I love the Park and I have always been grateful it exists. However, recent developments in the Park make me leary of future proposals. If I were a property owner along whatever route is eventually proposed, I would be concerned. In my opinion, the process taken with the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail was careless and short-sighted. It is a boon to local merchants, but it has been, and still is, a mess for the local communities the bike trail goes through. Build the trail first and fast, seems to have been the motto if the Park, before logical objections could impede it’s progress. As a result, communities like Empire and Glen Arbor are grappling with where to route sections of it and how to deal with people parking alongside the road to access the trail. I also question whether or not a thorough environmental assessment was done for the SBHT and if it would be done in the future. One final point is that the Park clearly disregarded the aesthetic aspect of a paved trail through wilderness which looks like a black scar running through otherwise pristine land. If the Park thinks that’s OK, can we trust them with other projects?
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