Trail master plan being urged for Hyde Park

HYDE PARK - As inevitable expansion continues to alter the town's look and feel, devising a comprehensive trail master plan is important for the present and future of the town, Kathleen Davis of the Recreation Department told the Town Board at a recent workshop meeting.

Davis said she has used a $47,000 state grant to conduct an inventory of the town's parks, trails, and open space parcels.

She said she hopes that would result in devising a master plan that looks at expanding existing trail segments into a connected system that encompasses the entire town.

"With development on the horizon, it's important to assess whether our parks are adequate enough to handle such growth," she said during introductory remarks to the board.

Karl Beard, National Parks Service director of rivers and trails, also spoke during the meeting, providing a brief overview of the history of trails in the town, their status, and potential improvements that could be made to the system.

"People have become increasingly aware of the benefits trails offer to the community," said Beard, adding, "They promote community health, boost real estate values, and enhance the general quality of life of residents."

Beard also said the trails were an ideal recreational investment, due to the economy of land use.

"You essentially have a skinny green ribbon that wanders through the town and it does not take much land to afford residents the opportunity to enjoy the natural setting of the town," he said.

Beard said the trails could be a viable means of transportation and serve as a connection between the downtown city center and the rural precincts that lay on the outskirts.

Beard noted that a number of communities are looking to integrate trails into school properties to offer students a safe, unencumbered means of traveling to and from school.

"Presently, the entrances to all seven schools are exclusively vehicular, which does not make for a safe situation for the children," he said.

Ultimately, Beard and Davis argued in favor of reviewing the existing trails and looking for potential connections that would create an entire system of walkable trails throughout the park.

The pair expressed a commitment to crafting a master plan that would take into account open space, land overlays, and utility corridors by the end of the summer, setting up public scoping sessions to solicit public comment on the matter.

"Getting public input is of the utmost importance and we encourage those interested in this issue to attend and be prepared to contribute ideas," said Davis.

"If you would like your neighborhood to be included in the master plan, be sure to come out and get involved," she said.

"The trail system, as proposed, will not only offer community residents benefits, but will also become attractions in and of themselves to visitors," said town Supervisor Pompey Delafield, adding, "This has the potential to become a valuable part of our park system."

There are two public meetings scheduled this summer. The first will take place at Town Hall on Monday, June 30, at 7 p.m. The second session will also be held at Town Hall on Wednesday, July 30, at 7 p.m.