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Committee pushes up trail-gaps review, asks for clarity on Arboritum underpasses
Summary
Committee members asked staff to move the annual trail-gaps review from November to May to better align with spring construction and Highway 5 projects, and raised questions about whether planned Arboritum underpasses and trail paving will fully connect current segments.
Committee members pressed staff to prioritize the City of Victoria’s trail-gaps review earlier in the year so planning and public communication align with spring construction windows.
Multiple members said trail gaps are a high-priority public concern and asked whether moving the discussion earlier would accelerate progress. A committee member said residents frequently ask when missing links will be connected and urged clearer communication about which gaps are county- or state-level projects and which are city-led.
Staff explained many remaining trail gaps are technically complicated and expensive, often tied to county or state highway projects where the city attempts to leverage road-construction timing for cost savings and potential cost-share arrangements. "The areas that we have left are the ones that are most complicated and the ones that are most expensive," Nelson said, adding that coordination with Carver County and state partners frequently governs schedule and feasibility.
Staff agreed to reschedule the trail-gaps review from November to May and to circulate a trail-focused roadmap showing how the Arboritum transportation work will affect trail connections. A committee member raised a safety concern about a visible gap after recent tree clearing and asked the city engineer for confirmation of paving extents.
On the Arboritum transportation plan specifically, a member noted the plan lists two underpasses (Rolling Acres and Meline Creek Park under Highway 5) and asked whether paving would extend to connect adjacent trail segments. Nelson said staff will check with the city engineer and the county and promised to share the trail-specific roadmap and follow up after the transportation open house on March 25.
The committee’s action to move the trail-gaps item earlier is intended to improve public communication, better align with spring construction timing and give residents clearer expectations about when and how missing trail links may be completed.
