Politics & Government

Talk About Town: Does the Village of Hartland Need New Sidewalks and Parking?

Would you support a bond or mileage for new sidewalks and parking in the village of Hartland?

A plan to i of Hartland was presented to residents in March of 2011, but according to Heidi Bierer owner of the Farm Bureau Insurance Agency in downtown Hartland, the plan has been “shelved” because of financial issues.

“Some of the feedback that the township received was that they (residents) loved the plan and it was a very attractive plan, but the local village residents weren’t interested if it would cost them anything,” Bierer said.

The Village Plan that was presented to residents in 2011 included the re-paving of Avon Street, new sidewalks and a new design for parking that included parallel parking spaces.

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Bierer, who says she believes that having an attractive downtown would benefit everyone, recently raised the question of the “shelved project” to board members of the Hartland Township. 

“They felt that it wasn’t going to do enough good for enough residents to put it on the top of their pile, basically,” Bierer said. “Other things would bring more income and benefit to the community, like the and .”

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Hartland township supervisor Bill Fountain said that although the township has no plans right now to pay for the proposed plan, they are in an “exploratory phase” on how to find the money to have the project completed.

“We have a plan, but we do not have a plan at this point on how it’s going to be paid for,” Fountain said. "The village is an area of commerce for our community and we’re working and striving to find ways to implement the plan that we put in place."

Putting forth an effort into creating a “walk-able” community is Bierer’s hope and says venues such as the and would benefit as well from having a safe, attractive and well-kept downtown. 

“I would hope that there would be some outreach to the community as a whole to try and address this issue,” she said. “Whether it be through a bond issue or just a plan on the township’s part to perhaps do it in stages as funds become available or through research grants. Because it is a historical area, there may be grants available.”

Fountain says that there have been some discussions regarding possible bonds or millages put to the community, but nothing "formal" has been done yet.

Hartland Patch wants to know: Would you support a bond or millage to help pay for new sidewalks and parking in the village of Hartland?

In this Thursday morning feature, we want to hear your opinions about certain topics making headlines. We'll be looking for your feedback in the comment section weekly. And we want to know what the Talk About Town is in your circles. Email Tatum at tatum.ryan@patch.com and it could be a topic of a future Talk About Town.


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