City of Jackson officials recently announced a $250,000 grant from the Weatherwax Foundation has been set aside for a trail project through Summit Township and the city. The funds are earmarked for a new trail along Horton Road in Summit Township that will connect to a new city trail along Fourth Street by the Ella Sharp Park and the Middle School at Parkside. The trail would then connect to Jackson’s Martin Luther King Equality Trail (formerly the inter-city trail) to the north.
The $250,000 is bundled with a $300,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for the same project. An additional $50,000 is slated to come from the city’s major street fund to complete the project next year.
At its meeting earlier this month, Jackson City Council voted to have the trail named the “PAKA Trail” in memory of Peter A. and Kenneth A. Weatherwax, who founded the Weatherwax Foundation. Council approved the concept for the trail and the DNR grant in March.
“The city has worked with outlying townships and Jackson County to connect its trail systems for some time,” Public Information Officer Will Forgrave said. “We’re excited that we’re receiving the necessary funds through grants to help us do that now.”
The state DNR also granted Summit Township $94,000 and Jackson County $173,500 for similar work late last year.
