For those wanting to jump on the Polly Ann Trail off Lake George Road in Addison Township, there is now a parking lot to offer trail users a safe place to park their vehicles.
For years, trail users have parked along side of Lake George Road, which according to Addison Township Supervisor Bruce Pearson, just isn’t safe with cars traveling that road at 55 miles per hour. He noted that the Polly Ann Trail Management Council reached out to the township and asked if it was possible to get parking in that area.
‘We found out that there was a parcel there (that the township owned),? he said. (Apparently,) there was at one time a little building there.?
Pearson said they began the project back in early spring. He and his son Cody went over and began clearing the driveway area.
‘We had people from (the Oakland County) court (system), every time they needed to do community service go out there and drop some trees down,? he added. ‘They piled them all up and Randy Eller from Timber Tree (Service) donated his wood chipper and chipped those all up.?
Then Pearson, along with Leonard Village President Mike McDonald, went over and burned the remaining brush and Ken Freeman donated his bulldozer and helped doze the area for the parking lot.
‘He did all the bulldozer work for free, donated $2,000 worth of work and charged $500 to bring the gravel in,? Pearson added. ‘I went with him everyday to get the gravel.?
Pearson said they were able to get 150 tons of gravel donated by Edward C. Levy Co./American Aggregates. Oxford Township Supervisor Bill Dunn helped make it happen.
‘That’s just another example of two townships working (together),? Pearson noted.
The gravel was spread by Gene Louwaert, who brought his Bobcat down.
Total price for the new parking lot was just under $700 and Pearson couldn’t be more pleased.
‘It was a good effort by all,? he said. ‘If we would have paid (for all the work done by volunteers), I don’t know what it would have cost? Maybe $10,000? Now, it makes it safe, so people can (get out of their vehicles and) unload their bikes without being in the middle of the road.?