Glens Falls board backs moving Peggy Ann trail concept to common council for design and grants

The Glens Falls City Water & Sewer Board voted July 6 to forward a proposal for the Peggy Ann section of the Halfway Brook trail to the common council, after a presentation from Supervisor Straub about how the route would link local trails and support alternative transportation.

Supervisor Straub told the board the goal is to interconnect existing systems — including the Rush Pond Trail, the Feeder Canal connection to the Warren County Bikeway and the Champlain Canal/Empire Trail — and to create hub parking near the pulp mill so users can reach multiple destinations. "The more interconnected they are, the more they act as alternative transportation cycles," Straub said, arguing the network could boost both resident and visitor use.

Board members spent the bulk of the discussion on access and protection of the city's watershed. Straub described steps already taken to reduce illegal dumping and motorized vehicle access, saying crews removed "about 4 or 5 truckloads" of furniture and appliances and that gates and large boulders have helped limit ATV intrusion. He also described areas where erosion or narrow topography may require fencing or signage and noted he had staked a proposed route to avoid mature trees.

Legal and staff advisers told the board the likely vehicle for authorizing trail use would be a revocable license agreement rather than a long-term lease. A staff representative summarized previous practice: the city and the town of Queensbury use license agreements that can be revoked if the use becomes abusive, and the board emphasized that revocability was important to protect watershed property.

Members also discussed access across National Grid rights-of-way, which Straub said had been a persistent obstacle in routing. He recommended the board approve the concept now so Queensbury can pursue grants and more detailed design; if negotiations with National Grid fail, Straub said there are alternate routings that do not require the utility's cooperation.

A motion to forward a favorable recommendation to the common council so Queensbury may apply for grants and advance design work was made and seconded; the board approved the motion, with at least one member recorded as abstaining. Chair (Speaker 3) said the item will be placed on the common council agenda and that staff will return with detailed designs, signage plans and grant applications if the council concurs.

Next steps: Queensbury and Glens Falls would coordinate grant applications and design work. The board asked staff to incorporate mitigation measures (signage, gates, larger boulders and targeted fencing where terrain requires it) into the design and to ensure the license agreement preserves the city's ability to revoke access if stewardship fails.