Council received updates on a trail study and park improvement planning and heard preliminary cost estimates for several options covering Baker’s Acres, the Creekside Trail and Linwood‑Noble parks.

Manager Mike Pless and staff said the Creekside Trail design must account for the adjacent Broadhead construction because the Broadhead work affects the trail’s starting point. Pless said the most ambitious trail option previously considered would have cost about $1.5 million and was dropped as infeasible; “if we can do more budget friendly ... we could limit it to as probably as low well under a million dollars,” he said. For Baker’s Acres staff estimated a “baseline” option around $100,000.

Staff said switchbacks and ADA compliance drive costs on valley segments and that the borough will pursue grant funding and consider a public trail committee to help raise funds or volunteer labor. “Grant money for that. Absolutely,” the manager said.

Parks planning updates: Linwood‑Noble Park cost estimates remain under development. Staff temporarily set the park work aside to prioritize other projects and said they will return with good/better/best cost options in the coming weeks. Pless said borough staff will also coordinate with Crafton Elementary for potential plantings that match the scope of a Local Share Account (LSA) grant of $120,000 that the borough must spend by June 30 because the grant has strict allowable uses.

Next steps: staff said they will present refined cost estimates, designs and grant‑funding plans to the infrastructure committee and then to council and the public for feedback.