MARQUETTE — Marquette Township is seeking letters of support for a Michigan State University Sustainable Built Environment Initiative grant that could help defray tens of thousands of dollars in planning cost.

The Marquette Township Board will consider the grant application during a meeting at 6 p.m. today at the Marquette Township Community Center.

The grant, if awarded, would mean $30,000 in MSU staff assistance to provide conceptual renderings for a segment of the U.S 41 corridor in the township slated for Michigan Department of Transportation work in 2021, according to the draft grant application.

“If successful with SBEI application, the SBEI would develop sustainable, place-making, planning and design concepts for previous and unforeseen land use/transportation issues along the U.S. 41 corridor in Marquette Township,” the application states. “The most important concerns regarding this project are improving safety and long-term, public infrastructure sustainability and, of course, the cost of implementing a well conceived conceptual design.”

The SBEI grant application is an offshoot of the three-volume Marquette Area Climate and Health Adaptation Plan, which aims to mitigate the impact of climate change on human health in the area through strategic infrastructure interventions.

The deadline for submitting letters of support for the SBEI grant is Thursday. Anyone with questions or wishing to submit a letter can contact Marquette Township officials at 906-228-6220.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242.