Trail could be complete this summer
Officials hope for finalized agreement soon
The driveway on the newly acquired park land will be part of the city’s trail. Photo by EMILY CANNING-DEAN
WADSWORTH – If weather and other factors cooperate, the proposed 2-mile trail planned for the southern portion of the city could be completed by mid- to late-summer.
Assistant Service Director Harry Stark said during a recent public ways committee meeting that the city is currently finishing negotiations with First Energy.
“There is some due diligence we need to do on our part,” he said. “We can either enter into an easement or purchase some property from First Energy. It is the same price and we are looking into purchasing that land. We are working on finalizing an agreement and hopefully at our next council meeting we can be ready to go with an ordinance.”
Stark said city officials have recently met with the contractor that will construct the trail and added the contractor is ready to begin work as soon as the agreement is finalized. He said city crews plan to drop some trees in the area of the trail over the next couple of weeks so that work can be completed before April 1.
Stark added the city has been in regular contact with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – the agency that provided the $370,000 grant that will fund much of the project. ODNR had set a deadline of May 31 for the city to complete the trail, but Stark said an extension is needed.
“They are OK with the extension and I have already put in the official request for that,” he said.
Once the trail is completed, the city’s new park, which will serve as a trailhead for the east end of the trail, will also be opened.
“The parks department has done some work there throughout the winter, removing some dead trees and getting that ready,” he said.
The city has received a $21,000 Nature Works grant which is being used to build a pavilion at the new park and to make some additional improvements. There is also a house on the property, which will be used and largely maintained by Friends of Wadsworth Trails.
“The house is structurally sound,” Stark said.
Councilor David Williams asked about the kind of maintenance the trail will provide.
Stark explained that portions of the trail will be asphalt while other parts will be a crushed limestone gravel.
“In the crushed limestone areas we might have to occasionally fill in some ruts and along the asphalt areas we might have to fix some cracks occasionally,” he said. “There will also be some mowing along the edges and there will be some benches along the way where we might need to do some weeding.”
This specific trail will be two miles long, but from Silvercreek Road, the trail could connect to trail projects being considered in Norton and Barberton, which would then lead to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The towpath trail extends 100 miles from Lake Erie in Cleveland to Waterworks Park in New Philadelphia.
Assistant Service Director Harry Stark said during a recent public ways committee meeting that the city is currently finishing negotiations with First Energy.
“There is some due diligence we need to do on our part,” he said. “We can either enter into an easement or purchase some property from First Energy. It is the same price and we are looking into purchasing that land. We are working on finalizing an agreement and hopefully at our next council meeting we can be ready to go with an ordinance.”
Stark said city officials have recently met with the contractor that will construct the trail and added the contractor is ready to begin work as soon as the agreement is finalized. He said city crews plan to drop some trees in the area of the trail over the next couple of weeks so that work can be completed before April 1.
Stark added the city has been in regular contact with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – the agency that provided the $370,000 grant that will fund much of the project. ODNR had set a deadline of May 31 for the city to complete the trail, but Stark said an extension is needed.
“They are OK with the extension and I have already put in the official request for that,” he said.
Once the trail is completed, the city’s new park, which will serve as a trailhead for the east end of the trail, will also be opened.
“The parks department has done some work there throughout the winter, removing some dead trees and getting that ready,” he said.
The city has received a $21,000 Nature Works grant which is being used to build a pavilion at the new park and to make some additional improvements. There is also a house on the property, which will be used and largely maintained by Friends of Wadsworth Trails.
“The house is structurally sound,” Stark said.
Councilor David Williams asked about the kind of maintenance the trail will provide.
Stark explained that portions of the trail will be asphalt while other parts will be a crushed limestone gravel.
“In the crushed limestone areas we might have to occasionally fill in some ruts and along the asphalt areas we might have to fix some cracks occasionally,” he said. “There will also be some mowing along the edges and there will be some benches along the way where we might need to do some weeding.”
This specific trail will be two miles long, but from Silvercreek Road, the trail could connect to trail projects being considered in Norton and Barberton, which would then lead to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The towpath trail extends 100 miles from Lake Erie in Cleveland to Waterworks Park in New Philadelphia.