Safe Routes Committee member Matt Strassberg told town officials that the revenue-neutral project has been on the table for approximately 10 months and that all entities including the school board, Agency of Natural Resources, the Planning Commission and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife were in support of the proposed trail.
TRAIL CONCEPT
Town officials initially approved the trail concept contingent upon the collaboration and agreement of the aforementioned bodies in addition to contingencies concerning trail width, tree cutting, hunting season precautions and heavy equipment use.
Strassberg reviewed all of the select board's concerns raised over the past year and told town officials that the committee was "trying to make compromises" and assured that the town will incur no cost as a result of the project.
"It's time to vote on it," Strassberg said.
The trail is incorporated into the town's land management plan, according to Strassberg, and tree cutting will be minimal, he added. The trail will be six feet wide in order to accommodate traffic from two directions.
TRAVEL PLAN
Safe Routes to School representative Dara Torres told select board members that the $19,000 grant they received from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation needs to be spent by August. As a requirement for that grant, the committee had to draft a school travel plan, she added.
Moretown resident Hoover Austin raised concerns about the open property and the possibility that the trail will see increased mountain bike traffic. Austin suggested that town officials put the project to a townwide vote on Town Meeting Day in March.
School Board member John Smeltzer said the school board is in support of the trail and allowing students access to it.
LIMITED NETWORK
"This is going to be a limited network that won't bring lots of people," Smeltzer said.
In addition, according to Smeltzer, the existing trails in the town forest are eroding and will likely be phased out as a result of the new trail network.
Select board member John Hoogenboom made the motion to approve the trail with the conditions that the trail be kept to six feet in width, tree cutting be minimal, and that a steering committee consisting of one school board member, one select board member, one planning commissioner member and one recreation committee member be formed.
In addition, Hoogenboom asked that heavy equipment used for construction be kept to a minimum.
EVERYTHING WE'VE ASKED
"They've done everything we've asked," Hoogenboom continued.
According to Strassberg, the three-mile loop trail is intended to provide schoolchildren a safe way to travel to and from the school, as well as offer recreational, pedestrian, and bicycle access to townspeople. In addition, the recreational trail will be integrated into the school's science curriculum.
Select board members voted in favor of approving the trail construction, select board member Rob Roberts abstained. Construction is slated for spring/summer 2010.
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