Chelsea council backs Connecting Communities grant for Letts Creek Linear Park, forwards draft 425 agreement to Lima Township

Chelsea City Council voted on Aug. 22 to support a Connecting Communities Grant application to fund a segment of the Letts Creek Linear Park and to forward a draft conditional property-transfer (425) agreement to Lima Township for further review.

City Manager Roy Atkinson outlined the grant request as part of the Letts Creek Linear Park Project, describing the proposed segment that would link the Westchester Development with Timbertown and noting that the project is not currently budgeted; if the grant is awarded the project would be considered in the next budget cycle. Council adopted a Resolution of Support for submitting the Connecting Communities Grant (motion by Kate Mehuron, second by Charles Wiseley; minutes record “All Ayes”).

Interim Planner Gorenflo provided an overview of a draft 425 agreement connected with a petition from Wolf Land Development, LLC and answered Council’s questions. Council requested several amendments to the draft before it is forwarded; staff indicated a target to send the draft to Lima Township by Aug. 26, 2022. Council then adopted a Resolution to forward the draft 425 Agreement to Lima Township (motion by Bill Ruddock, second by Kate Mehuron; all ayes).

To allow joint review with the Planning Commission, Mayor Jane Pacheco moved to schedule a Joint Working Session for Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.; the motion passed. Staff also noted it is considering connector routing options for the broader B2B Trail through Chelsea.

The actions signal Council’s willingness to pursue grant funding for trail and park connectivity and to continue due diligence on a conditional property transfer with neighboring Lima Township. The draft 425 Agreement was not finalized during the meeting; Council directed staff to incorporate requested amendments before forwarding the document.