Parks director urges targeted pathway connections, wayfinding signs and maintenance funding

Sheridan’s parks director told the City Council the municipal pathways network remains a high-use asset and recommended focusing funds on connector segments, wayfinding and maintenance rather than a full master-plan rewrite.

Steve Gage, parks director, briefed the council on the system’s history and current condition, saying the city has about 20.51 miles of hard-surface pathway and roughly 3.2 miles of soft-surface trails in the municipal network. Gage said the 2019 pathway master plan identified eight priority (tier 1) projects; only two of those have been completed to date.

“Are we at the point where we should do a lot of large investments at this point? I think really where we need to be is connector points. We need to just keep connecting neighborhoods,” Gage said, summarizing staff priorities for the coming CIP cycle.

Gage listed near-term objectives: improved wayfinding (maps and mileage markers), modest trailhead and parking-area upgrades, possible volunteer “adopt-a-trail” programs, more amenities (benches, bike racks, bike repair stations) and continued resources for maintenance and seasonal staffing. He said city staff will install updated directional signs this summer.

Council members asked technical and operational questions about pavement thickness, snow removal on bridges, restrooms and connections to YDOT projects. Gage said levee-pathway concrete is typically 6 inches thick to support maintenance machinery, that the department uses bobcats and snow blowers on paths and bridges, and that restroom replacements at the Waterfill/Coffeen site will require a broader park master-plan approach.

Nut graf: Councilors generally supported incremental investments—trail connectors, signage and maintenance staffing—rather than commissioning a new citywide master plan, and directed staff to include priority projects in the next capital-improvement program.

Several council members highlighted recreational and visitor benefits, noting the pathways attract out-of-town cyclists and provide year-round recreation. Gage and other council members pointed to specific priority segments from the 2019 plan, including a north-cemetery trailhead, a South Park/Sheltered Acres connector and an Adams Ranch pathway contingent on YDOT scheduling.

Ending: Gage said staff will present priority pathway projects for funding consideration during the next CIP cycle and will move forward with wayfinding and signage installations this summer.