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Design for new regional trail advances; board told construction funding is not secured
Summary
Board members received a project update on the proposed regional trail: surveying, geotechnical borings and profiles are complete, but construction funds are not available and the city may need to return some grant money; board discussion highlighted the high cost of retaining/tie‑back walls estimated in the millions.
During board member comments at the Feb. 12 meeting, the board discussed progress and funding on the proposed regional trail.
When asked “Chuck, what's the latest on the new trail?” a staff member replied that designers are “pushing forward design,” that geotechnical borings were finished last month and that the city has funds to finish the current design phase but does not have money for construction. The staff member said survey, topographic profiles and soil sampling are complete.
Board members and staff noted the project’s cost drivers and timeline constraints. One participant said the large retaining or tie‑back walls are the biggest line item and estimated that those walls alone amount to multiple millions of dollars. The board also discussed grant timing: they were told some grant funds carry time limits and the city may need to return money if construction cannot begin in the required window.
Members discussed options including phasing the construction and pursuing grants for shovel‑ready segments, but several said the mass grading and walls make partial construction expensive to break into smaller pieces. Staff cautioned that if the project is shelved for several years, code changes (seismic, stormwater) could require design updates and additional review costs.
No new action or vote was taken; the board said it will review the full design when it is delivered and continue seeking funding avenues and possible phasing strategies.
