Parks board seeks grant funding for Canal Heights connection and a 700-foot park path

Jeffrey, speaking for parks and recreation, told the council that the department is resubmitting two trail grant applications: one to the Clean Ohio Trails Fund to construct a paved trail in the Canal Heights area that would ultimately tie into a Chambersburg-to-regional bike path, and another to the Recreational Trails Program to install approximately 700 linear feet of pavement inside Community Park to improve mobility and entry/exit points.

Councilmembers asked practical questions about alignment and safety. Kate Baker asked whether the trail would connect from the Studebaker bridge area through the park toward Chambersburg Road; Jeffrey confirmed the Community Park segment would be inside the park (paving an existing dirt/mud path) and that the connection plan aligns with the Chambersburg corridor. John Russell said an assessment of lighting is underway and that lighted crosswalks have been ordered and await installation when weather permits.

Jeffrey described the Recreational Trails segment as intended to replace a muddy footpath with a robust, paved surface to improve access and year-round usability; he said the project mirrors the approach used in prior grant cycles and that the department is resubmitting applications from last year.