Chelsea school board members Monday night unanimously approved a bid of $99,007 from Cross Lake Construction of Horton to complete a wellness path in Chelsea that will link the school district to the Chelsea Community Hospital, the Silver Maples retirement community, St. Mary’s Church and city property.

When finished, the 8-foot-wide path will make a loop 0.83 miles long. A grant of $78,100 from the Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation will fund a portion of the project.

The remaining amount will be funded by the school district to cover additional costs for an extension at Book Street, which is adjacent to the main path. The school district added sidewalk and fencing along Book Street and some concrete work at the central office building to control water run-off.

Superintendent David Killips said money to pay for the part the grant won't fund is available in the district’s sinking fund.

Jerome Wilzcynski, director of Silver Maples, said the wellness path was started as an idea to add to existing Silver Maples paths. The Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation wanted a path to benefit the entire area, so they joined forces to create the current plan. Alana West is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com. To reach the news desk, call 734-623-2530. For more Chelsea stories, visit our Chelsea page.