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Residents oppose trail routing through Regency of Providence; township schedules July public meeting
Summary
Residents at a Park & Recreation Board meeting urged township officials not to route a proposed connector trail through the Regency of Providence gated community. Parks staff said no decisions have been made and encouraged residents to attend a July trail master-plan public meeting and to use the township's WikiMap to comment.
Residents raised strong objections at an Upper Providence Township Park & Recreation Board meeting to a trail alignment shown in recent planning materials that would run through Regency of Providence.
Doug Black, a resident who later identified himself to the board, said neighbors are “100% opposition” to a trail cutting through their senior, gated community and voiced safety and privacy concerns. Several other residents echoed those objections, saying the November 2024 comprehensive-plan maps that show a “Regency Connector Trail” alarmed neighbors who had not expected a public route through private developments.
The board’s Director of Parks and Recreation (speaker 2) said the trail effort is currently an information‑gathering, grant‑funded planning process and that “nothing has been decided yet.” She directed neighbors to a public trail master‑plan meeting planned for July and said the township has posted an editable WikiMap for community suggestions. “We’re just gathering information on where the community would like to have trails and trail connections,” she said, adding that the township is seeking buy‑in from residents before making any construction decisions.
When asked whether the township could require private property for a trail, the director said she does not have eminent‑domain authority and that routing through private land would require a separate and different legal process involving the township’s broader authorities. Board members noted the comprehensive plan (November 2024) references the Regency Connector Trail on page 99, but stressed the plan and the spotlight maps are not the same as a final, shovel‑ready project.
Town staff said they will follow up with the township planner (Jeff Grace) to clarify which maps are current and will post any updates on the township website. Neighbors were urged to come to the July meeting and to use the WikiMap to register specific concerns and alternative route suggestions; staff said the input will inform whether the township advances any particular alignment.
The board did not take formal action on the trail at the meeting; staff described next steps as public engagement and further review before any design or acquisition decisions.
