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Kosciusko County parks board refines Chinworth Bridge Trailhead plans, targets grants to fund next phase
Summary
The Kosciusko County Parks Board heard updated cost estimates for the Chinworth Bridge Trailhead, discussed aligning a five-year master plan with DNR requirements, and outlined timelines to assemble a grant 'capital stack' including CAP and a possible Land and Water Conservation grant.
Members of the Kosciusko County Parks Board reviewed updated estimates and next steps for the Chinworth Bridge Trailhead project and discussed an accelerated timeline for grant submissions.
The chair said multiple stakeholder meetings have informed stronger cost estimates and that the team is aiming to complete grant materials around March 29, with a plan to brief county commissioners in early April and the county council on April 14 to secure local approvals needed for applications. "We hope to be able to have some of that information in from some of the folks who are involved here in the very near future," the chair said.
A committee member warned the board must check the five-year master-plan schedule before applying. "Our approval was in 2023, so we actually have two years left," the member said, and added that materials from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources appear to require substantial revision. That speaker said the board will ask MACOG for assistance to meet DNR requirements rather than redoing materials unaided.
Board members discussed how to assemble a capital funding strategy that could pair the county CAP process with external grants. The group identified the Land and Water Conservation grant as a promising source but noted it usually favors projects with a park component rather than a single-purpose trail. "When I've looked at their priorities in the past, they've tended to like park more than trail," a board member said, suggesting a trailhead park might strengthen competitiveness.
The board also heard that engineers revising estimates for the Chinworth plan expect to deliver a no-charge revised estimate to the board by the end of the week. Next steps include finalizing cost estimates, defining what CAP will cover in the capital stack, and confirming which grant applications (including LOIs) must be prepared by late April to meet subsequent submission windows.
The Parks Board did not take any formal funding actions at the meeting; members directed staff and partners to refine the estimates and return with details to support grant applications.
