The Kalamazoo County Parks Department saw several projects advance in the last year.
Among other things, the County extended the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail east to Galesburg. It also added a path that connects the KRVT to Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College.
The department recently held meetings where it sought public input on its plans. Parks Director Dave Rachowicz says people shared opinions on a variety of issues, but continuing to expand the KRVT was their “number one priority."
Rachowicz spoke with WMUK's Sehvilla Mann.
DR: We have twenty-two miles [of the KRVT] complete, and people want to see that last eight miles to connect to Battle Creek. And then we also have a number of people that are interested in connecting some of the neighborhoods or some of the places or destinations in Kalamazoo to our trail system. And also looking at how we can connect Portage and some of the other trails in the county. And region.
SM: There’s been a proposed connection between the two sides of the KRVT that would run through downtown. That has been running into the various issues you come to when you try to go through a downtown – everything from parking to – well, I don’t know what the other ones are besides parking but it seems like there’s a number of ones there. So what’s up with that proposed connection?
DR: Obviously, when you’re going through downtown Kalamazoo there’s a lot of hurdles and considerations. We have about an eight-tenths of a mile gap to connect from Westnedge to over by MacKenzie’s Bakery on Willard, and we’ve been working on various solutions. Right now we have a signed route for pedestrians and for bikes along that section. And it’s just not great for users and we’d love to have a dedicated trail system through Kalamazoo.
So we’ve been working very closely with the Parks Foundation, the City of Kalamazoo, and we’re looking forward to sort of taking a fresh look at it here in the near future with the design charrette with the City of Kalamazoo, to say, ‘let’s get all the issues and try and find the most practical, usable solution through the City of Kalamazoo.’
SM: There’s been some talk about what’s going to happen with Allied Paper. Do I understand correctly that that’s the point where a trail connection would be put in if the Kalamazoo trail system were to connect to the Portage trail system?
DR: Yeah that’s correct. And again, the city’s taking the lead on the design work, for that section of the trail. But again, there’s just under five miles to connect the City of Portage and their trail system to downtown Kalamazoo and ultimately our trail system. And I’m sure many of your listeners saw in the paper a few weeks ago that the City of Kalamazoo did get a $300,000 grant to build a small piece of trail through Upjohn Park but it’s a great start to seeing trail on the ground, and start working toward that goal of connecting Portage to Kalamazoo.
SM: What are the specific conservation issues and preservation issues that people brought up?
DR: I think the two biggest were invasive species and also looking at native species or encouraging native species, and also using that as an educational opportunity for people who use our parks system.
SM: What are the biggest invasive species of concern around here?
DR: Unfortunately the worst for us the last few years has been the Emerald Ash Borer. I mean, we’ve seen Scotts Mill Park in particular – we’re probably over a thousand trees that have been lost at that park from that beetle, so that one we’ve seen, it’s just very visible, the damage that it’s done in our parks system. But from our aquatic systems all the way into the forests that we have in the County Parks system, there’s a number of things we’re concerned about.
SM: Are there any big projects lurking in the wings that you’re thinking about rolling out the next few years?
DR: I think Cold Brook Park will be a focus for us in the next five years, and then Scotts Mill continues to be a focus for us as well. So I think those two properties will probably be up for some renovation or improvements or new facilities at those two parks.
SM: Is there anything you’d like to add that I haven’t covered?
DR: Well I think the other issue that was identified that, you know, we’re going to at least explore is the need for county parks or park facilities in areas that are underserved. And we’re primarily looking at the western half of Kalamazoo County. So that’s something that we’re going to at least, through the planning process, continue to work on and look at, you know is there a need there and is that something the County Parks should look to do.
SM: Dave Rachowicz, thanks so much for your time.
DR: Thank you very much.
