Werkner Road project and Road Commission concerns
Washtenaw County
Summary
Sylvan Township residents Norman and JoAnn Weber said the Road Commission is secretly widening their two-lane country road and cutting trees without justification; Maciejewski credited their advocacy for scaling the project back.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 8
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Apr 15, 2026.
Impact analysis
The roughly $600,000 project is taxpayer-funded; removal of a mature oak can cost up to $15,000 per tree.
Werkner Road residents who pressed for a revised, less disruptive plan.
Residents whose mature trees were removed and who fear a wider road will invite speeding and truck traffic.
Mentions & discussions (8)
Board of Commissioners Working Session - Apr 15, 2026
Chair Katie Scott pressed the Road Commission to hold evening meetings with public comment, saying the 1 p.m. weekday schedule makes it hard for residents — and even commissioners — to participate.
Board of Commissioners - Apr 15, 2026
Sylvan Township residents Norman and JoAnn Weber said the Road Commission is secretly widening their two-lane country road and cutting trees without justification; Maciejewski credited their advocacy for scaling the project back.
Board of Commissioners Working Session - Mar 4, 2026
Commissioners challenged the Road Commission's removal of 42 trees for the millage-funded Workner Road project, questioning whether drainage demands really require clearing trees and pressing for policy changes modeled on Charleston County, South Carolina's approach.
Board of Commissioners - Mar 4, 2026
The road commission is cutting 42 trees for the Sylvan Township resurfacing project — mostly small trees, but commissioners Hodge, Rabhi and Scott pushed hard on drainage, flooding and whether the tree policy should protect 'grand trees' like Charleston County does.
Board of Commissioners - Feb 18, 2026
Several residents criticized the Road Commission, including tree removal on the Werkner Road project in Sylvan Township. Commissioners acknowledged the concerns.
Board of Commissioners - Feb 4, 2026
Sylvan and Webster Township residents pleaded with the board to stop the Road Commission's Werkner Road widening, which threatens 150-300-year-old oak and hickory trees. Commissioners acknowledged frustration; a Road Commission public hearing is set for next Tuesday.
Board of Commissioners - Jan 21, 2026
Residents blasted the Road Commission for cutting mature trees and for a Werkner Road widening project they say lacks safety justification or environmental review. A petition has over 1,300 signatures; public hearings are set for February 9 and 11.
Board of Commissioners - Jan 7, 2026
A Chelsea resident, citing 700-plus petition signatures, urged the board to tell the Road Commission to repair Werkner Road without widening it, saying the widening threatens century-old trees, private land, and safety data shows only five deer-related crashes in four years. Two public meetings are set for February 9 and 11.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
The weekly brief for Washtenaw County
What the council decided, in plain English — one email a week.
Free. Unsubscribe with one click any time. We never sell your email.