About

A sunset over a lake with trees in the foreground

Argentine

Argentine Township was founded in 1836. It is located in the southwest corner of Genesee County bounded in the north by Gaines, east by Linden and Fenton Township, south by Livingston County and west by Shiawassee County. The lush area has many lakes, Lobdell, Bennett, Myers, McKane, McCaslin, Softwater, Bass, Mud, Croft, Otter, and the Shiawassee River.

Linden

The City of Linden is a vibrant community that takes pride in its historic charm. Forming around our present downtown at the intersection of Bridge and Broad, the Village of Linden was established in 1871, with structures dating back to 1840. We have grown from a village into a well-established city (1988), home to a population of about 4,000 residents and many thriving small shops, restaurants, and local businesses. Whether you are visiting our community or looking for a place to call home, Linden is a great place to live, learn, work, and play. 

A white building with linden mills written on it
A sunset over a lake with a dock in the foreground

Fenton Township

It was 1834 when Clark Dibble, a native of New York, explored the wilderness along the Shiawassee River where two Indian trails met.
Dibble was among the thousands of people, mostly from eastern states, who left their homes in search of new territories and land on which to build their future homes.
Congress had passed the "Squatter Act" in 1830, and land was available for $1.25 per acre.
Legend has it that Dibble was actually looking for Grand Blanc. But because of inaccuracies in an 1815 survey by the Surveyor General of the United States, it is believed he missed his trail and stumbled into what is now Fenton instead.
Other settlers, including William M. Fenton and Robert LeRoy, also natives of New York, followed soon after.
In 1837, Fenton and LeRoy bought land, a saw mill and water rights from Dibble, who moved to White Lake Road in Tyrone Township.
Dibble died in June of 1841. Historians say he perished after saving his dog from the path of a falling tree.
Fenton and LeRoy had the settlement, then called Dibbleville, platted with limits from South Street to Roberts Street and East Street to West Street.
The original plat was drawn on a pine board which is on display at the Fenton Museum.
According to legend, Fenton and LeRoy engaged in a game of poker in order to give the village a name.
The stakes were that the town would be named after the winner. The loser would have the consolation prize of having the main street named after him. He would also have the choice of naming the other streets in town.
Fenton won the game and the village was dubbed "Fentonville."
LeRoy named some of the other streets in town, such as Ann and Caroline, after members of his family.
Fenton and LeRoy built the first hotel in 1837. LeRoy opened the first store during the same year and in 1838 was appointed postmaster. The first school house opened in 1838 and Dr. S.W. Pattison became the town’s first physician.
The settlement prospered and in 1863 was incorporated as the Village of Fenton, although the name Fentonville lingered for a number of years.
Fenton Township was established in in 1834 and became a Charter Township in 1980.

Fenton

The City of Fenton’s downtown area retains much of its historical look while at the same time including a town square-style shopping plaza nearby. The Shiawassee River also flows over a dam through the park in the center of town. The park is overlooked by city hall and includes an old-fashioned gazebo and walkway by the river.
Fenton offers a wide variety of shopping, at the Silver Lake shopping district. There are also several different places to dine, ranging from regional food chains to fine dining restaurants.
The city is in the heart of a beautiful recreation area. There are 58 lakes within a 10-mile radius of the city, which are used for fishing, boating, swimming and other water sports. The Lake Park features a municipal beach and picnic areas. Lake Fenton, with more than 11 miles of shoreline, is the largest lake in the area.

A gazebo with a green roof is surrounded by trees
LAFF PAthway

Our Mission

The LAFF Pathway’s mission is to connect the Linden, Argentine, Fenton, and Fenton Township (LAFF) communities with non-motorized pathways that will create recreational opportunities and alternative forms of transportation, improve public safety, increase community and home values, and realize economic gains for area businesses.

A woman is taking a picture on the concept trail overlooking water

History

The pathways initiative began in 2009 with a group of interested residents in the southern Genesee County area who shared a desire to have a multi-community non-motorized trail that extends from Argentine Township to the City of Fenton. Community meetings were held at Fenton Township Hall to discuss and prioritize potential areas for pathway development. Fenton Township, with the assistance from the UM-Flint Outreach Program, developed a recreation plan for the Township. At roughly the same time, Argentine Township began submitting documents to the State of Michigan seeking grants for trails.

