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Greenway Trail acquisition moves forward after NEPA pause; planning says funds now exceed acquisition price
Summary
Planning Director Chris Ryer told the council that the Greenway Trail project has exited the federal NEPA review and that Planning has secured funds above the current acquisition estimate; a final appraisal is needed before negotiations with Norfolk Southern begin.
Council members pressed planning staff for a clear timeline for the Greenway Trail’s next steps after years of planning and limited physical progress.
Councilman John Bullock asked for the immediate next steps for the Greenway Trail and said he was disappointed about past delays and about roughly $1.5 million in state funds that were previously allocated but not spent. Bullock asked how the city would get “shovels in the ground.”
Planning Director Chris Ryer provided historical context: the Greenway Trail is part of the Green Network Plan, a department project dating to about 2015 that aims to stitch together newly created open spaces and rights of way. Ryer said the acquisition of Norfolk Southern property was a key requirement for creating a continuous loop and that Planning had led acquisition and appraisal work.
NEPA and funding pauses
Ryer said a federal earmark…
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