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Parks board outlines Chinworth Trail extension, trail master plan and potential funding bids
Summary
Rob Bishop, president of the county parks and recreation board, reported on the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Chinworth Trail extension, completion of a trail master plan, engineering guidelines and potential projects that could be candidates for a county recreational funding pot the board called “Ori.”
Rob Bishop, president of the Kosciusko County parks and recreation board, updated the council on trail projects and strategy, including a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Chinworth Trail extension, completion of a trail master plan and consideration of several larger trail projects that the board may bid for or support.
Bishop said the Chinworth Trail extension will run from the Chinworth Bridge toward the Creighton Brothers property on the north side of Old 30 and is expected to be completed this year. He described conversations with homeowners who already use the informal path to access the bridge and said the formal trail “meets a need that we quite honestly didn't even realize we had.”
The board completed a trail master plan, Bishop said, and posted it on the Forward Kosciusko website. He said the parks board has developed engineering guidelines and is planning a trail summit with local trail leaders to discuss standards and future projects.
Bishop identified several large project ideas the board is considering. He said there is “a little pot of money called Ori” that he understands may be about $5,000,000 reserved for recreation and entertainment; the board is assessing whether to bid on projects or support other applicants. Bishop also cited interest in connecting Pearson to Winona Lake, noting his map showed about 13 miles from the Chinworth extension to the Pearson Trail (roughly 26 miles round trip). He said Syracuse and North Webster are pursuing a connection that could meet at the middle school, and that a group is exploring a trail around Winona Lake.
Bishop cautioned that some funding sources have restrictions: he said “the Horry money can't be used for Winona Lake,” and the board is exploring fundraising through a community foundation donor‑led model and a county donation account for trail fundraising. He emphasized that raising money for construction is easier than finding ongoing maintenance funds and said the parks board anticipates that a “friends of the park” volunteer program will be important for long-term upkeep.
Bishop closed by encouraging council questions and said the board will continue planning and outreach.