In 2010, resolutions were adopted by Fenton Township, City of Linden, and the Genesee County Road Commission supporting the Argentine Township and Silver Lake Road trails projects. Countywide public meetings were hosted by Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission (GCMPC) in an effort to gauge consensus and prioritize the locations for trails within the County. A Community Trails Endowment Fund was established at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF), by a local couple, with the earnings to be used for the development and maintenance of trails in southern Genesee County.

2012 saw the establishment of the Southern Lakes Pathways Steering Committee as a means to assist local governmental units with the development of five-year Parks and Recreation plans for each community, including the desire for non-motorized trails. It was determined that having concurrent and aligned five-year non-motorized master plans between Genesee County and the local communities as required by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) was critical and necessary in order to qualify for grants and funding.



Throughout 2013 and 2014, public meetings continued to be held related to trail priorities within the County, and the GCMPC conducted a preliminary analysis study to establish a prioritization trail plan, which was supported by all the southern Genesee County governmental units.

In 2015, LAFF continued to work with each community on their Parks and Recreation plans to include trails as a recreation need in each community. In 2016, LAFF began to conduct fundraisers in an effort both raise funds and increase community awareness and support for local trails. The first contract for preliminary engineering services for Phase 2 of the Silver Lake Road Trail (City of Linden, through Fenton Township, to City of Fenton) was signed with NFE Engineers, and work began.

Numerous meetings and public hearings were held with GCMPC, Genesee County Road Commission, Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission, and the local southern Genesee County governmental units to facilitate the placement of non-motorized trails. This resulted in establishing a sponsoring agency partnership for this project with the Southern Lakes Parks and Recreation Commission (SLPRC). This agency is able to work through the municipal boundaries of southern Genesee County and has been supported with collaboration from the City of Linden, Fenton Township and City of Fenton to spearhead the LAFF trail system.

Additional preliminary engineering fees for trail design were paid in 2017 for both Phase 1 of the Silver Lake Road Trail (Argentine Township to City of Linden) and Phase 2. Discussions and meetings were held with the Village of Holly, Holly Township, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) regarding the potential of a 16-mile trail system from Argentine to Holly, with the possibility of including Seven Lakes State Park in the trail.

A major milestone was achieved in 2018 when SLPRC agreed to take ownership of Phase 2 of the Silver lake Road Trail between Linden and Fenton, and the City of Fenton agreed to become the quality recipient of federal and state grants related to trail construction. In addition to matching grants for the local governmental units and SLPRC of $60,000, LAFF provided $52,800 in matching funds toward a Genesee County TAP grant of $441,500 for the construction of Phase 2 of the Trail.

A map of the state bank trail and the state bank trail.

The even bigger news was received when the MDNR notified Argentine Township in December 2018 that their grant of $300,000 was awarded, which completed funding for Phase 1 of the Silver Lake Road Trail. Construction of Phase 1 began in June, 2020 and is expected to be completed by fall, 2020.

Through October 2019, LAFF has raised $164,000 from citizens and local businesses, allowing the group to fund $45,032 in engineering and easement services and $77,800 in matching grants. Of the total expenditures, $34,225 were related to Phase 1 of the trail, and $88,607 applied to Phase 2.
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Fundraising will continue in 2020 – 2022 to acquire enough matching dollars for federal and state grants acquired. If funding is secured, the construction of the Phase 2 Trail could begin in 2023.

Our Board of Directors

A man in a brown sweater is standing in front of a rack of bicycles.
A man in a suit and tie is smiling for the camera.
A man in a suit and tie leans against a brick wall
A woman is smiling for the camera while standing next to a tree.
A woman in a white shirt is smiling for the camera.

Members at LArge

A woman in a white jacket is smiling for the camera.
A man in a white shirt is standing in a field with his hands in his pockets.
A man in a suit and tie is smiling for the camera.

Current Projects

Making LAFF Pathways happen is no small feat. The complete LAFF Pathway non-motorized trail will be completed through as series of projects. Please visit the pages below to learn more about the planned projects.


Future Projects

Owen Road - Linden County Park to Silver Lake Parkway

Fenton Road - Thompson Rd. south to City of Fenton

A map of the silver lake rd connector in fenton

PHASE 2

Silver Lake Road Trail (City of Linden through Fenton Township to the City of Fenton)

  • 1. What will the path consist of?

