Tuesday, April 11, 2000
Trail proposal angers residents
Grading for future road suggested
By Allen Howard
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ANDERSON TOWNSHIP — A proposed million-dollar bike/walk trail, in line for federal funding, has generated a controversy among Hamilton County engineers, township trustees and residents.
Application for funding under the federal Transportation Enhancement Program was making its way through the process when County Engineer William Brayshaw threw in conditions for using county land for the trail that upset residents.
The trail would run just over a mile, stretching from the Five Mile-Clough Pike intersection through county-owned land to Newtown Road.
“The trail would be a major linkage in the township, connecting the library, a hospital and a park with the Anderson Township downtown business district,” said Henry Dolive, township administrator.
The controversy started when Mr. Brayshaw became concerned that the bike trail would “change the roadway right-of-way to a recreational, park or a parklike environmentally protected corridor.”
In a letter last month to Mr. Dolive, Mr. Brayshaw said he was concerned that the county would be prohibited from extending Five-Mile road if it later decided to do so.
Mr. Brayshaw wants to excavate dirt and build an em bankment in preparation for a two-lane roadway along the bath path. But no pavement will be poured now, he said.
This angered residents around Five Mile Road.
“If we get a bike trail and it is to be graded for a two-lane highway, then we don't want it,” said Barbara Gardner, of Donnington Lane, which borders the county right-of-way property. “It has been determined by OKI (Ohio Kentucky and Indiana Regional Council of Government) that the two-lane highway is not needed.”
Mrs. Gardner, along with Tom Caruso of the 2200 block of Donnington Lane and others, think the excavation is a bad case of strip mining.
“This makes absolutely no sense,” said Mr. Caruso. “It would be a waste of taxpayers' money and it would cause property values to decrease.”
Mr. Brayshaw said he doesn't want the county to be boxed in by park, recreational and environmental restrictions if it later decides to extend Five Mile Road.
He also said the county has to get about 41,000 to 43,000 cubic yards of dirt to improve the Clough Pike and Wolfangle Road intersection. His suggestion is that taking the dirt from excavation along the bike trail would save money.
Township trustees called ameeting Monday night at Turpin High school to settle the issues.
Should the bike/walk trail receive funding, the township has to come up with a 50 percent match, which amounts to $500,000.
Mr. Caruso said a road taxset aside $100,000 a year for bike trail and walk trails.
But Mr. Dolive said the matching funds would come from tax increment financing funds.
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Trail proposal angers residents
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