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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-07-16Dryden Rail Trail Friends and Task Force Minutes of the July 16, 2018 Meeting Varna Community Center Attendance: Bob Beck, Bruno Schickel, John Keifer, David Fogel, Todd Bittner, Judy Pierpont, Susan Ashdown, David Kiefer, Alice Green, Marie McRae, Russ Nelson Call to order (7:13 p.m.) – Bob Beck Additions to agenda none Approval of June minutes unanimous Trail clearing at Mt. Pleasant Road – Bruno Grass seeding went well along the trail sections on both sides of Mount Pleasant Rd. about 4 weeks ago. The preceding clearing project was two days: one day, volunteers with chain saws and loppers and another day with heavy equipment (an excavator and a bobcat). The crews spread dirt from huge piles on the rail bed back to where it originally was, and there are now no more wet spots in that section. Now folks can use the trail from Route 13 all the way to Stevenson Rd. Highway Superintendent Rick Young has asphalt millings to control dust on the Cornell compost driveway surface, as agreed with Cornell Ag. He didn’t have enough trucks to bring them that weekend, but will probably deliver to the compost road soon. Highway & DPW have installed “No Motor Vehicles” signs at some trail entrances. TAP grant application – Todd, Bob, Judy Requests for letters of community support: Judy sent requests to 17 individuals and groups, which previously wrote to support our grants. The request explained that this proposal is for Route 13 crossing and for stone dust surface Game Farm Rd. to Pinckney Rd. TG Miller work for NYSDOT permits – • FH Fox Bridge TG Miller recommended 6-foot chain link fence. Todd said we should get DOT height requirements, and then get specs from Whitmore Fence and attach these to our DOT request. Bruno wants to set back the fence in the inside of the existing wall. Todd suggests adding to the 16-18 inch wide existing wall. Dimension is about 10 feet wall to wall. Bob suggests fence mounted on top of the wall close to the inside edge, and extending beyond the bridge to limit access to getting off the trail. Todd said Whitmore could provide black fencing that is not very visible. • Spur trails to Fall Creek Bridge at Route 13 Bruno showed TG Miller’s overlay plan for this spur. He thinks it probably needs to have a fence/gate at the end of the trail at Route 13, and along the highway. A 48-inch fence is adequate to signal users not to cross Route 13. Bob and Bruno made a suggested revision to follow the grade closer to the bridge on the lower end of the trail on the west side. This wasn’t included in TG Miller’s plan, but they’ll send along the revision. There’s a need for a boardwalk across a small wetland on the west side of the spur near the rail bed. Barton & Loguidice (B&L) Study for Route 13 bridge or tunnel Crossing B&L engineer Chuck White is preparing cost estimates for crossing alternatives, to be completed before the TAP grant application deadline. He also offered to review the application and sign a Professional P.E. letter as part of the application. SJB/Empire Geo bedrock probe Drilling revealed the bedrock at the crossing site is at 22 feet. The Cortland firm completed the bedrock study at half price. Request for Town Board resolution Bob said the Task Force will request the Town Board to approve a local match for the TAP grant, not to exceed $200,000, and likely less if the project receives a county capital improvements grant. New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Protection (NYS OPRHP) has authorized that portions of their grant can be used as local match. Pre-Review TAP grant application was submitted 6/28 for NYSDOT July feedback prior to submission by August 16. -Todd and Bob are working on ways to utilize multi-modal funding earmarked for the trail by Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, It’s now been clarified that that funding can only be used for highway purposes. The bridge qualifies, but trail surfacing does not. The amount of the TAP grant request will be determined by B&L engineering estimates. State Parks estimates $17 per linear foot as working number, from clearing to stone dust surface, to make the trail ADA compliant Next step will be contact from DOT in the next two weeks, to review the pre-app and revise as necessary for 8/16 final submission deadline. Dryden–Freeville Trail – Bob, Bruno, Alice, Diane Upcoming AARP grant announcement. Bob said the Town will receive a check for $8,000 soon, and then must move forward quickly with community builds. The grant will fund 7 benches and 3 kiosks for the Dryden-Freeville section. The benches have been ordered from Roudebush Company in Indiana, and should be delivered to DPW soon. Local business Roscoe Brothers Millwork offered to donate their services for routed lettering on the benches. Bruno wants to get these assembled and mounted in August. He will create patterns for kiosk components and build a first kiosk, and then stage community builds and installation. He showed a kiosk design from Michigan that used a gateway with info panels on each side. Support of Dryden and Freeville Villages The two villages each own their own pieces of the old rail bed. Dryden trustees recently told Bob they are interested in helping with this trail. There’s no public parking available on Main St., but the village owns a wider section of property a block west at Elm Street. That’s where the old RR station was located. They’re willing to provide parking and to locate a kiosk there. The Dryden Village Route 13 crossing near the Agway will need highway signs, and road crossing stripping, and possibly flashing lights. Plan for Fall Celebration If kiosks are done by the end of September, the grand opening of the Dryden-Freeville section could happen in October, maybe even before Halloween. Trail Surface refinishing Bruno said he wants to do some work in one wet area, and will experiment with a way to crown the trail between Freeville and Dryden Villages. Todd suggested an incremental approach; digging holes for benches gives a chance to see what the base is. Specs call for no more than1/4 inch variance in surface, no more than 5% grade. Plan for signs, maps, history & natural history graphics Todd has been working on the maps. Bob hopes for some railroad history and has some photos. Russ would do some copy for a tri- fold. Determine kiosk and bench locations The Design Committee will work on determining locations. Kiosks will be in Villages of Dryden and Freeville and at George Rd. With an easement being considered by Kathy Perkins, the trail in Freeville (to connect between DPW Drive and the Freeville Trail) could angle across next to the Village Hall parking lot to near the proposed Village pocket park. Bench locations will be chosen for convenience for trail users and to take advantage of views, such as near Virgil Creek. ROW Update – Bob, Bruno, Dan • DEC Game Farm Dan re-contacted DEC; the Voluntary Stewardship Agreement is coming but still not in hand. There was a proposal to offer to DEC, whereby some additional town land at the Park/Dabes site could be opened for deer hunting, to accommodate the Sportsmen’s groups that have opposed the trail. The Town hoped CU might contract to manage it, but that was determined not possible. • Brown Dog (Vanguard Printing) will be closing their Dryden shop, as announced recently. Latest word was they’d meet this month to consider the easement. Bob wrote them to re-emphasize that the trail will be an asset, even if the property is sold. The Town already owns 33 feet, to the midline, along Hall Woods Rd. Todd suggested reaching out to the neighbor at the end of Hall Woods Rd. to ask for additional property going west. • Hanson Aggregates This one is still in the works, continuing to go through their corporate process. • NYSEG - Hopes are to have a licensing agreement within a couple of months. • Gary Sloan easement Town attorneys are working on this, along with approving the other easements. Gary Sloan had agreed to donate the land to the town, but would do an easement in the interim. • Cornell or Lucente property Town needs an agreement to locate a kiosk and parking area on Mt. Pleasant Rd. There’s also a need for a study of traffic volume and sightlines to determine best placement for parking. Next meeting scheduled for Monday August 20, in the Dryden DPW building. Adjournment at 8:57 pm Respectfully submitted Alice Walsh Green