Trail advocates urge council to add Lake Boren Promenade to CIP, seek $1 million RCO grant

During the Oct. 7 public hearing on the 2026 budget, two residents urged the Newcastle City Council to prioritize a Lake Boren Promenade project in the capital improvement program and to pursue an available Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) small-city grant of roughly $1 million.

Gary Campan, speaking for Newcastle Trails, asked the council to add the Lake Boren Promenade to the city’s CIP budget beginning in 2026. He said the promenade would expand Lake Boren Park North, double the accessible waterfront, complete a paved ADA-accessible path along the east shore nearly to the Aegis retirement home, and create room for public art and view or water pavilions. Campan said the promenade appears in the 2016 park master plan and scored well in public surveys.

Peggy Price, speaking from the Wintree neighborhood, said the grant cycle is offered about every two years and the $1 million RCO grant is “tailor made” for lake-access, trails and park projects. Price urged the city to allocate the modest preliminary funding needed to apply for the grant in early 2026, saying that the city would not be required to construct the promenade the same year it applied for a grant.

Both speakers said the promenade would be a broadly usable daily amenity close to downtown that could draw visitors and support local commerce. Campan noted that past trail events had brought hundreds of visitors downtown and that the promenade had a strong cost-benefit profile for grant competitiveness.

What’s next: Staff will consider the advocates’ request as it finalizes the 2026 CIP and will advise the council about grant-application timing and match requirements if staff recommends pursuing an RCO application.