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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-03-22Dryden Rail-Trail Friends and Task Force Minutes of the March 22, 2017 Meeting (Postponed from March 15) Freeville Village Hall Attendance: Bob Beck, Bruno Schickel, Mike Richmond, David Fogel, Gene German, Jim Miner, Alice Green, David Bravo-Cullen, John Kiefer, Steve Foote, Todd Bittner, Evan Kurtz, Lea Elleseff, Diane Tessaglia-Hymes, Chris Tessaglia-Hymes, Nancy Kleinrock, Steve Shaum, Mark Wilson, David Keifer Call to order (7:02 p.m.) – Bob Beck thanked David Fogel and the Village of Freeville for hosting the meeting. David invited participants to view a scale model of the village’s proposed pocket park near the trail route junction after the meeting. Attendees were introduced around the circle. Additions to agenda: None Announcements A new Facebook page: “Friends of Dryden Rail Trail” has been set up, thanks to Bruno and his daughter, Michaela. Bruno asked all Friends and Task Force members to invite their friends and contacts to like the new page, and also to post pictures of trail walks and other items of interest to the trail community, to build participation at the site. The Task Force is looking for a volunteer to manage the site. Logo Design Options – Bruno, Alice, Bob Two possible logos for the Friends of the Dryden Rail Trail were circulated and discussed. Chris volunteered his wife Diane, who’s design director at the Lab of Ornithology, to help with the final design. And she agreed! Update on community involvement & volunteer recruitment • Design Charette Todd recruited two facilitators for the Town’s Rail Trail Design Charette, planned for later in the spring. They are David Cutter, a Village of Dryden resident from CU’s Landscape Architecture Department, and CU Transportation Planner Reed Huegerich. David Fogel, Diane and Amy German also volunteered to help. Timing was tentatively set for early June, to take advantage of help from David’s intern. Todd will contact the facilitators to see if they want to attend a Task Force meeting, or get started with a smaller subcommittee. • Youth Employment Project Alice reported on a contact from the new Dryden Youth Employment readiness program, seeking projects to involve 8th and 9th graders in a community work project during July and August. Coordinator Lexi Hartley said the 7-week program will work with different community partners and 10 new youth each week. Rail Trail tasks could include brush removal, edge definition and even some help with research on trail history, natural features along the trail etc. Milo Richmond agreed to help with the project if a suitable section of the trail can be found. Bob said easements are still pending in a couple of areas that will need brush removal. Preparing a video grant application to USA Today Steve Foote assisted Bob in preparing a short video about the Rail Trail community project to submit to a USA Today on line competition. Submissions are due at the end of March and voting on the videos will take place April 12-May 12. Steve used his go-pro camera on a drone to get overhead footage of a stretch of trail near the Johnson Road railroad trestle. Focus for the appeal is railings for 150-year-old trestles. Bob provided narration, and his son, Gordon, assisted with editing Meeting with Fred Bonn and Kathleen McIsaac, Finger Lakes State Parks (FLSP) Bruno, Bob, John State Parks expects to issue requests for proposals, due July 15, for grants of $50,000 and more. But they require a local match, which is determined partly on the prosperity of the community. The trail crosses more than one community, with differing match ratios. Matches can be in the form of town or volunteer labor. Because the Town has committed to a local match if the Department of Transportation (DOT) grant is approved, it was decided not to apply in this round for another grant requiring a match. DOT officials indicated in February that award announcements could be expected “in the spring.” No word yet. Fred and Kathleen support the Dryden Rail Trail. He grew up in Etna and she lives there now. Fred offered to advocate with Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officials in Albany for a trail easement through the DEC-owned Game Farm area. Meeting with Jon Jenson, Executive Director, Park Foundation Bob, Alice, John Scheduled for March 24, the meeting’s goal is to get feedback about whether the Rail Trail project might fit the Park Foundation’s funding priorities. The foundation has a division targeting sustainable transportation and also community