Michael Voll, a senior staff engineer with Jones Petrie Rafinski, center, chats with Will Bennett, left, and Syracuse Town Councilwoman Cindy Kaiser at a public information meeting about a conceptual trail. The meeting was held Monday, Oct. 28, at the Syracuse Town Council. Photo by Lauren Zeugner.

By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — While the turn out for public input on a conceptional trail in Syracuse was small, the response was positive during a informational meeting held Monday night, Oct. 28, at the Syracuse Community Center.

Only about six residents came out to learn more about the Town of Syracuse developing a conceptual multi-use trail connection along SR 13 from Chicago Street to Harkless Drive. The community was invited to come out to share ideas and provide input. Jones Petrie Rafinski, an engineering firm out of South Bend, is working with the town on the trail’s design.

David Wilkinson, Syracuse town manager, said he came up with the idea for the trial after realizing there was no safe way to walk through Wawasee Village. He thought a trail could be placed in the space between the access road and SR 13 which is only used for drainage.

He explained the council agreed to go forward with the investigation into the proposed trail. The proposed section of trail is part of the town’s comprehensive plan from 2017. Currently the conceptual trail has no cost estimate nor anyone to pay for it, although Wilkinson hopes grants and private donations will pay for most of it. He hopes to have a cost estimate on the project within the next few weeks.

Wilkinson said he is already working with the Syracuse-Wawasee Trail Committee as the trail would eventually become part of the trail system. Along with improving bike and pedestrian traffic through Wawasee Village, Wilkinson said the trail could also facilitate safer walking routes for children who walk to school which could qualify the plan for the Indiana Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program potentially providing grant funding.

Wilkinson said the goal is to develop a planned route to better connect Wawasee Village with the rest of town. Some of the issues that had to be addressed in the plan included providing drainage after the trail was installed, looking at capacity and looking at the access road on the east side of SR 13 which has a parking lane.

Austin Blomeke, landscape architect, Michael Voll, senior staff engineer, and Joe Howe, landscape architect, all with Jones Petrie Rafinski were on hand to discuss potential ideas for the trail, which included installing a boardwalk style trail in the drainage ditch or installing a paved trail that ran alongside the parking lane while not losing parking spaces.

Those in attendance could look at schematics of the project as well as different styles of trail material, how crosswalks would look like and the types of barriers might be used to keep golf carts off the trail. Each resident was given a sheet with green and pink stickers and were asked to place green stickers on the ideas they liked and the pink ones on what the didn’t like.

Blomeke said Jones Petrie Rafinski hopes to have the final study of the project done by the end of November. Because the trail is near SR 13, Jones Petrie Rafinski has had some preliminary conversations with INDOT regarding the project. Now that there is a location for the trail, Blomeke said more detailed conversations with the agency will be held.

Meanwhile those who attended the meeting discussed the need for safety, especially towards the southern part of the trail near Harkless Drive. There was a lot of discussion regarding cross walks and safety. The schematics showed a variety of different styles from the pavement being painted a bright green, to cross walks having an artistic design or looking like stamped concrete. While several people liked the more artistic styles, they thought the bright green cross walk would be more noticeable to drivers.

There was discussion as what the boardwalk style trail would look like if it was installed in the drainage ditches and how would that benefit or hinder customers going to local businesses. Others talked about the different amenities that could be possible from landscaping, planters, art work and more.

For those who would like to comment on the conceptual trail, they can be emailed to Blomeke at [email protected]