Developer to Remove Section of Trail in Exchange for Crosswalk and Park Upgrade; Board to Consider Road Dedication

Developer representatives asked the Grand Island Town Board on Wednesday to alter the approved site plan for the subdivisioncalled Ransom Village, eliminating parts of a proposed walking trail that several residents opposed and substituting sidewalks, a crosswalk and a targeted donation to improve a nearby pocket park.

The developer—s representative told the board the trails "are shown on that plan" but that a signed petition from nearby homeowners and maintenance concerns prompted the request to remove trail segments. Town engineer Bob Westfall and the highway superintendent described wetland and stormwater limits on the site that rule out converting some low areas into lawn and said some areas could be brush-hogged but not graded into full turf.

Why it matters: The change would alter an element the town previously accepted when it approved the project—s detailed plan. Removing sidewalks that front no homeowners would shift responsibility for…