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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-12-18Dryden Rail Trail Friends and Task Force Minutes of the December 18, 2017 Meeting Town DPW Attendance: David Bravo-Cullen, Susan Ashdown, Diann Zeigler, Bruno Schickel, Bob Beck, David Fogel, David Keifer, David Cutter, Milo Richmond, John Kiefer, Chris Tessaglia-Hymes, Diane Tessaglia-Hymes, Alice Green, Dan Lamb Call to order by chairman Bob Beck at 7:04 pm Additions to the agenda: • Scheduling and work parties (Bruno) • Another grant opportunity: Doppelt Family Trail Development Fund from the rails- to-trails conservancy due January 31 (Bob) • Fundraising Minutes of the November meeting were approved, with the addition of David BC to the construction committee Grant Success! $182,000 awarded from NYS OPRHP - John K, Bob Bob said the announcement came last week from New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYS OPRHP). The grant requires a dollar for dollar match, which can include in-kind services from the Town. Volunteer hours on the project can be counted once the contract is signed. The $$ must be spent within five years of contract signing. Implementation schedule - John K John K., who prepared the grant application along with Bob, said that Task Force representatives would meet soon with local NYS OPRHP representatives to work out the timeline for implementation. This grant does not require completion of stone dust surface for ADA accessibility, although that remains a future goal. The project covers completion of an earth trail from Game Farm Road to Route 13, and from Freeville to Dryden. Some sections, like one in the village of Freeville, and the section from Monkey Run in Varna to Route 13, already have a mowed grass surface. John K listed these steps: 1) Getting all easements in place before the contract signing, which is likely in April 2) Determining who will be the project manager; Town Supervisor Jason Liefer is currently listed as manager. Bob has been point person working with local officials at Finger Lakes State Parks. Those managing the grant will keep billable hours. 3) Preparing Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) for sections of the trail that will require professional design work. Such sections include a partial washout by the FH Fox bridge, trestle bridges in the Game Farm area, and a spur trail over to the parking area at the Route 13/Fall Creek bridge. Engineers can provide the expertise to put bids together to meet NYS acquisition requirements 4) Managing and documenting spending for the project. The grant will reimburse the town after it spends on the project. Managers will need to check levels of spending that will require a bidding process for various sections. 5) Opening trail sections as they become ready. Route 13 crossing preliminary design – RFP & funding application Todd, John K. Todd and Bob met with County planners Tom Knipe and Scott Doyle regarding applying for a Strategic Tourism Grant. They indicated the Dryden Rail Trail project could be eligible for a $30-70,000 grant for preliminary design and cost estimates of a pedestrian bridge spanning Route 13 at the trail crossing. No match is required for this grant. Todd prepared a draft letter of intent, due by Jan. 3, 2018. Decisions on such letters and invitations to apply for a grant are made fairly quickly, the planners said. John K. has prepared an RFP that can be sent to appropriate area engineers to do the feasibility, design and cost estimates. Bob said he hopes the letter will include a pledge from the town to contribute to the project. He noted that Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton still has some state funding set aside for the trail. Bruno said the study is necessary so the town has a clear idea of what the bridge costs would be. He also reported on his visit to the Route 13 crossing to identify a temporary alternative. He described modifications that could create a pathway from the rail bed on the west side of Route 13 to the walkway under the existing highway bridge and back to the rail bed through either a section of Cornell Natural areas land or along the DOT right of way on the east side of Route 13. He presented a suggested schedule for phasing the trail work. (See attached). Dan asked whether we could get a firmer cost estimate for going under the existing bridge in addition the costs of building a new one. He suggested that perhaps Assemblywoman Lifton would approve using the set-aside funding to complete the finish to stone dust and ADA accessibility on the section of the trail from Game Farm to Route 13. Bob said he wanted to ask everyone to think long term, and work towards the goal of having the entire trail with an accessible finish that can accommodate biking commuters, and a bridge directly connecting the east and west sections of the trail at Route 13. He said that comparative costs will be available soon, and discussions with Barbara Lifton will continue. DEC Game Farm section – Dan Dan said he notified his contacts at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) about the new grant award, and he urged them to re-engage with stakeholders to finalize the Memorandum of Understanding allowing the trail to traverse the Game Farm area. Bob said we can expect a draft 5-year agreement soon (hopefully with an auto-renewal clause). Easements update - Bob, Bruno Bruno said he will meet soon with representatives of Hansen, new owner of the former Saunders Concrete Co. in Etna, to work on their trail easement. He also plans to meet with an official from NYSEG in mid January. He met with another Etna area homeowner and suggested that the trail could erect a green hedge to address his privacy concerns. He added that another Freeville village homeowner has requested such a hedge, and it could be built as a prototype, and a demonstration project. He said he recommends the task force begin considering some workarounds for Etna-area properties whose owners are reluctant to grant easements. Fundraising for the Trail - Bruno Bruno presented an outline of fund raising options, with suggested tiers of donations. (Attached). There was a question about how to accept donations, and the language needed to acknowledge donations from those who wish to take tax deductions. Task Force membership update for 2018 Recommendations for appointment by Town Board - Bob Bob said he will work with the Town Board on the Task Force membership, once the town has finalized other appointments in January. He noted, for example, that the task force would need another representative from the Dryden Youth and Recreation Commission, once their roster is appointed. New Committee membership - Bob Design Committee, Events Committee, Fundraising, Construction Bob said immediate committee work will focus on completing kiosk, signs and safety markings for the Dryden-Freeville section, planning an opening event as soon as it is ready, and continuing work on a trail logo. Once the grant contract is signed, this work will be a match for the grant. Trail Etiquette; Review a list of rules for use on signs – Bob Due to the late hour, Bob suggested postponing talk about the specific language that will be included in signs about trail etiquette. Next meeting was scheduled for 7 pm Monday January 22, 2018 at the Dryden DPW building Adjournment at 9:07 pm. Respectfully submitted, Alice Walsh Green (See attachments)