The newly formed Hopkinton Trails Committee presented trail plans Thursday for paths on and near school property, proposing stone‑dust paths, two wider bridges and fitness equipment funded by the Community Preservation Act and participatory budgeting.

Peter Lagoi, chair of the Trails Committee, described a proposed stone‑dust path connecting near Field 11 to the Chamberlain Street extension, a second path at the south end of Field 13, and a woods‑trail/cart‑path feature designed to emulate an old farm road for cross‑country and pedestrian use. The committee plans to submit a Notice of Intent to the Conservation Commission for the section that crosses or approaches wetlands.

Lagoi said the trails would provide a safer, off‑road walking and running option for students and residents and noted two bridges would be installed wider than the standard 32 inches to accommodate cross‑country teams. He said some segments have already been built where wetlands risk was lower, while other, adjacent sections will require conservation review.

School committee members welcomed the proposal’s potential to ease traffic and create recreation and cross‑country training space, but they raised several operational concerns. Committee members asked whether the district would maintain trails, especially in winter; presenters and administrators said the schools do not maintain all trails year‑round and that winter use would be “at users’ own risk.” The committee also flagged the possibility that new trailheads could draw nonlocal parking to school lots and noted overall security concerns about unsupervised access from nearby neighborhoods. Deputized police comments and a former planning board member urged the committee to consider one‑way access or other traffic management solutions in locations constrained by wetlands.

The Trails Committee said funding for the projects would come from Community Preservation Act funds and that some fitness equipment has already been installed on a center trail through participatory budgeting; the group said they will work with town departments and conservation staff on permitting, trail naming (several trails already have local nicknames such as “Fern Gully”), and signage to improve location identification for safety and emergency response.

No formal committee vote was taken; the presentation was positioned as a listening session and the trails group was invited to continue coordinating designs and permits with school and town staff.