Board Of Works Hears Update On Trail Planning; Approves K21 Grant
December 21, 2019 at 4:47 a.m.
Board Of Works Hears Update On Trail Planning; Approves K21 Grant
By David [email protected]
At Friday’s Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting, the board approved a $10,000 grant from K21, as well as the contract with A & Z Engineering for $14,950 for a feasibility study and schematic design of a mixed-use trail along Country Club Road.
Warsaw Senior Planner Justin Taylor acknowledged those who helped bring the study to the forefront, including the Ride+Walk Advisory Committee. He brought with him to Friday’s meeting Winona Lake Town Coordinator Craig Allebach to give a brief synopsis of “some of the work they’re doing” and how the Country Club trail study ties into that.
“This is kind of a cooperative effort with Ride+Walk committee. We’ve been working, obviously, for a number of years with the master plan, bike plan,” Allebach said. “In this last year, we’ve kind of culminated to where we are today. So I just kind of wanted to update you as we match up with what Warsaw’s done on the Winona Lake side, and even a few projects that go outside that.”
The first project he discussed was the Lincoln Highway, “which basically is engineering to take the Lake City Greenway from the Chinworth Bridge Trailhead to Crazy Egg.” What the committee would eventually like to do is hook that trail up to the Discovery Trail/Nickleplate.
“So we’re trying to figure out how we’re going from that point,” Allebach said. “When you get to Crazy Egg, kind of right behind there, if you go southwest to Mentone and into Rochester, that’s where you catch the Nickleplate, which attaches to the National Trail. Or we go to Plymouth west and then south over to the same trail.”
He said the grant for the engineering of that was “not successful.”
The other portion is called Heritage Trail West. Allebach said, “So this was for a feasibility study that probably matches up more with Warsaw’s Country Club extension.”
He said it goes from the current trailhead at Roy Street in Southtown, goes west along Roy Street, out west along Winona Beach Drive and then cuts to Eisenhower Elementary School. He said a portion of it is in Winona Lake, with the rest in Kosciusko County.
“And then also look at how we might either attach to the Warsaw portion at Country Club and Winona Beach, and/or actually cutting up through ... the south end of Country Club,” Allebach said. “Ultimately, our goal is to create a circular route around Winona Lake, which would be very beneficial for economic development.”
The total cost of that feasibility study was $14,750, and was a 50/50 split between K21 and the town of Winona Lake.
The next section of trail Allebach discussed was Heritage Trail East. He said they have a contract with A&Z Engineering to extend the current trail at Miller Field east to Stonehenge and north to Lakeland Christian Academy.
While it’s all currently being designed, he said the first phase will probably go from Miller Field to Christ Covenant Church. Allebach said there’s a gap where they’re trying to figure out how to get from Christ Covenant over to Lexington Manor/LCA.
“Ultimately, that will occur, one way or another, but Christ Covenant is also partnering in doing some things out there with a playground, so kind of creating a little bit of a trailhead there,” Allebach said.
The eastern part goes from LCA east to the new development at Raccoon Run.
“Our goal there is to get that engineered and get that developed in anticipation of Raccoon Run subdivision,” Allebach said.
He said it would terminate at Raccoon Run on the south side of the road, and go under the tunnel at Stonehenge.
“That was engineering. As part of that, it also included right of way acquisition and an environmental study,” Allebach said, noting it totaled $101,950 for engineering, $23,220 for right of way acquisition and $25,640 for the environmental study.
The total cost of Heritage Trail West and East was $165,560, with K21 funding 50% of all of that ($82,780).
“So we recently were awarded that. It’s currently being designed,” Allebach said.
He said a goal of the Bike+Walk committee is to create the circular loop of the trails, as well as connections to schools and the community.
Mayor Joe Thallemer asked if the committee’s portion of Heritage Trail West was going from Southtown to Eisenhower and was in the same phase as the Country Club trail study. Allebach said yes and they would be studied together, with the same consultant.
Thallemer said the K21 grant the Board of Works was approving Friday was for Winona Beach to Smith Street, which would create a connection around the lake.
“I know that was all part of the Ride+Walk master plan developed back in 2013, I believe,” Thallemer said. “The town of Winona Lake and the county and the city all sit on the Ride+Walk Committee that we set up when that master plan was unveiled, and have worked to try to implement each one of these sections of trail.”
Taylor said Friday’s presentation was just to show the board a “zoomed out” look at the “bigger picture.”
Board member George Clemens said he was excited about the plans and a made a motion to approve the K21 grant of $10,000.
The rest of the funds for the feasibility study by A&Z – $4,950 – will come from the cumulative capital improvement fund, which is a fund designated for specific projects like trails. The fund comes from the cigarette tax.
“We designated those funds from day one to try to improve public health in the community through these recreational – and more specifically Ride+Walk initiative – so the dollars we’re spending are coming from cigarette tax dollars,” Thallemer said.
After the contract with A & Z was approved, Allebach said, “I want to emphasize the partnership we have with K21. I don’t think that can be emphasized enough and we really appreciate them, not only funding feasibility and engineering, but also construction. And they’re a great partner with the community.”
“Absolutely,” Thallemer said, noting K21 was heavily involved in Warsaw’s East Market Street phase 1 side path. “K21 is dedicated to improvement of recreation, well-being and health. They’re obviously stepping up to the plate and we appreciate that.”
