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Regional trail group updates council on Pedmont Greenway and Bandera Farms Park progress
Summary
Pedmont Land Conservancy briefed the council on the Pedmont/Piedmont Legacy Trails program, Bandera Farms Park acquisition and master planning, trail segments and funding steps, and next phases for signage, feasibility work and connections to larger trail networks.
Palmer McIntyre of the Pedmont Land Conservancy updated the Summerfield council on regional trail planning and the town's role in Bandera Farms Park during the June 9 meeting. McIntyre described the organization's Legacy Trails program and explained how long-range planning and feasibility work led to acquisition and conveyance of Bandera Farms to the town.
McIntyre walked the council through the multi-stage process for large trail projects—concept, feasibility, design and engineering, acquisition and construction—and said the Pedmont Greenway will ultimately connect multiple parks and jurisdictions and tie into other regional trails. He noted Bandera Farms Park benefited from prior planning work, which helped the town secure about $1 million in grant funding for park development and trail construction work.
The presentation covered segment-level updates: one paved Pedmont section is ready for construction in 2027, another segment has funding for a feasibility study, and other sections remain gaps to be resolved through coordination with landowners, DOT and neighboring jurisdictions. McIntyre also described the conservancy's role in fundraising, acquiring land, managing project construction for equestrian trails on the Bandera site, and coordinating signage and emergency-response planning with the town.
Council members asked practical questions about alignments, right-of-way owners and potential easements; McIntyre said some private landowners and DOT parcels will require encroachment agreements or easements and that the conservancy will continue to facilitate coordination. The town manager said Bandera bathrooms and site work are on schedule and that the town is planning ceremonial recognition once construction reaches later stages.
What happens next: The conservancy and town will continue design and signage coordination, pursue feasibility studies for remaining Pedmont Greenway segments, and prepare emergency operations markers and GIS addressing for Bandera Farms Park ahead of opening.
