Bear River Improvements

The Bear River Valley Recreation Area is nearing completion and will be ready for use in 2011. The final step before beginning improvements occurred on April 19th, 2010 when the City of Petoskey's Building Authority Board of Commissioners awarded the sale of bonds to fund the project. The projected cost of this project is $2,403,000.00.

Project Updates | Project Background | Planned Improvements | Park Profile

Project History

It is believed that the Bear River Valley Recreation Area represents one of the City’s most important ecological resources. Recently, the site has been used on an informal basis with residents creating “desired paths” and ad-hoc trails along the length of the river corridor, with little regard for possible erosion or environmental degradation of the area. Planned development of the trail systems and other park amenities would provide increased use of the area while protecting the river valley’s ecological habitat. The north and south parking area, paved and non-motorized trail, restrooms, shelters and special events areas would provide access to the river valley for those with limited mobility. 

The Bear River Valley Recreation Area provides a secluded and natural-park environment that traverses the center of the older portion of the City. It serves as “Development Area #4” within the City’s Tax Increment Finance Authority District, which also includes Mineral Well Park. The master plan for the Bear River Valley Recreation Area recognizes a need to provide access while preserving the area’s uniqueness by limiting vehicular movement to the north end of the Bear River Valley Recreation Area at the Mitchell Street-Bear River Bridge and off Sheridan Street at the City’s Public Works facility. Several pedestrian-access points have been planned for development or enhancement, with construction of a site-long, paved trail; installations of park-type amenities; and changes to enhance the area’s natural character.

Beginning at the north end of the Bear River Valley Recreation Area, near Mineral Well Park, a hard surface and related amenities would be installed beneath the Mitchell Street-Bear River Bridge for use of this space as an events and performance area. Quaintance Avenue would be extended south beneath the bridge to terminate at a turn-around and parking area just south of the bridge, where a paved, non-motorized trial would begin on the west side of the river and run south along the existing gravel service drive over water and sanitary-sewer pipeline installations, some of which are yet to be constructed. The existing electric-distribution substation just south of the Mitchell Street-Bear River Bridge initially could be screened with landscaping, but eventually could be removed along with corresponding utility poles and overhead electric lines that now are installed along the west side of the river (such removals would occur as a result of overall upgrades to the City’s electric-distribution system).

Also beneath the Mitchell Street-Bear River Bridge, an east-west footbridge that would cross the river could be constructed on the bridge abutment in the center of the Bear River to connect the new events and performance area beneath the bridge to the east bank, where the existing Mineral Well Park sidewalk could be extended south to a new walkway beneath the bridge, covering improved storm water-outfall structures, to a stair tower that would be constructed at Elizabeth Street near Michigan Street to provide pedestrian access from the east side of the river at street level to the river valley below. A natural trail then could be improved with installations of a series of overlooks and seating areas along a former railroad bed to connect to an existing pedestrian bridge at the site of the City’s former Mitchell Dam near Franklin and Ione Streets. Additional storm wateroutfall improvements, along with eddie-out areas and placements of stone to create rapids as an enhancement for whitewater opportunities, would be installed within the river from north of the Mitchell Street-Bear River Bridge south to the Bridge Street- Bear River Bridge.

On the river’s west side, just south of the new turn-around and parking area south of the Mitchell Street-Bear River Bridge, would be constructed a restroom building that could serve the events and performance area beneath the bridge and also a picnic and “reunion-grounds grove” that would be developed in a flat, open-space clearing just to the south of the Mitchell Street-Bear River Bridge on the river’s west bank.

Farther south within the Bear River Valley Recreation Area, pedestrian-access improvements - in some cases, in conjunction with installations of off-site parking areas - could be constructed along Wachtel Avenue near Jackson Street and at Jackson Street and Ione Street and at the Bear River Heritage Center - the City’s former hose house building - at Ione Street, with slope-stabilization installations added with paved trail connections to adjacent neighborhoods; at Franklin Street with paved trail connections to adjacent neighborhoods; at the former West Side Rink site, where the open-space area could be used for field games and picnics, with a paved trail connection to adjacent neighborhoods via Branch Street; near the Bridge Street-Porter Street- Curtis Avenue intersection, with use of properties as part of garage and storage facilities that recently were purchased by the City at 905 Curtis Avenue; and at Sheridan Street, with pedestrian-access and accompanying parking facilities to be installed on both the north and south sides of Sheridan Street at the Bear River. Use of street rights-of-way and City-owned properties also could provide a pedestrian link between Curtis Park and the Bear River Valley Recreation Area near Sheridan Street.

On the south side of Sheridan Street, an existing City-owned storage building could be razed, with materials generally stored there being transferred to the City’s new storage area at 905 Curtis Avenue and two road salt storage buildings also could be removed after replacement facilities could potentially be constructed on property adjacent to the City’s former landfill site between Howard and River Roads or adjacent to the City’s River Road Sports Complex, both south of the City Limits; and relocation of the existing compost-recycling drop-off area from the site south of Sheridan Street at the Bear River to the property adjacent to the former landfill, River Road Sports Complex, or at the City’s Sheridan Street garage. Other materials that currently are stored just south of Sheridan Street also could be relocated so that this river-side property could be set aside as open space, with a trail constructed from this site along City owned properties west of the Bear River to the Riverbend Park site just north of the Public Schools of Petoskey’s Curtis Stadium property. Wooden timbers that would be scrapped from demolition of existing salt- and sand-storage sheds could be reused for construction of proposed trails.

Eventually, the Bear River Valley Recreation Area between Bayfront and Riverbend Parks could be linked to the City’s River Road Sports Complex via property that is owned by the Public Schools of Petoskey east of Standish Avenue and north of River Road as well as onto the North Central Michigan College campus via the City’s Grimes Street right-of-way that connects Standish Avenue to Howard Street. Such a pathway also could be linked to the City’s former landfill site between Howard and River Roads in Bear Creek Township just south of the City Limit, where limited recreation facilities could be installed. Conceivably, the existing adjacent railroad could be used as a link between all these sites and the Downtown area by use of the City-owned rail trolley.

Planned Valley Improvements Include:

• Construct full-length, paved, non-motorized trail
• Install parking-access points
• Develop pedestrian-access points
• Stair-tower access off Elizabeth Street near Michigan Street
• Improve and develop pedestrian trails with observation decks and boardwalks on both east and west sides of river
• Develop picnic shelter and restroom facilities
• Develop open-space/picnic area
• Improve storm water-discharge outfall areas
• Enhance whitewater and kayaking opportunities
• Install basic park site furnishings