Dear Tri-C Friends and Neighbors:
The Tri-C Trails action team, part of the Tri-C Partners for
Progress, has received several questions about the proposed trail and its
future upkeep. We are attempting to
answer some questions with the post. If
you have any other questions, please continue asking. Communication will only help us remain united
and working together for the common good.
1. Can I be part
of this team or help in some way?
YES, you
can! We need and want community members
involvement. Please contact one us to
help make this desire a reality! You can
email Jared McQueen at jf_McQueen@hotmail.com
or Fr. Joel Derks, OSB at joel@conception.edu.
2. What has been done so far?
Over the
past year we have met to discuss what we want our trails to look like. We have brought in people with trail building
experiences who have shared resources and wisdom with us. We have been working with an engineering firm
to decide on the best route and who have given us help in writing a grant for
funding. However, there is plenty of
work still ahead of us.
3. Where will the
trail be located and how was the trail sites chosen?
The action
team, consisting of several community members, has been in dialogue for over a
year as to what we needed in the Tri-C area and how best to go about getting
that accomplished. Our goal is two fold
– to provide a safe walking trail for students to use for school purposes and
to unite the three towns with a walking/biking trail for everyone’s use. We are currently looking at how we can use
property for the first segment of the trail.
The community members who we are in dialogue with are donating the use
of their land.
4. Why does the
land have to be donated?
In order
for us to tap into government funding, which is given through grants, a private
party cannot own the land. Thus, the
private landowners are donating the property with a “right of first refusal and
option to purchase ” which means that if the trail ceases to be, the private
landowner will receive the land back.
5. Who is
responsible for the trail and its upkeep?
The trail’s
property will fall under the insurance of the school (if attached to the
school) or the towns (if it is within the boundaries of the towns.) The private landowners will not have the onus
of insurance since the land will cease being privately owned.
The upkeep
of the trail will be the responsibility of the Tri-C community. The need for this trail came out of a
community conversation and will continue to be under the direction of the
community. Donated help and monies
raised for upkeep will allow the trail to be viable and sustainable.
6. Is there a map
of the trail that we can see?
To publish
a map of the trail at this point would be premature, as we have not done all
the work necessary to acquire all the property for the complete trail. We know the proposed trail sites will change. Thus, we are working in stages and are in
contact with community members who impact only the first segment of the trail.
