Date: 5/12/25 11:38 am From: Jack Smiley <jackrsmiley...> Subject: [birders] Help Create a New Nature Preserve!
Calling all Birders--especially those who live in Superior Township!
The Superior Township Parks & Recreation Commission is hosting two public meetings to present our preliminary plans for the Vreeland Road "Rock" property (Rock Superior LLC was the former owner). This expanse of 302 acres is due south of the Cherry Hill Nature Preserve. In between lies another 162 acres which are planned to be transferred to the Township later this year. Combined with the Cherry Hill Nature Preserve, this will create a contiguous corridor of 624 acres of Township-owned land, stretching over two miles to Geddes Road.
Our hope is to designate 160.5 acres of the Rock property as a public nature preserve--adding it to the 162 acres which are yet to be acquired. The 140 acres, south of Vreeland Road to Geddes Road, would be kept as farmland. More details about the plans will be provided at the meetings. Hint: we plan to do an extensive amount of grassland and wetland restoration on these properties.
These plans are preliminary and I'm hoping that a number of people can show up to express their support. If these plans are adopted, this will yield one of the largest corridors of natural habitat in the area.
Two meetings are scheduled, but we particularly need people to attend the meeting at Superior Township Hall on Tuesday, May 20th. This should be the larger of the two meetings as the venue at the library is rather small.
If you live in Superior Township, or nearby, please plan to attend. This is not limited to Township residents. The meetings will be:
TUESDAY, MAY 20, 2025 at 6:30 PM Superior Township Hall 3040 N. Prospect Road Superior Township, MI 48198 - and - THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM Ypsilanti District Library - Superior Branch 1900 N. Harris Rd. Superior Township, MI 48198
The plan is to gather public input at these meetings.. The Committee which has been working on developing these plans will then formulate a recommendation to the Parks & Recreation Commission.
Thank you for your interest in protecting habitat for birds and other wildlife. I hope that you will be able to attend. If you would care to contact me beforehand, I can share a couple of points that I hope will be raised at the meeting(s).
Thank you!
Jack Smiley Chair, Vreeland Road ("Rock") Property Planning Committee Commissioner, Superior Township Parks & Recreation Commission
P.S. If the attached map comes through the listserve, it shows the overall proposed layout of the corridor.
