In addition to authorizing site reviews for the Peck Memorial Park playground project, the Sanilac County Board of Commissioners plan to pass a resolution at their next meeting supporting and recommending the use of DNR land to create an access road near Cass City for safer travel by Amish horse-and-carriage.
Several large Amish communities live near Cass City, with residents traveling to the town for supplies and services; however, to do so, they must travel along state highway M-53 in their buggies. With the posted speed limit of 55 mph, the highway has seen several accidents between cars and horse carriages that resulted in injury and death and prompted the need for a safer path.
Due to this, the commissioners aim to recommend that DNR land be used to create an access road for the communities to bypass M-53 travel and instead take Greenland Road to the Cass River as a safer route. While the access road would be financed and built by the Amish, it is unclear if they will also pay for the construction of a bridge crossing the Cass River to Kelly Road, another step of the plan being approved by the commissioners.
Once approved, the resolution will be forwarded to the state’s Department of Natural Resources, the Tuscola County Board of Commissioners, State Representative Greg Alexander, and State Senator Dan Lauwers.
Also on Tuesday’s meeting agenda is the authorization by the commissioners for the State Historic Preservation to conduct site reviews for the park’s planned space, as well as authorizing a national environmental policy act assessment, which will cost the county no more than $6,600.
The Sanilac County Board of Commissioners will meet at the county courthouse on Tuesday, July 2, at 1 pm.
