HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-02-11 MinutesCity of Fayetteville
Sidewalk and Trails Task Force
Minutes
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
City Administration Building, Room 326
Members Present: Bob Davis, Cynthia Kalke, Laura Kelly, Sam LaFoy, Scott Mashburn,
Jennifer Tracy
Public/Staff: Ginny Apperson, Petry Franklin, Terry Gulley, Steve Hatfield, Chuck
Rutherford, Celia Scott-Silkwood
Meeting called to order by Bob Davis.
Sam LaFoy made a motion to approve the January 2004 meeting minutes; Laura Kelly
gave a second and the motion passed.
Scott Mashburn initiated a discussion about the possible future use of OMI lands for
multi -use recreational trails. His current idea is to begin the process by obtaining
permission for Steve Hatfield to begin communication anddiscussion with the entities
involved with OMI to determine if future multi -use trails on this land would be a possible
option. There are some issues that will need to be addressed due to the nature of past use
of the land, which included sludge application.. Due to these factors, some uses of the
1 land would be permissible while others would not. The OMI land is currently owned by
the City of Fayetteville, making it an ideal candidate for trails due to the minnnal expense
it would require. Steve will begin researching this and determining the perimeters of use.
He will bring an update of his findings to next month's meeting.
Lama Kelly reported on the Bicycle Coalition of the Ozarks news and up -coming events.,
B.C.O. is a special interest group aimed at creating a more bicycle friendly region. They
use education and infrastructure to promote their cause. They will be holding a free
bicycle clihicon February 28, 2004. Cyclists can bring their machine to the clinic for
free hands -ort repair and maintenance training. The next urban bicycle ride will be held
on February 24, 2004. Anyone who is interested in participating can meet at the
Fayetteville Square. The ride is free of charge. Participants will need to bring a bike
light, because the group will be returning to the Fayetteville Square after dusk.
Terry Gulley presented the proposed 2004 Sidewalk Plan. A comparison of sidewalk
construction totals for the years 2002 and 2003 shows a 348% increase in production. A
total of 14,218 linear feet of sidewalk was constructed in 2003. Terry presented a
detailed list of the proposed sidewalk projects for 2004. The streets have been organized
by Ward.
The following list reflects the amount of sidewalk construction planned for each Ward in
2004:
Sidewalk aal Trails Task Face Meeting Mim Page 4
Ward #1 —5,463 linearfeet
I Ward #2 — 5,796 linear feet
• Ward 43 — 5,340 linear feet
• Ward #4 — 5,020 linear feet
These projects bring the proposed total sidewalk construction to 21,619 linear feet in
2004. Although this goal is large, Terry feels that it is realistic and achievable utilizing a
well-trained, efficient crew along with the continued assistance and cooperation of the
other crews within the Transportation Division.
Steve Hatfield gave an update on current trail projects. The grant award decision was
announced pertaining to the application submitted for the Lake Fayetteville Spillway
Bridge funding. Unfortunately, the City of Fayetteville was not selected to receive any
funding. The reason is believed to be related to the committee's decision to prioritize
funding for projects providing basic recreation facilities. The Lake FayettevIDe Spillway
Bridge project was considered to be beyond the scope of meeting basic recreational
needs. The Parks and Recreation Division still Hopes to complete the project and is
currently working on identifying alternate funds available for this project.
West Mud Creek Trail is currently under construction.
The Senior Center and Walker Park Trails have been put on hold until March, awaiting
favorable weather conditions.
The Center Prairie Trail bid opening is scheduled for February 26, 2004. This project
will consist of about 2,100 linear feet of trail. It will include a connection to the new
Fayetteville Public Library site, as well as fighting, benches, and signage. The trail
surface will consist of asphalt.:'- , :
Steve Hatfield gave an update on current events. He gave Task Force members a handout
relming.to shared -use trails located adjacent to railroads. Studies have been done to
identify potential hazards and possible solutions. This idea is gaming acceptance by trail
planners and the railroad industry.
Steve Hatfield passed out an article that Governor Huckabee did for City and Town. It
highlights the importance of physical activity, recreation, and staying fit. The Governor
has made a personal goal of achieving these things for himself in order to set a positive
goal for Arkansans.
Steve Hatfield handed out an article regarding the economic impact of trails. Research
has shown that the value of property is often higher if it is located new a trail. The
existence of trails can increase the overall quality of life for citizens who choose to utilize
them.
Steve Hatfield distributed a brochure from the National Center for Bicycling and
Walking, which discussed increasing physical activity through community design.
Sidewalk and Trails Ts.3kFmce Mating Mins Page 3
Steve Hatfield briefly discussed recent news about Federal funding. There is still the
possibility of another delay. If this does occur, the State of Arkansas will face the
decision of whether to go ahead with another cycle of funding using the current budget
amount or to wait for the final decision to be made so that they know for certain that the
bill has been passed. Now is an important time for the public to speak out and contact
their Congressmen and State Representatives in support of the funding.
Cindy Kalke proposed an idea of asking Steve Hatfield to construct the body of an e-
mail, which Task Force members could customize and send to their Representatives.
This would help to ensure that the most crucial and effective points are included and
allow for several voices to be heard. The Task Force supported this idea and Steve will
begin working on this in the near forme. - -
Other Business:
Scott Mashburn made a request to see if Task Force members could be provided with a
simple map showing the locations of our City's existing trails. This would help new
members to catch up on what has been accomplished so far. Steve will prepare a map to
be distributed at next month's meeting. ,.
Laura Kelly suggested the need for a pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Sixth
Street and S. School Avenue. This is an important connection between Walker Park and
the Center Prairie Trail. There is currently no pedestriancrossing button at this location
} and heavy traffic makes this a very difficult crossing for pedestrians.
Steve Hatfield recently had the opportunity to tike consultants to the Center Prairie Trail
location and to show themthe Center: Street crossing. He is awaiting their comments and
ideas, some of which we hope.to incorporate into our plan.
Steve is currently looking -into microwave activated flashers for the Center Street
crossing. This type of flasher would not operate continuously, but rather be activated
each time a pedestrian approached the crossing.
Meeting adjourned.