Chelsea Moves Forward with Grant Application for Main Street Park Development

The Chelsea City Council considered several agenda items pertaining to the development of the Main Street Park at its March 18, 2024, meeting. The council's discussions revolved around a matching grant application for property acquisition and maintenance, strongly emphasizing collaboration between the City of Chelsea and the Main Street Park Alliance (MSPA) alongside the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR).

"We met with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources probably a month ago or so,” stated City Manager Colburn. “We're applying for a grant that will go into adopting and purchasing the property."

The grant application commits the City of Chelsea to provide a local match of $462,827, which is 31% of the project’s total cost of $1,475,327. Colburn explained that the city was only required to match 25% of the cost to qualify for the grant, but raising it to 31% significantly increases the project's competitiveness.

Mayor Pacheco and City Manager Colburn clarified the funding strategy, emphasizing that the local match would come from MSPA's donation to the city. This includes investments already made towards environmental assessments and other improvements, enhancing the value and appeal of the grant application.

The Council also addressed concerns about the project's future should the grant not be secured, with Colburn reassuring that efforts to find alternative funding sources would continue. Moreover, the meeting saw the approval of a resolution supporting the local DNR project without financial obligations from the city, further solidifying Chelsea's commitment to the Main Street Park project.

An amendment to the development agreement between MSPA and the City was discussed and passed, aiming to streamline administrative processes and incorporate additional property into the project.

"We're making some adjustments to the development agreement so that we can proceed forward,” noted Colburn. “The amended agreement will add the property at 511 Condon Street as part of the larger parcel."

This amendment facilitates the project's progress by enabling the reimbursement of eligible expenses and simplifying procedures for stormwater management and potential zoning or ordinance challenges.

Image: Conceptual rendering of Main Street Park. Courtesy of MSPA.