Engineers present North Powell pathways plan; commissioners split on moving to construction
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Summary
An Engineering Associates study for TAP-funded pathways in North Powell recommends paving Lane 8 and creating a Route 9.5 connection; commissioners questioned whether the plan would sufficiently divert pedestrians from truck route Road 10 and flagged right‑of‑way constraints that make Road 10 expensive without landowner cooperation.
Engineering Associates presented the North Powell Pathways study — a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) design — recommending phased construction that starts with paving an existing gravel segment on Lane 8 and advancing a pathway on Road 9.5 (east side) to maximize connectivity with minimal right‑of‑way impacts.
Eric Walkup said the team used aggregated Strava activity maps to show where pedestrians and bicyclists concentrate and recommended ADA‑compliant asphalt surfaces for high‑use corridors. He warned that Road 10 is constrained by Bitter Creek, irrigation infrastructure and embankment topography, which likely requires permanent right‑of‑way acquisition (nominally 20 feet) and costly utility relocation; burying power lines and moving irrigation infrastructure would be expensive and would trigger Army Corps and other permitting.
Commissioner responses split: one commissioner expressed concern the plan would not sufficiently divert pedestrians from the county truck route on Road 10 and said he was reluctant to move forward with construction funds; another commissioner and staff argued the design work is valuable even if full construction is staged or partially funded by partners (city of Powell, state recreation grants) because it produces ready, ADA‑compliant plans and lowers future procurement risk.
Next steps: staff will provide cost estimates and possible staged approaches; commissioners flagged the potential for grant opportunities, including a TAP match reportedly closer to 9.5% on this project phase, and suggested holding the plans for future funding if the county budget cannot support immediate construction.