Background
Since 2004, the Sierra Club Huron Valley Group has actively supported the Allen Creek Greenway, re-named The Treeline in 2017. HVG members have participated in formal planning sessions that resulted in the 2007 Allen Creek Greenway Task Force report, and more recently, the 2017 Treeline-Allen Creek Urban Trail Master Plan. Informally, members have provided walking tours of the area, participated in discussions, and public events at which informal discussions helped to keep the Greenway concept alive.
The plan for the Treeline-Greenway has evolved. The HVG continues to support the original concepts and the value of green infrastructure, improved urban open space, a non-motorized corridor transportation option, and improved water quality and flood control to support mitigation of larger rain events that are now occurring due to accumulating climate change effects. At this time, the Treeline Conservancy is taking the lead as a 501c-3 charitable organization, to seek funding for implementation.
HVG Position
The Sierra Club Huron Valley Group will focus on support of The Treeline’s elements of green infrastructure that will benefit the ecosystems and environment of Ann Arbor, to:
- Protect floodway and floodplain features by excluding physical structures that will obstruct water flow. Design to minimize upstream flooding. Plan for increased rainfall events due to effects now and later of climate change.
- Maximize use of porous pavement, wetland swales, rain gardens, native trees and herbaceous plants, to support infiltration of water, and to provide urban habitat and corridors for wildlife,
- Create significant linear green space in the near city center for residents to have places for recreation and exposure to nature, to meet family and friends, walk pets, to enjoy activities planned for the Greenway, and to connect with nearby park lands,
- Remove and mitigate brownfield pollution to residential standards in order to decrease flow of contaminants such as 1-4, dioxane from the Gelman plume, coal residue, gasoline, other maintenance yard chemicals, or tetrachloroethylene from dry cleaning businesses into Allen’s Creek and the Huron River,
- Design for connection with non-motorized transportation routes, to support universal access, and to provide corridors for movement of people and wildlife, and
- Protect, provide education, and access to unique urban ecosystem features, such as the chimney swift population in the chimney tower at 415 W. Washington, retain and protect the chimney structure as habitat for the chimney swifts; and wetland areas along the course of the Greenway/Treeline.
We believe these elements are critical to maintain the original vision of the Greenway/Treeline’s role in the city of Ann Arbor. The Sierra Club Huron Valley Group will continue to follow the planning and implementation of The Treeline as outlined above, and encourage our members to participate in their areas of interest.
Questions? Contact
Rita Mitchell (ritalmitchell@gmail.com) or
Nancy Shiffler (nshiffler@comcast.net)
References
1/2/2019