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Trails committee outlines Phase 1 route and grant options; co-chair resigns
Summary
The village trails committee reported a proposed Phase 1 connection linking Verneaney through the park to Spring Drive and Sugar Lake, discussed grant flexibility for narrower paths, and announced co-chair Kelly Estes's resignation; the committee will seek a replacement.
At the South Russell Village Council meeting, the trails committee reported progress on a proposed Phase 1 trail segment that would connect Verneaney through South Russell Park to Spring Drive and include crossings to link into Sugar Lake.
Gary Schloss, a trails committee member, told council the proposed alignment would connect roughly half of South Russell residents to parks and schools and that the committee is working with engineer Rich Washington to complete a cost estimate for grading and materials for the segment between Gurney and Spring Drive. Schloss said the engineer found that a regional grant could be spent on a narrower path than the committee originally expected: "we found out that Nuance funds could actually be spent on a 5 foot wide trail." He said that preliminary work suggests the segment could likely fit within an $800,000 grant allocation, and that a more detailed estimate will be shared at the committee's June meeting.
Schloss reported that the committee met Bell Road residents and received support from people who attended, who cited safety concerns for children biking on Bell Road and suggested routing and design changes. He said the committee sent a brief survey to nearby households that did not attend the meeting to collect additional input.
Council accepted the resignation of trails co-chair Kelly Estes, who is moving for a job opportunity. The mayor moved to accept the resignation and the council voted in favor. The trails committee said it has notified the public that it is seeking candidates and that any new co-chair nomination will be brought to council for confirmation.
Committee members and councilors discussed tradeoffs between a 5-foot pedestrian path and a wider recreational trail; Schloss said a 5-foot path would meet the committee's immediate objective of getting walkers and slower-moving child bicyclists off Bell Road, even though a wider recreational trail would be preferable for capacity. The committee invited council members and residents to attend its next meeting, scheduled for the last Friday of the month at 8:30 a.m. at village hall, when the engineer will present a more detailed cost estimate and master trails plan components.
