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Residents raise safety worries about proposed trail links; committee offers signage, hours and oversight ideas
Summary
During public comment residents urged caution before opening new trail links to neighboring communities, citing past trespass and safety concerns; the Bird Town committee responded with suggestions including clear signage, 'closed after dark' hours, increased trail use to foster informal oversight, and possible nonresident passes or registration options.
When public comment opened, multiple residents expressed concern that connecting Green Tree’s trails to neighboring communities could invite unwanted or unsafe behavior in areas adjacent to private homes. One resident (speaker 4) said she worried that opening connections would allow "strangers come into our community," citing past incidents and urging the committee to consider security in any Greenway plan.
Committee members acknowledged the concern and offered mitigation ideas rather than immediate expansion. Matt Swartzfeger (speaker 6), who also serves as the borough’s appointed emergency‑management coordinator, said better connectivity can increase the number of people using trails and thus informal oversight. "Now when they have the trails, there's gonna be a 100 people walking behind your house," he said, arguing increased legitimate use helps deter bad actors.
Speakers and residents discussed practical options: stronger signage and hours (for example, signing trails 'closed after dark'), patrol or emergency‑alert features, targeted map and navigation aids to keep visitors on intended corridors, and community education. One resident suggested nonresident passes as a control measure; the committee said these are hypotheticals worth researching and that safety would be part of any long‑term plan.
The exchange concluded with agreement that safety and community input must be part of the Greenway planning process, and that next steps should include research into how other towns balanced connectivity with resident safety before any formal trail‑link proposals proceed.