    As a result of many public hearings and forums over the past ten years, this section continues to be identified as a Tier 1 priority trail by both residents and the Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission’s (GCMPC) Non-Motorized Plan.  Phase 2 of the Silver Lake Road Trail will be a 2-mile long, 10-foot wide asphalt trail with some wooden pathway facilities where there are low spots to be bridged. The trail will begin at Triangle Park in the City of Linden and continue east along Silver Lake Road through Fenton Township, along the south side of the Silver Lake Road, and ending at Jennings Road, where it will connect to the City of Fenton’s existing sidewalk system.  

  • 2. What areas will the path go?

    This phase of the trail serves as the connector between the City of Linden and the City of Fenton.  Currently, there is no safe way for pedestrians, bicyclists and walkers to move between the two cities. The US-23 expressway/Silver Lake Road overpass, located within the City of Fenton, has an existing sidewalk plus sufficient additional space to support the placement of a full non-motorized trail.

  • 3. Who does this path benefit?

    Phase 2 holds great benefit in terms of both healthy exercise, non-motorized transportation and economic development by connecting many businesses in both the downtown areas and along the route, as well as many schools, parks, and life services facilities for the users of the trail and those who live in the adjoining communities.  This route will also provide connections to the many businesses along Silver Lake Parkway via the existing wide sidewalks.

  • 4. How long is the path?

    Upon completion, users will be able to travel safely for 5 ½ miles from Argentine Township on the west to the City of Fenton on the east using a combination of trails and sidewalks.  In addition, utilizing sidewalks and bike lanes from downtown Linden south ½ mile on Linden Road to the 1 ¼ mile-long Linden County Park Trail that leads to the Deer Run Soccer Complex.

  • 5. What is the total cost of Phase 2?

    The projected cost of Phase 2 is $2,800,000 and is expected to be funded through a combination of federal and state grants, as well as local public and private donations.  Should funding occur as planned, construction will begin in June 2023 and be completed by November 2023.

A map of the silver lake rd Argentine twp connector

Completed

PHASE 1 - Silver lake Road Trail (Argentine to Linden) - COMPLETED-10-2020

  • 1. Where does the path go?

    Phase 1 of the Silver Lake Road Trail is a 2 mile long, 10-foot wide asphalt trail that begins at Lobdell Road and Haviland Beach Drive in Argentine Township, runs north on Lobdell Road, east and north through the Linden School campus, then continues east on the north side of Silver Lake Road through Fenton Township to the City of Linden’s existing sidewalk system located at Chestnut Way.  Construction began June 15, 2020 and the trail is now open for use.  

  • 2. Why is this path great for the community?

    This project was designed to act as the first phase of the LAFF non-motorized trail system.  This priority trail addresses a safety issue in the area identified by the township and school system.  Children traveling to school by foot or bike did not have safe access to school property.  The Linden School campus includes an elementary school, middle school, and high school.  In 2019, 1,900 students attended this campus.  Phase 1 of the trail system provides ample parking for all that travel to use the trail.  There is a new trailhead parking lot (near the entrance to the Linden Schools campus off Lobdell Rd).

  • 3. Who is this path supported by?

    The trail is supported by both the Argentine Township and Fenton Township Parks and Recreation Plans and Master Plans that were developed by asking for public input from community residents.  Students and parents of the schools were also surveyed to gather information on their desire for trails in the community for health and safety.  Results from both groups revealed that the development of a trail was an overwhelming need.

  • 4. Who does this path benefit?

    The trail provides opportunities for healthy exercise and improved livability for all citizens in the community.  The trail is open to all ages, genders, and disabilities, and will have no restricted hours of use.  It will also boost economic development by offering a non-motorized route connecting residents to businesses within the City of Linden.

  • 5. Why is this path unique?

    This portion of the trail system beginning in Argentine Township is significant to the success of other LAFF trail sections connecting Linden, Fenton Township, and the City of Fenton.  It demonstrates that LAFF Pathway Inc. can successfully work with the various related governmental entities, including trails in master plans through final construction, and including ongoing maintenance and support.

  • 6. How much did the Phase 1 cost?

    The cost of Phase 1 was $1.4 million and was funded through a combination of federal and state grants, as well as local public and private donations.  The hope is that Phase 1 will be the beginning of a 16-mile trail that will connect Argentine Township in Genesee County to Oakland County’s Seven Lakes State Park and the City of Holly.

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