At last month’s Rushford-Peterson Board meeting, the district approved a letter of intent for a partnership with the City of Rushford on a trail extension project. The project aims to provide safe pedestrian travel from the Brooklyn neighborhood and the Tyrol Hills subdivision to the school. It connects city trails on the west side of Nannestad Lane, behind homes west of Eiken Drive, to the existing school parking lot. The area will also connect to a new concession stand near school district athletic fields.
Engineer Derek Olinger of Bolton & Menk was present at the February 13 Rushford City Council meeting to discuss the project’s background and proposed plans.
Shortly after building the new school, the city and district started looking at trail connections. Initially, the project area looked at creating sidewalks along the Highway 43 corridor and Pine Meadows Lane to provide a safe path for pedestrians from residential neighborhoods south and west of the school. The city tried for a Safe Routes to School Grant twice but was unsuccessful. They also unsuccessfully sought two Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grants.
“That affected our grant opportunities for the next several years,” noted Olinger.
Eventually, the district built a sidewalk along the south side of Pine Meadows Lane. The city installed sections near the highway and continued to consider additional trail connections. At some point, the decision of how long to spend money to apply for grants, with no guarantees of success, was made. The city began looking at a way to complete the trail that could be as cost-effective or more.
What’s proposed is a trail primarily built by the Public Works Department. In-house, the city avoids costly environmental studies, in-depth engineering required, and a steep price tag of $300,000-400,000. By utilizing a basic engineering plan and floodplain modeling, the cost estimate is $190,500. Due to proximity to the levy, the project does need the Army Corps of Engineers review. Easement and right-of-way agreements are also required.
Preliminary trail design shows 340 feet of city-cost sidewalk on the south end of the trail, on Nannestad Lane, in the existing public right-of-way. The next 1,025 feet of asphalt trail is split 50/50 with the school district. The remaining 300 feet is district cost. The city share estimate is $107,000.
“Ultimately, once we have the final design and all the costs in, we’ll split the costs, and the school will write us a check,” explained Olinger.
Councilor Andrew Linder noted the proposed trail doesn’t help students south of the school and east of Eiken Drive. The city considered sidewalks there, but the right-of-way needed wasn’t included in the subdivision’s planning and layout. In addition, current utility conflicts hamper the installation of sidewalks. The city also considered a bike lane, but it would reduce street parking in the subdivision to just one side.
The project’s final scope and costs will be determined. It includes whether or not to pave the trail immediately or leave it gravel and whether or not to have three to six pedestrian lights along the route. The city will send letters to affected properties and hold a neighborhood meeting to discuss the lighting. Water flow in the area is a concern. Engineering will determine the flow channel and grading to keep water from affecting properties.
“We will work out all the details and sign the final agreement once the design is done. In addition to the project’s scope, the final agreement will spell out cost shares, future maintenance, lighting, and electricity. The council unanimously approved moving forward with the project.
During notices, Zacher also indicated the district is seriously considering solar. She referred to a letter from the Minnesota Municipal Utility Association highlighting a new bill to expand the concept of Solar for Schools.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is Monday, February 27, at 6:30 p.m. at city hall. The public is encouraged to attend.
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