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*** Two residents from the audience came to the podium as spokesmen in favor of the trail connection. Said Jeff Recker, a resident at Tristan Heights, "As a neighborhood, we feel a little outside of Victoria. This would be a good opportunity for us to get to downtown Victoria and the regional trail. The trail we currently have was surely put in to go further." Said Greg Parsons of Kochia Lane, "The Arboretum is a fine destination. In the 13 years of living in Victoria, there is no way to get to the east, from the Regional Trail to the Arboretum. I understand the Arboretum has graciously said we can cycle through without paying." *** "We need an overall strategy for trails to connect the whole town," said Councilmember Crowley. Agreed Mayor O'Connor, "There is a crying need to do something more strategic." Commented Mr. Uram, "Trail connectivity has been more opportunistic than proactive. I know there are other pressing needs in our community." Said Parks Director Ann Mahnke, "The strategy in the past has been to take advantage of projects as they arrive, with the developers and developments." Responding to a question, Ann said it could easily take from $8 million to $9 million to build out all of the trails in Victoria. "Roughly $3 million to $4 million are without a funding source and are not developer driven trails." It was pointed out that developers pay to construct trails through their developments; connecting those trails between developments is the issue. "Trail connectivity was at the top of the list in a community survey," said Ann. Replied Mayor O'Connor, "Everyone thinks our taxes are too high, but it may be that the citizens of this city really want the connectivity anyway." Councilmember Pavelko made a motion for SRF to complete the final design and move ahead with the trail connection, paying for it with $90,000 taken from the Capital Facilities Fund. The motion failed 4-1. Said Councilmember Crowley, "We've got two large projects for that Capital Facilities Fund," referring to a new Public Works Building and new City Hall. "How many visitors do we have to City Hall?" asked Councilmember Pavelko. "Let's not confuse the issue," said Mayor O'Connor. "We've got lots of needs. We desperately need a new Public Works Building and we need a City Hall. Now we're deciding how to fund the trail." The Park and Rec Committee recommended including trail cost in the 2013 street, drainage, and utility improvement bonds. Councilmember Crowley made a motion to approve the trail as recommended by city staff, including bonding as the funding mechanism. The motion passed 4-1 with Councilmember Pavelko casting the nay vote. As Mayor O'Connor has previously said, "This is linking a significant asset to the community." *** City Engineer Cara Geheren answered some questions for the Gazette. When will the project go out for bids? "We are working on final design, permitting, and the grant agreement process. I would anticipate bidding mid to late summer." When will construction likely begin? Construction would begin this fall but could extend into spring of 2014." When will the trail likely be navigable? "Summer 2014."
FINAL PLAT FOR PHASE ONE: 36 LOTS APPROVED FOR LAKE WASSERMAN RIDGE Council voted unanimously on April 22nd to approve the final plat for Phase One of a new development called Lake Wasserman Ridge on County Road 43 as requested by Ryland Homes. Holly Kreft, Community Development Director, noted this parcel of 36 single family lots is located on the north end of the plat and that the Planning Commission had concerns with the proposal. The parkland dedication will be a combination of cash ($33,370) and passive park (1.8 acres). "What is a passive park?" asked Councilmember Joe Pavelko. "It will be left natural," said Holly. "As plats come in, we review them with a Park Master Plan to determine our needs. Dedication can be in cash, land, or a combination, like this example." Explained Park and Rec Director Ann Mahnke, "We looked at the whole south portion of the lake area and gathered enough acreage to develop a neighborhood park with eight to ten acres." About capacity at the nearby Victoria Elementary School, Holly said, "We are always in contact with the school district to question if there are capacity issues. Capacity is not a problem."
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May 2013 |
