Greenbelt hits 1,320 acres with 12 purchases

The numbers for Ann Arbor’s Greenbelt are starting to balloon. The 5-year-old initiative is starting to really rack up the acreage under its protection and the dollars in its bank account.The Greenbelt has made 12 acquisitions totaling 1,320 acres and is in the process of trying to acquire seven other properties. That boils down to almost $10.1 million spent by the city, along with an additional $1.4 million from landowner donations, $4.1 million in state and federal grants and $4.3 million in partnership contributions.Even with all of that spending, there is still a lot left in the Greenbelt’s bank account. Its funds total at $16.3 million. That breaks down to $11.8 million for Greenbelt acquisition and $4.5 million for park expansions. The Greenbelt Program provides funding to preserve and protect open space, natural habitats and farms in the Ann Arbor area by purchasing development rights. The city acquires these rights from willing sellers who apply to participate in the program. Ann Arbor voters approved a 0.5-mill millage over 30 years to establish the Greenbelt Program in 2003. Two thirds of that money goes toward Greenbelt acquisitions while the remaining third is dedicated to parks. The millage produces about $2 million annually, however, about $1 million is spent on bind debt service. Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke