ADRIAN — The group behind Lenawee County’s biggest trail project is short $180,000 — and now the future of the Kiwanis Trail may depend on how flexible the county is willing to be.
The shortfall dates back to a state pass-through grant and construction expenses tied to a long-planned extension of the Kiwanis Trail. Officials with the Kiwanis Regional Trail Authority (KRTA) addressed the county’s Ways and Means Committee on May 13, laying out their history, funding efforts, and what went wrong.
They raised over $380,000 in community donations and completed key design upgrades — but due to unforeseen costs like $36,000 in tree removals and last-minute easement changes, the county footed the remainder of the bill. Now, that $180K is hanging over the project like a fallen branch.
KRTA Chair Dusty Steele proposed three repayment options: partial forgiveness, a seat on the board with waived dues, or a multi-year repayment plan. While no vote was taken, commissioners signaled that a longer-term agreement might be the most feasible. The trail currently connects Adrian and Tecumseh, but advocates hope to expand it west into Clinton and beyond, including medical centers and Washtenaw County systems.
KRTA officials say the long-term goal is a countywide trail system, tying Lenawee into regional paths across southeast Michigan. But without resolution, that vision could stall at the county line.