Town proceeds with bike path

WYDOT’s TAP grant facilitator Sarah Ellis visited the Pine Haven Council via telephone at last Tuesday night’s meeting to discuss funding for the continuation of the bike/walking path from the existing concrete that meets East Waters Drive to eventually loop along Pendleton and through Boe Drive before returning to Waters. The work will be conducted in phases, each an individual project.

The governing body initially asked for $350,000 per phase, but Ellis recommended that it is better to ask for $500,000, which will ultimately provide the town with $625,000 including the mandatory 20 percent matching money from the town per project as the body would “be getting more ‘bang for your buck’.

“Obviously, it all depends on what you already hope to match,” she said. “Also, if you request more and the committee decides that they can maybe give you a little bit less, that’s an option, too.” Town treasurer Barb Hardy assured the council of the available funds in the third purpose tax for the higher match.

Heath Turbiville, of the town’s engineering firm, HDR explained to the council that the firm has prepared two project maps, one with shorter project size for the $350000 and the other with the larger, $500,000 option. If the town is awarded the full grant at the higher amount, the first phase will end “somewhere around the [Coleman] storage units” and the second will take the path “pretty close” to Paradise Supermarket.

A practical concern that was raised by Councilman John Henle previously is the need for some kind of warning system to be installed at the crossing of the path over Pine Haven Road, slowing oncoming motorists and warning drivers to yield right of way to the pedestrian traffic. Councilwoman Karla Brandenburg reiterated that specific point, asking the facilitator if that consideration would be covered by said grant.

Ellis agreed that it would, saying, “That would be an eligible cost.” The TAP representative then advised writing that into the statement of intent the town is obligated to send with their grant application.

The council advised the clerk’s office to ask for the higher amount.