Monday, April 2, 2012 from 7:00pm to 8:00pm, the board of the Marion County Park District will host a public participation meeting in the conference room at the Marion Family YMCA. The meeting is an effort to gather public input on the Marion Tallgrass Trail and to provide information on the future growth of the bike and walking trail.
The park district has submitted a Clean Ohio Trails Fund grant application, seeking to extend the paved surface of the Marion Tallgrass Trail by 3 miles. The grant request is for $499,371, which will be paired with a local match of $166,457, for a total project cost of $665,828. The local match for this phase has been raised through generous donations and pledges from the Marion community. Fundraising continues for future phases of the trail.
This will be Phase II construction of the Tallgrass Trail. Phase I included two bridges and about 1,200 feet of pavement, although only 800 feet has a gravel shoulder. The park district plans to extend the pavement by 15,870 linear feet (three miles), sealcoat the previous 1,200 feet, and finish the remaining 400 feet of crushed stone shoulder from Phase I. If funding permits, the project may incorporate landscaping at the trailhead. Plans call for installation of bollards at the trailhead, as well as removal of railroad ties and some other waste from earlier construction.
The new pavement will start where Phase I ended, 0.25 miles west of the trailhead at 2093 Holland Rd West, and will end three miles to the west, near the southeast corner of Hickory Grove Lake campground. This is between Hoch Road and Espyville Road. If funds suffice, the trail may extend to Espyville Road.
Participation at the meeting, along with comments received, will give the Park District a better chance at actually receiving the grant.
Comments will also be accepted until April 17, 2012 by mail at Marion County Park District, 222 West Center St, Marion, OH 43302, or via the "Contact us" link at www.marioncountyparks.info.
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