health. Request for volunteers to lead a Jim Schug Trail walk in April – Bob Chris volunteered to lead a bird walk, starting at Dryden Lake on the Schug Trail Sunday April 30, in conjunction with the launch of the new Ithacatrails.org interactive website. The Dryden walk will highlight the benefits of converted rail trails. It will be part of many community hikes commemorating the new trail resource, including at Monkey Run, along the Black Diamond Trail and hikes with the Cayuga Trails Club. Report on planned Game Farm Road bridge replacement – Todd Representatives from Cornell and Tompkins County met to discuss the bridge plan, and a request to move the abutment of bridge north to allow the trail to go under the bridge. The west end of the bridge, and the adjacent parking lot, are located in the Town of Ithaca. Todd said he was surprised that 98 percent of the design work was already complete, and it may be difficult to guarantee 8 feet unencumbered below the bridge for the trail. Although it would be preferable to have enough space for two bikes to pass in different directions, the design may only allow single bike traffic. The connection to the trail from the parking lot is also challenging Update on George Road/William George easement – Bruno Bruno presented a new idea for crossing George Road, staying on property owned by the William George Agency. This would eliminate the need to get an easement from another adjacent property owner. Mike Reagan has been very helpful in preparing a survey of additional land needed north of the rail bed. The Agency Board has authorized Executive Director Jeff Daly to expedite the agreement for the Rail Trail easement, Bruno said. Update on signed Trail Easements – Bob, Bruno Saunders Concrete Company owns about 1000 feet of the rail bed west of Pinckney Rd. Bruno met with Jason Green, representing the owner, who expressed concerns about the trail crossing close to the entrance to the plant. Bruno suggested a jog in the trail to slow down bikes and give more space for trucks coming and going, as well as a fence along the trail. There is a NYSEG fence on the other side of the trail. Bruno is also working on a connection with NYSEG for a trail easement on their parcel east of Pinckney Road. The Town of Dryden owns half the rail bed along Hall Woods Road; the printing press owns the other. The owner of Lawn Pro has agreed to an easement. Glenn Swan has granted an easement for the trail through his newly acquired property along Pinckney Rd. had mowed trails and invited the pubic to walk there. Bob is in negotiations with owners of 90 acres near Etna, west of route 366. They currently live in Alaska, but will be visiting soon. They requested that Bob find the 1871 deed from the initial railroad company purchase of the land and other more recent property deeds, which Bob was able to provide. The Finger Lakes Land Trust owns another section of the trail at Etna. They have concerns about the potential need to alter an embankment with fill to support the trail. Bob is seeking the daughter of the original owners of the land, who bequeathed it to the Land Trust, to get her permission for the easement. Three new, signed trail easements have been submitted to the Town Board since the first batch last year. Each batch can be accepted after a posting ten days before the public hearing at a Board meeting. Update on DOT Fox Bridge permits – Bob Two applications, for a work permit and use and occupancy permit, have been submitted to the Syracuse office of the State DOT. They are on hold until it is determined whether the project is awarded the DOT grant. This could determine whether state or federal regulations apply to the bridge. This may also mean that donations from Veterinary School alums who want to pay for improvements to memorialize Prof. Fox can’t be received till the DOT grant is determined and permits approved, Bob said. Trail grading Bruno mentioned that he has a new snow pusher that can be used to create a bit of an arc on a cinder packed or stone dust trail. This would ensure better run off and eliminate puddles on the surface. Trail amenities David Keifer asked about the campaign to raise funds for exercise stations along the Schug trail at half-mile intervals. Bob said this is a separate project in cooperation with the town recreation department. The design charette will be a good place to ask the community what kinds of amenities are desired along the next phases of the Rail Trail. Next meeting scheduled for 7-9 pm Wednesday, April 19 at the Varna Community Center. Adjournment at 9:02 pm Prepared by: Alice Green