South Russell council OKs $15,000 trail master‑plan study after residents press for sidewalks, bike safety

South Russell Village Council on Jan. 27 authorized the mayor and fiscal officer to hire Verdantes to develop a master plan for village trails and pedestrian connections, not to exceed $15,000. The motion followed more than an hour of public comment from residents urging safer walk and bike connections to schools, parks and the village center.

The vote came after residents described streets they and their children avoid because of traffic and limited sidewalks. A resident who identified themselves as living at 28 Woodside Road said, “I think the future is walkability. I think that everyone's home values will increase if we have that walkability. That is what people of my generation are interested in.” Ryan Bacy, a resident who lives near Cheerenne Lakes, said the village feels “very far by bike” for children because of a dangerous road crossing and called better connections “a really big deal.”

Councilman Bell moved to give the mayor and fiscal officer authority to hire Verdantes for a trails master plan “not to exceed $15,000,” and the motion passed after a second. The council did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting transcript; the chair announced the motion passed.

Council members and staff said the study will be broader than earlier, smaller-scale concepts. A council member told the room the scope now likely extends from west of state Route 306 to the Newberry line and will consider crossing 306, long-term maintenance, routing, and safety measures such as speed limits and other traffic controls. The council expects Verdantes to host an open public meeting, likely in late March or April, to collect route suggestions and public feedback before issuing recommendations.

At the meeting the mayor said federal funds are available that the village hopes to use for the project, saying, “Nowakka controls the federal money. They gave us $1,200,000 to repay veil road, and then they also gave us $800,000 basically to get people off the roads onto trips.” The mayor urged residents to prepare specific ideas for the consultant to evaluate and suggested a target ribbon-cutting in summer 2027 if the program proceeds and funding is secured.

Residents and council members flagged several practical concerns for the study: where a trail could safely cross Route 306, who would maintain paths once built, and realistic cost estimates. Councilman Matt Hankslott (citizen/resident) urged that the village first get detailed research and cost estimates from the consultant so council can assess trade-offs and present concrete options to residents.

The council directed the mayor and fiscal officer to complete the contract with Verdantes; staff said the firm would return with an initial schedule and public meeting dates. The transcript records the authorization and public comments but does not include a contract document, a detailed budget breakdown, or a firm timeline beyond the expected spring public meeting.

Residents who spoke included parents and students who said they avoid biking or walking because of speed and visibility on Bell Road and other local streets. A seventh‑grade student who identified himself as attending Sugar Falls Middle School said his parents will not let him bike to school because “every time I'm biking, and there's a car coming, and they just they're swerving all over the place in the bike lane.”

The council’s action creates a formal next step for studying pedestrian and bicycle connectivity; the consultant’s report and public meeting are expected to shape any later funding or construction decisions.