M‑59 corridor grant approved; Waterford Greenways hears setbacks on Hospital Road and Cass Lake connector, told to use township logo

Oakland County approved the M‑59 Corridor Walkability, Transit Access and Gap Elimination Initiative through its 2026 Access to Transit Program, a grant the Community Greenways Advisory Committee had supported with a letter, members were told at the March 25 meeting.

Committee members also reviewed a setback affecting broader pathway connections: the Oakland County Discovery Oaks Park Plan for the School Board nature preserve on Hospital Road 'fell through' after political disagreement over the park’s naming, which the committee said delays filling the Hospital Road pathway gap to the new Township Community Center. The Cass Lake Road Waterford‑Keego Pedestrian Safety Connector, another project for which the committee provided a letter of support, has encountered feasibility challenges with the Road Commission and may require signatures from individual residents to grant easements for a proposed pathway.

The committee heard multiple infrastructure updates: the Township approved cost participation with the Road Commission for a pedestrian bridge on Emburke Boulevard to replace the current vehicle bridge over the Clinton River and reconnect Riverside Elementary with the neighborhood to the west; a replacement bridge on Edgeorge Road will include a sidewalk for pedestrians and nearby intersections will be converted to roundabouts, removing a vehicle warrant between Nancywood and Farm Road. The Clintonville Polly Ann Trail connection at Mann Road remains stalled, committee members said.

The committee also reviewed its mapping and communications tools. An early draft of the Waterford Pathways and Greenways interactive map (ArcGIS) is live on the CGAC page and will add all major Township pathways by the end of April; Oakland County Parks plans to refresh its Trails layer by the end of May. The committee discussed standardized signage and how to retain a Greenways identity while complying with township policy on branding.

Gary Allison, Waterford Township Director of Communications, told the group that 'Greenways Committee is not an autonomous entity; it’s not a department or division of Waterford Township. It is an advisory committee.' He said under new guidelines 'all boards, commissions, and committees will only utilize the official Waterford Township logo, as they are extensions of the Township and not autonomous entities,' and that any promotional signs, maps or literature should be approved by the Communications Department or the Supervisor’s Office.

On environmental work, Conservation of Waterford Lands (COWL) is adding Riverwalk areas to a grant request for phragmites abatement; Jacquelynn Brown will meet contractor The Davey Resource Group on April 3 to finalize mapping of five small areas proposed for inclusion and will submit a PAMF grant application due April 15 for the July 2026–July 2027 project period.

The committee tasked Brown with auditing and publishing outstanding agendas and minutes from prior meetings and noted Jim Powers’ term was renewed March 9 for three more years. Members said they will continue to coordinate with Township staff and the Road Commission as feasibility and easement questions move forward.