At Friday’s Warsaw Board of Public Works and Safety meeting, the board approved a $10,000 grant from K21, as well as the contract with A & Z Engineering for $14,950 for a feasibility study and schematic design of a mixed-use trail along Country Club Road.
Warsaw Senior Planner Justin Taylor acknowledged those who helped bring the study to the forefront, including the Ride+Walk Advisory Committee. He brought with him to Friday’s meeting Winona Lake Town Coordinator Craig Allebach to give a brief synopsis of “some of the work they’re doing” and how the Country Club trail study ties into that.
“This is kind of a cooperative effort with Ride+Walk committee. We’ve been working, obviously, for a number of years with the master plan, bike plan,” Allebach said. “In this last year, we’ve kind of culminated to where we are today. So I just kind of wanted to update you as we match up with what Warsaw’s done on the Winona Lake side, and even a few projects that go outside that.”
The first project he discussed was the Lincoln Highway, “which basically is engineering to take the Lake City Greenway from the Chinworth Bridge Trailhead to Crazy Egg.” What the committee would eventually like to do is hook that trail up to the Discovery Trail/Nickleplate.
“So we’re trying to figure out how we’re going from that point,” Allebach said. “When you get to Crazy Egg, kind of right behind there, if you go southwest to Mentone and into Rochester, that’s where you catch the Nickleplate, which attaches to the National Trail. Or we go to Plymouth west and then south over to the same trail.”
He said the grant for the engineering of that was “not successful.”
The other portion is called Heritage Trail West. Allebach said, “So this was for a feasibility study that probably matches up more with Warsaw’s Country Club extension.”
He said it goes from the current trailhead at Roy Street in Southtown, goes west along Roy Street, out west along Winona Beach Drive and then cuts to Eisenhower Elementary School. He said a portion of it is in Winona Lake, with the rest in Kosciusko County.
“And then also look at how we might either attach to the Warsaw portion at Country Club and Winona Beach, and/or actually cutting up through ... the south end of Country Club,” Allebach said. “Ultimately, our goal is to create a circular route around Winona Lake, which would be very beneficial for economic development.”
The total cost of that feasibility study was $14,750, and was a 50/50 split between K21 and the town of Winona Lake.
The next section of trail Allebach discussed was Heritage Trail East. He said they have a contract with A&Z Engineering to extend the current trail at Miller Field east to Stonehenge and north to Lakeland Christian Academy.
While it’s all currently being designed, he said the first phase will probably go from Miller Field to Christ Covenant Church. Allebach said there’s a gap where they’re trying to figure out how to get from Christ Covenant over to Lexington Manor/LCA.
“Ultimately, that will occur, one way or another, but Christ Covenant is also partnering in doing some things out there with a playground, so kind of creating a little bit of a trailhead there,” Allebach said.
The eastern part goes from LCA east to the new development at Raccoon Run.
“Our goal there is to get that engineered and get that developed in anticipation of Raccoon Run subdivision,” Allebach said.
He said it would terminate at Raccoon Run on the south side of the road, and go under the tunnel at Stonehenge.
“That was engineering. As part of that, it also included right of way acquisition and an environmental study,” Allebach said, noting it totaled $101,950 for engineering, $23,220 for right of way acquisition and $25,640 for the environmental study.
The total cost of Heritage Trail West and East was $165,560, with K21 funding 50% of all of that ($82,780).
“So we recently were awarded that. It’s currently being designed,” Allebach said.
He said a goal of the Bike+Walk committee is to create the circular loop of the trails, as well as connections to schools and the community.
Mayor Joe Thallemer asked if the committee’s portion of Heritage Trail West was going from Southtown to Eisenhower and was in the same phase as the Country Club trail study. Allebach said yes and they would be studied together, with the same consultant.
Thallemer said the K21 grant the Board of Works was approving Friday was for Winona Beach to Smith Street, which would create a connection around the lake.
“I know that was all part of the Ride+Walk master plan developed back in 2013, I believe,” Thallemer said. “The town of Winona Lake and the county and the city all sit on the Ride+Walk Committee that we set up when that master plan was unveiled, and have worked to try to implement each one of these sections of trail.”
Taylor said Friday’s presentation was just to show the board a “zoomed out” look at the “bigger picture.”
Board member George Clemens said he was excited about the plans and a made a motion to approve the K21 grant of $10,000.
The rest of the funds for the feasibility study by A&Z – $4,950 – will come from the cumulative capital improvement fund, which is a fund designated for specific projects like trails. The fund comes from the cigarette tax.
“We designated those funds from day one to try to improve public health in the community through these recreational – and more specifically Ride+Walk initiative – so the dollars we’re spending are coming from cigarette tax dollars,” Thallemer said.
After the contract with A & Z was approved, Allebach said, “I want to emphasize the partnership we have with K21. I don’t think that can be emphasized enough and we really appreciate them, not only funding feasibility and engineering, but also construction. And they’re a great partner with the community.”
“Absolutely,” Thallemer said, noting K21 was heavily involved in Warsaw’s East Market Street phase 1 side path. “K21 is dedicated to improvement of recreation, well-being and health. They’re obviously stepping up to the plate and we appreciate that.”
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