Extension approved for trail construction
Officials say they should be ready to begin soon
The driveway on the newly acquired park land will be part of the city’s trail. Photo by EMILY CANNING-DEAN
WADSWORTH – The city has once again received a deadline extension for the proposed 2-mile trail planned for the southern portion of Wadsworth.
The trail was originally supposed to be completed last August, but the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – the agency that granted the city $370,000 to construct the trail – had extended the deadline to May 31.
Assistant Service Director Harry Stark said that since the city is still finalizing details with FirstEnergy, there wouldn’t be time to complete the project by that deadline.
“We have already gotten the additional extension,” Stark said. “ODNR is well aware of our situation up here and it’s not an issue so they have allowed us to extend the grant.”
The city has been in negotiations with FirstEnergy to prepare for the project. FirstEnergy must sign off on the project since the company owns portions of the land where the trail will be constructed.
“Every day we are getting a little bit closer,” Stark said. “We are working out one more issue, but everything else has been resolved. Once we get that coordinated we are ready to roll with the contractor.”
A trail head is planned at the city’s southwest parking lot in the downtown area. The trail would head southeast and would eventually terminate at a trail head on Silvercreek Road. 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.
Parts of the trail will be asphalt while other parts will be a crushed limestone gravel.
Newly purchased land on Silvercreek and Silvercrest roads will serve as a trailhead on the other end of the trail and the house that sits on the property will be owned by the city, but will be used by Friends of Wadsworth Trails.
The city has received a $21,000 Nature Works grant which is being used to build a pavilion at the new trail head and make some additional improvements.
The trail was originally supposed to be completed last August, but the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – the agency that granted the city $370,000 to construct the trail – had extended the deadline to May 31.
Assistant Service Director Harry Stark said that since the city is still finalizing details with FirstEnergy, there wouldn’t be time to complete the project by that deadline.
“We have already gotten the additional extension,” Stark said. “ODNR is well aware of our situation up here and it’s not an issue so they have allowed us to extend the grant.”
The city has been in negotiations with FirstEnergy to prepare for the project. FirstEnergy must sign off on the project since the company owns portions of the land where the trail will be constructed.
“Every day we are getting a little bit closer,” Stark said. “We are working out one more issue, but everything else has been resolved. Once we get that coordinated we are ready to roll with the contractor.”
A trail head is planned at the city’s southwest parking lot in the downtown area. The trail would head southeast and would eventually terminate at a trail head on Silvercreek Road. 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.
Parts of the trail will be asphalt while other parts will be a crushed limestone gravel.
Newly purchased land on Silvercreek and Silvercrest roads will serve as a trailhead on the other end of the trail and the house that sits on the property will be owned by the city, but will be used by Friends of Wadsworth Trails.
The city has received a $21,000 Nature Works grant which is being used to build a pavilion at the new trail head and make some additional improvements.