Forester to evaluate Taylor Road park property

A long-discussed forester evaluation of Lenawee County’s Taylor Road park property in Franklin Township will occur yet this year, the county’s parks commission learned Monday.

The now undeveloped, 80-acre property is to be evaluated by Tom Van Wagner of the Lenawee Conservation District and staff from the ­Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Lenawee County, said parks commission chairman Chris Wittenbach.

The parks commission is looking for a management plan to improve the property, he said. Much of the property is covered with brush and thorn trees.

“A forester will know which trees should be removed and why,” Wittenbach said.

“By working with the (United States Department of Agriculture), grants would be available for what we want to do at Taylor Road,” he said.

A five-year development plan for Lenawee County parks that was adopted in February does not include any specific projects for improving the Taylor Road property. A forester report was listed as a high priority.

Former county commission chairman John Tuckerman in the past urged the parks commission to find some use for the property in Franklin Township or consider

selling it.

Wittenbach said Monday his goal is to move forward with developing a plan for making the property useful as a park. A number of options have been discussed for recreational and educational uses, he said. Development of a plan for the Taylor Road property should be a high priority for the parks commission, he said.

An initial step comes with a forester report to outline how to manage the tree cover on the property.