Lewis legislators revisiting trail idea

LOWVILLE — Lewis County officials likely will dust off plans for a pedestrian and bicycle trail that village trustees dropped a year ago.

However, the proposed Village Center Pedestrian Trail probably won't come to fruition unless little direct county funding is required.

"We're not interested in spending a lot of local taxpayers' money on a walking trail," said Legislator Richard C. Lucas, R-Barnes Corners, chairman of the legislative Economic Development Committee.

Mr. Lucas plans to introduce a resolution at Tuesday's Board of Legislators meeting accepting the $1.41 million project, which is to be funded mostly through a $1.13 million federal Transportation Enhancement Program grant.

The grant program, administered by the state Department of Transportation, requires the sponsoring municipality to pay project costs upfront, then receive 80 percent federal reimbursement, up to the $1.13 million. Other grants, in-kind services and donations of time and materials may go toward the 20 percent local share, up to $282,000.

"This is just letting the state DOT know that we're interested," Mr. Lucas said. "We'd hate to see this grant money disappear."

The village was awarded the funding in October 2006 and accepted the trail project, which is to be completed by late 2011. However, village trustees last December voted 3-2 to discontinue it, citing concerns that any cost overruns would be borne by village taxpayers.

At the request of several community members, Mr. Lucas's committee in January discussed taking over the project. Committee members at the time expressed interest but took no action.

Now, nearly a year later, they're apparently ready to entertain the idea.

The project's most recent incarnation would convert about a mile of abandoned railroad tracks between Bostwick and Jackson streets into a trail. Extending the northern end of the trail to the Lewis County Fairgrounds also has been discussed.

Former County Economic Development Director Warren S. Rosenthal in January suggested the project could be completed under budget, with no cash outlay, by having county employees plan, manage and do some of the construction work.

Assistance from village and town crews and volunteer labor also could help cover the project's local share, Mr. Lucas said.

If legislators choose to accept the project, county officials would have to revise preliminary cost estimates and determine "if we can do it without a ton of money" before hiring an engineer for design work, he said.

Eric J. Virkler, who was hired in May as the county's economic development director, applied for the grant and worked on the project in his previous job as Lowville village administrator.

Alta Planning and Design, Nassau, which specializes in bicycle and pedestrian trail development, and Saratoga Springs engineering firm Edwards and Kelcey did some preliminary design work on the village's behalf a few years ago.

One of the larger remaining questions is the cost of acquiring the 12.5-acre rail line property from Genesee Valley Transportation Co., Batavia, although county representatives have held informal discussions with the company. County officials also are eyeing two GVT lines that connect Lowville with West Carthage and Croghan as potential multiuse trails and have applied for a $600,000 state grant that could be used to acquire them.