In life we must know our past, embrace the present and envision our future. Partnerships have been extremely important in the Northville community’s “Way Forward” plan.

Let me explain.

Private and public sponsorships and activities have enabled us to move forward on transformational initiatives such as the development of the Downs property, where we are working in coordination with Hunter Pasteur and Toll Brothers to put the final touches on a 10-acre bioswale river park and a new city park.

A riverwalk trail system with five sections is being constructed along the banks of the Rouge that will connect to the state’s pathway system, enabling us to venture north to Mackinaw City and south to Ohio, linking city, township, county and state parks.

Partnerships assist in bringing these projects to fruition. Local relationships include ones between the city and township, both Wayne and Oakland County, SEMCOG, federal and state officials, Friends of the Rouge and many others. Additional strong bonds that have proved essential include ones with Rotary for the past 100 years, Schoolcraft College, DTE, Consumers Energy, Comcast and others.

We are currently working on a potential partnership with other organizations interested in the success of Northville’s sustainable future. Orvis and the Paul H. Young Chapter of “Trout Unlimited” would like to assist in the preservation of Johnson Creek.

As the mayor and an angler, I look forward to potential partnerships for the betterment and sustainability of the community. One core value of Orvis aligns with our DNA and values – "protect what we love." The city of Northville has four tributaries running through it, and the flowing waters of four counties pass through on their way to the Detroit River into the Great Lakes, so the health of our freshwater ecosystem is paramount to our future wellbeing.


History/Context

Northville was the site of the first U.S. Fish Hatchery, started in 1883, along the banks of the Johnson Creek. Millions of brown trout were History Corner MAYOR'S Good Partnerships are the Key to Successful Endeavors By Mayor Brian Turnbull shipped from here to other parts of the U.S. and internationally.

I have read that all the brown trout in America can be traced to this location, where we first imported these fish from Germany in the 1800s, so you can see how important this latest partnership could be for the environmental wellbeing of our water ecosystem.

The Northville Downs Development (the former horse-racing location) is a 49-acre parcel with both the Rouge River and Johnson Creek running through it. We recently daylighted a section of the river adding a 10-plus-acre bioswale park that includes a new river pathway. This is yet another environmentally sustainable project readying for the next generation of Northvillians.

Across the street from the Downs, the community (township and city) invested in a five-acre site for the Northville Chamber’s Farmers Market, which draws nearly 3,000 folks from 90 communities each Thursday. This space has also been used for drive-in movies (managed by Parks and Rec), 5K community fun runs and local car shows. There will be a riparian buffer along the waterway, and with that, I believe there is a wonderful opportunity to have a partnership with Orvis.

I personally challenge all Northvillians to get involved and invest their time and talents into the future of the community as we prepare for our bicentennial. Keep that Northville Partnership Faith as we plan our future … together