The Kosciusko County Department of Parks and Recreation Board learned Thursday the countywide trails master plan was approved by the Kosciusko County Commissioners and the Area Plan Commission.
The trails master plan has been appended to the county’s comprehensive plan.
Board Vice President Aggie Sweeney said it is probably time to post the trails master plan on the county website so the public has access to information about the project. The design guidelines, a companion document for the project, is finished for the most part and will soon be ready for viewing.
The board heard an update on the construction happening on the Chinworth Bridge Trail Extension along Old 30.
Crews have started working by finding the exact location of utility lines with radar. Old 30 will close next week Monday, May 19 through Wednesday, May 21 for road work including tree removal.
Because there is a force main in the construction area, there will probably be a change order along with work invoices for approval at the next board meeting. The board agreed with the understanding that any change order would have to be approved by the commissioners first. Sweeney also brought up the issue of trail signage and wanted to make sure that a plan for signs is in place before the trail opens at the end of the summer.
Priorities For Parks And Recreation
The board discussed the projects being prioritized for funds which might be available from the Orthopedic Industry Retention Initiative (OIRI). The board considered three projects in particular, including the Syracuse-Wawasee Trails, the Pierceton connection to Winona Lake and the park near the new Slate Automotive.
Syracuse-Wawasee Trails would build a trail down to Wawasee Middle School, which is different than a project the town of Syracuse has going forward. Tracey Ford, executive director of Wawasee-Syracuse Trails, shared with the board that even though the project plans are different, the projects are not in competition with one another.
The link from Pierceton to Winona Lake could use some help from the board, since Pierceton officials would prefer to have another body put forward a letter of intent for funding for the trail project.
Kosciusko County Community Coordinator Amy Roe discussed both projects and the difficulties involved with figuring out how to best spend OIRI funds within the proposed timeline. The last applications are due by the end of the summer in 2027.
“There’s still a lot to be determined,” said Roe.
The board decided to ask commissioners for approval to put forward letters of intent for the Syracuse-Wawasee Trail and the Pierceton Trail for OIRI funds.
"Whatever is happening with OIRI, it doesn't stop our energy toward our other priorities," said board member Mike Cusick.
Friends Of The Trails
Friends of the Trails, an informal group separate from the parks and recreation board, is supporting maintenance, safety and trash removal on the Chinworth Bridge Trail and Extension. The group had its first meeting May 5. The group wants to encourage those in the neighborhood to care for the trail and facilitate community ownership of the trail head.
Funding for the group is also separate from the parks and recreation board. It is a special interest fund and distributions will need approval from appropriate jurisdictions before being dispersed. The Friends of the Trails fund is happy to receive donations at this time.
The board also discussed the Ride+Walk Committee and its expanded mission to cover all of Kosciusko County and not just the Warsaw area.
The next parks and recreation board meeting will be at 1 p.m. June 19 in the old courtroom in the courthouse, 100 W. Center St., Warsaw.