20/20 Cold Spring Vision Team

PUBLIC MEETING TO BE HELD ON ROCORI TRAIL PROJECT

What could make the area communities a better place to live? When this question was asked to the residents of this area, one of the highest priorities on their list was the need for recreational trails in our communities. As area residents have spoken, their leaders have listened and taken action to help make this idea a reality.

The Rocori Trail Committee will be holding an informational public meeting on Thursday, October 27th at 7:00 p.m. at the Rocori High School Cafeteria to discuss the trail project. The meeting will begin with an overview presentation from the project engineer, Short Elliot Hendrickson Inc. Next, there will be a panel of representatives from local agencies that have been involved in this project or similar projects, who will be available to share their experiences or answer specific questions related to their field of expertise. The panelists include representatives from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Stearns County Parks Department, National Parks Service, and City Administrators from Richmond, Cold Spring and Rockville. These experts will be available to answer questions and address concerns from audience members. Finally, after the panel discussion, attendees will have the chance to visit individual organization’s display tables for more information and handouts. Refreshments will be available including trail mix and beverages.

The proposed trail would span a total length of 12.2 miles, starting at the east side of Richmond and ending near Stearns County Road 6 in Rockville. The trail would be constructed in two phases with the first covering from Richmond to Cold Spring and the second continuing from the eastern end of Cold Spring to Rockville. The committee estimates the earliest that construction could begin on the first phase would be 2008, with the second phase beginning in 2009.

Through the many discussions about the proposed trail, there have been two possible routes identified for the trail to follow. Although the committee has been working towards determining the best route, neither route has been finalized. The first route would have the trail located on the right-of-way for the railway that connects the three communities. The second proposed route would use mostly public right-of-ways, and would likely be located at the edge of the right-of-way in the road ditches. The committee is particularity interested in giving potentially affected property owners the opportunity to provide feedback on these two proposed routes.

The cost to complete the entire trail is quite substantial, with the estimated cost for phase one of the trail being $784,957, and $1,021,925 to complete phase two. Each City Council of the three cities of Richmond, Rockville and Cold Spring have passed resolutions in support of the Rocori Trail Project and have pledged to contribute a local match of $32,000. These costs are committed on the condition that grant funding is secured to fund the balance of the project costs. The committee hopes to be awarded grants through the federal government and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. In addition to these funds, area cities hope that successful community fundraising efforts will reduce the cost to local governments even further.

Attending this public meeting will keep you informed on the progress of this area community project. Just as importantly, it will give citizens an opportunity to ask questions and share opinions they might have about the Rocori Trail project. Learn about what exciting changes may be coming to your community in the future and let your voice be heard by attending this meeting.

# posted by Duane Kuss @ 1:50 PM