waterloo Recreation Area, visit www.michigan.gov/waterloo.