Council gives OK for portion of trail

The first portion of a proposed trail along the County House Branch will go ahead as planned after the City Council gave its approval Monday. The council, however, delayed decisions on the more difficult second phase of the trail, which encountered resistance and criticism from neighbors.

The council has been discussing plans for the trail since early February. The trail would connect the northern rim of Twin Lakes Recreation Area to the southern end of Cowan Drive and be completed in two phases. An “urban” section consisting of sidewalks would connect the trail to the Activity and Recreation Center and Again Street Park.

The first phase, connecting Twin Lakes to Stadium Boulevard, will require the city to acquire right of way on three privately owned properties between Chapel Hill Road and Stadium Boulevard. Two of the owners support the trail, while the third, the Ridgefield Park Association, is willing to negotiate with the city. But any final agreement will require group approval.

“It leaves a natural corridor through the property,” Mayor Darwin Hindman said, creating a significant amount of connectivity.

Greg Bartels, one of the property owners along the first segment of the trail, supports the trail, saying it would be wonderful for the neighborhood. People cut through his property on a gravel road while exploring the creek and walking around the area.

“People are real nice and ask if I mind them being on my property,” Bartels said, adding that his family also enjoys the creek corridor. “We’ve walked along the creek, and there’s some real beautiful scenery back there,” he said. “It would be nice for people to be able to see that.”

Residents of Bartel’s neighborhood have expressed some concerns, though, such as the possibility that people will begin parking at the end of a dead-end street in the area to access the trail and the danger of trail users trying to cross Chapel Hill Road.

“Without this trail, it makes it difficult for me and my kids to cross over and go to Twin Lakes,” Bartels said. “I’ve sat on the curb with (Parks and Recreation Director) Mike Hood, and we discussed options to make the crossing safe. He’s been very gracious and has lots of creative ideas.”

The second phase of the trail, which would extend the trail from Stadium Boulevard to Cowan Drive, poses a tougher situation. It would require that the city purchase right of way from five property owners, three of whom are strongly opposed to the trail crossing their land. Two of the property owners opposing the trail, spoke at the meeting.

Margaret Andreassen, one of the owners, said she’s had her property since the 1940s and described it as a “terrific cliff” that would require a lot of work to make the trail viable.

“It would ruin the property and ruin its future potential,” she said.

Michael Onofrio, another owner, and others favored an alternate route city officials have explored.

It would take the trail under Stadium Boulevard, then north on the sidewalk along College Park Drive, then through Kiwanis Park to Rollins Road, where it would end. That route would avoid all five owners’ properties but lose much of the natural setting and the connection to Cowan Drive.

A third phase would then have to be carried out, connecting the point at Rollins Road to Again Street Park, Hood said.

Onofrio offered many reasons for the alternate route, including that in his estimate, the city would save money and it would have higher access and visibility rates.

Johannes Schul, who lives in the last house on Cowan Drive, also expressed concerns. While he said he wouldn’t mind having the trail in his backyard, his three main concerns were erosion, flooding and the narrowness of his street at the proposed trail’s end.

A third route, which would still cross through two properties owned by people who don’t want the trail on their land and require a major bridge to span a deep ravine near St. Michael’s Street, was not recommended by staff.

The estimated cost for the right-of-way for the complete proposed trail is $242,000. Construction and engineering on the path would cost an estimated $846,524.