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Maybury’s7Mileentranceplan

A“sizeable” donation towards a proposed 500-foot non-motorized pathway into Maybury State Park off Seven Mile Road is inspiring boundless gratitude from patrons.

Shirley Masters wants to say a mighty “thank you.” So does Darren LaLonde, Kurt Westermann and numerous Northville residents, who live near the 1,000-acre recreational site.

The nonprofit Friends of Maybury State Park received the stunning gift for an undisclosed sum earlier this year to jumpstart the effort.

Good luck finding the generous soul, though. This donor is demanding anonymity.

“They specifically said, ‘Don’t try to contact us,’” said Chuck Murdock, Friends of Maybury president. “We did contact the bank and they said, ‘We will not divulge’” the person’s identity.

Masters, LaLonde and Westermann were among the 60 people who contributed to a Friends of Maybury fundraiser a few years ago, which raised $18,000 for an engineering study to get the long-desired entrance on the south side of the park off the ground.

Currently parkgoers access Maybury from Eight Mile and Beck roads.

The state park’s natural splendor features gently rolling terrain, woodlands and meadows. It’s extensive trail system makes it ideal for hiking, biking, horseback riding

ByLarryO’Connor

and cross-country skiing.

Since its opening in 1975, Maybury Park has seen nearby residential development explode. Those who live south of Seven Mile say they can’t walk or bike there because of the nonexistent shoulder and buzzing traffic along Beck Road.

‘VERY APPRECIATIVE’

To shed that inconvenience, residents are praising someone they’ll never know.

“I would be very appreciative of that person, especially if I knew who they were,” said LaLonde, who lives on Seven Mile, west of Ridge. “I would thank them. Maybury is a jewel of Northville Township, and it should be made accessible to everybody, especially for those residents who live around the perimeter.”

Masters and Westermann are also quite appreciative of the unknown donor.

“That person green-lit the project,” said Masters, who lives on Freestone Drive, near Six Mile and Ridge roads.

The proposed entrance hit a wall after Wayne County Roads officials said a useractivated Hawk Crossing traffic signal— estimated $80,000-$100,000 — would be required for a Seven Mile pathway. The county owns the east-west thoroughfare.

“So, we’re like ‘Now what do we do?’” said Traci Sincock, Maybury State Park supervisor. “We can raise $100,000 for a path, but now we have almost double that

(in terms of cost). We just kind of paused it.” Organizers hit the restart after the manna-from-heaven offering. Sincock and Murdock declined to reveal the donation amount, but hinted the gift was enough to cover a bulk of the project’s amended cost.

They are waiting on final estimates, though. The park supervisor noted that concrete, steel and asphalt prices have shot up due to inflation.

“Our best guess right now there is enough (money) in that donation,” Sincock added. Park advocates have linked up with Northville Township’s Pathways Advisory Committee, which includes trustees and staff, to help navigate the process.

Enhancing Safety

The idea for a third entrance gained momentum during a 2019 park management study. People in a corresponding survey cited a Seven Mile Road access point as the No. 1 amenity they wanted.

Masters said she would prefer to walk or bike to Maybury but has to drive instead. She and her husband Alan are avid walkers.

“For us, (a Seven Mile entrance) would be phenomenal,” she said.

Westermann, who lives south of Maybury, also believes a Seven Mile entry point would enhance safety. He visits Maybury with his wife Debra and their two grandchildren,

Henry, 5, and Fynn, 2.

“They love going to the park; they love being outside,” said Westermann, who is on the Stonewater Homeowners Association Board of Directors.

“It’s such an asset for this community to have 1,000 acres of woods and trails for the public to use.

“It will also help reduce congestion on the other entrances. If people can come in from the south, they don’t need to drive over there and take up parking spaces, and there won’t be as many people coming in off of Eight Mile or off of Beck.”

Early on, Maybury officials met with Wayne County Parks counterparts to plot an ideal spot along Seven Mile for a nonmotorized path.

They ruled out a Seven Mile-Beck access point due to a lack of sidewalks and a busy intersection. An area close to Ridge Road was deemed unwise due to a crest hill decreasing traffic visibility, Sincock said.

Officials have honed in on a space between Honey Tree Lane and Grande Vista Drive, which once served as the Maybury Tuberculosis Sanitorium children’s entrance. The proposed site is near an existing mountain bike trail and a paved pathway.

“It makes natural sense to put it there, too,” Sincock said. “I’m sure the county will give us more direction once we get into the planning stages.”

Going Out To Bid

Once designs are completed, the project will go out for bids. Park officials expect a crowded field when soliciting contractors.

“This is a small project,” Sincock said. “It seems large to us, but scope-wise, it is 500 feet of path and a traffic signal. So, it is not like a large company is going to take this on. They are looking for the bigger projects.”

Murdock and Sincock refuse to play detective in trying to guess the donor’s identity. They don’t want to upset the individual. Murdock surmises the person kindly responded after hearing about the stalled endeavor when the traffic signal doubled the cost.

“I think this donor got wind of the fact we were stymied,” Murdock said. “The obstacle was money, and this anonymous donor gave us this incredibly generous donation.”

The contribution came from a donor-advised fund, which enables a giver to deposit money for charitable contributions over time. Such gifts are tax deductible.

“This donor has given a high level of trust that the Friends and the park will see this through, which obviously we are all committed to doing,” Sincock said. “It is very much appreciated.”

Friends of Maybury State Park is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that supports the recreational facility. People interested in joining may phone (248) 349-8390 or visit www. friendsofmaybury.org.