State of the Trails, 2007 Kennebec Messalonskee Trails Waterville, Winslow, Benton, Fairfield and Oakland, Maine.
By Peter Garrett, President, KMTrails, prepared for KMTrails annual meeting, April 18, 2007. Hosted by the Thomas College, Waterville. To Begin With, our Vision and Mission: Our Vision is a network of bicycle and pedestrian trails, contributing to healthy and active communities. Our Mission is to promote, create, and help maintain recreational and fitness trails along our waterways, connecting the communities of Waterville, Winslow, Benton, Fairfield and Oakland. Brief Overview (for those who are new to the project) Some narrow disconnected paths along riversides were discovered by Chris McMorrow‟s mountain biking group. The idea of developing public trails came to the fore at a REMsponsored Community Catalyst in January 1995, resulting in a team for Fitness and Recreation. The Waterville Rotary Club picked up the idea in 1999, and put forward a plan to open up a 3.5-mile riverside trail from Waterville to Fairfield. DOT gave us more than we asked for in our application for feasibility funding, in exchange for expanding our sights with other trails throughout the community. Early in 2003 we contracted for a Feasibility Study on 18 miles of trail connecting Waterville with Winslow, Benton, Fairfield and Oakland. In 2003 we spread the word in the press and with Planning Boards, Councils and Selectmen, became incorporated, and developed a Board of Directors with a wide range of skills and considerable commitment. We continued building our organization, and hosted our 7th National Trails Day walkathon in 2006, in pouring rain. This year we have undertaken a major fundraising effort, and now have about $40,000 in hand, part of which will be used to support the work of part time staff, one of whose tasks will be to raise more funds. We now have about 6 miles of trails with portions in the City of Waterville and the surrounding Towns of Benton, Winslow, Fairfield, and Oakland. They include: 1. Mill Island Park in Fairfield. This little gem, with about ½ mile of footpaths around the perimeter of where the mills used to be. The Town of Fairfield continues to make this a special place, with good signage, clearing of brush, and construction of a rest room and some playground equipment. The Rotary Centennial Trail, about 2 miles long, from Benton into Winslow, was sponsored to the tune of $55,000 and many hours of labor, by the Waterville Rotary Club. Contributions also came from the State Recreational Trail Fund, the
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Town of Benton, and many of you (and our neighborhood friend Paul Newman), via your contributions to Kennebec Messalonskee Trails. The trail follows an old railroad bed through woods with great views of the industrial side of the river in Waterville and Fairfield. This entire trail is being constructed on private land, thanks to the generosity of CMP and several landowners at the north end, none of which charge any fee. The construction was overseen by Ken Dudley, Roads Commissioner of Benton, and completed by Len Poulin a local contractor and one of our generous landowners. The necessary tree cutting was beautifully done, with many great trees left in place to give the impression of walking through a cathedral nave. The final surfacing is with a soft pad of „super humus‟. Those who have found it, comment unanimously about its loveliness. In 2006 the trail was officially recognized as part of the East Coast Greenway, the only part with superhumus as a surface. Also in 2006 we received a grant of about $5000 for the construction of signs telling of the natural and human history along this trail. Sign design, in process, is a cooperative venture between KMTrails, Unity College students, and 5th and 6th graders in Benton Elementary School. 3. The North Street Recreational Area Loop trails are a set of trails still in the making. You can start at the little boat landing opposite Thayer Hospital, and follow a beautifully prepared and paved section about ¾ mile streamside to the Alfond pool. After our work this year you will be able to continue till you get to Edgemont Street, which leads back to North Street for a 2-mile loop. Neighborhood concerns about several aspects of this trail made headlines in 2006. We welcome the expression of such concerns, so that we can address them in our planning. From Edgemont to Head of Falls on the Kennebec the trail will be along sidewalks and city streets. We anticipate that this section will be a model for developing what we want for the whole community, namely “bicycle-pedestrian friendly streets”. This “complete streets” concept is something that Dan Stewart, our guest speaker, will talk to you about in a few minutes. 4. The Messalonskee Stream trail in Oakland was built in the summer of 2006 by the Maine Conservation Corps with funding from the State‟s Recreational Trail Program, the Town of Oakland and the Outdoor Heritage Fund. The terrain is rugged, and leads through exquisitely beautiful woods overlooking the gorge by the former Cascade Woolen Mill, or the pretty and private lake behind the FPL dam. This trail is definitely not handicapped-accessible and is mostly narrow. Instead it compares with parts of the Appalachian hiking trail. It will extend about 3 miles from Kennedy Memorial Drive downstream to Rice Rips Road on land donated by the dam owners, as their public access component necessary to obtain a FERC license on the dam. The trail will be parallel to and mostly separate from an established ATV-mountain bike trail along a CMP pole easement. Eric Seekins, Recreational Director for the Town of Oakland led the effort on this one. Steel
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steps over the historic wooden penstock will be welded by Oakland Public Works using steel donated by Synergics Energy, owners of the dam. One Public Works employee has taken on making a nice kiosk from a National Parks Service design used for the Brunswick Trail. This trail, like all the others in our network, is a model of cooperative efforts by many. We are looking forward to an opening on National Trails Day, June 2nd. In 2007 we anticipate completing another 4 miles of trail including the following: 5. The Fairfield Water Street trail, which starts at the new Route 139 bridge, following the riverside edge of the Town parking area, past the Community Center and playground, and along Water Street and King Street to the rear of the Huhtamaki factory. This trail will involve painting already paved surfaces, and installing trail signs to encourage use. It is about 1 mile long and will be a delightful short walk for neighbors in Fairfield. The Town of Fairfield is taking this on as a Public Works project. Funding is already assured. The Thomas College Campus Trail will be completed in the fall. A cooperative grant application process between us and Thomas College helped bring in a grant of $30,000 from the Maine State Recreational Trail Fund, with matching funds from Inland Hospital and KMTrails. The Maine Conservation Corps will be doing the building, with help from Thomas College students. Completion of the Alfond to Head of Falls “Waterville Connector” Trail. This trail is to some minds not a trail at all, but a learning experience on the journey towards a bicycle-pedestrian-friendly community. Most of its length is along City Streets, with sidewalks, white lines painted where bikes should go, and crossings. I would like to have this trail break new ground into having Waterville labeled as Brunswick already is, as a bike-ped-friendly city. Work on the Head of Falls Trail. The City is eager to have a thriving waterfront on the Kennebec. After 40 years of nothing on the waterfront, the City, through the Waterville Development Corporation has put a lot of money into getting utilities and a parking space between the railroad and the river. However, no acceptable developer has shown up. So one idea is to develop a trail to make it that much more attractive. Others say we should wait for a developer to show to let them make the decisions. We shall see what transpires. A Recreational Trail around the Winslow School Property. This trail is actually already there, but little used because it is too narrow, too boggy underfoot, and incomplete. A $30,000 State grant has been awarded to the School District, and construction is expected this summer, adding perhaps another mile to our trail network. This trail concept, plan and funding application was completed by SAD 52 with very little in put from us.
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People often ask me how we go about building trails. Actually we don‟t. What we do is promote trails, and encourage the construction by others. What we focus on are interesting routes, obtaining access, teaming and funding. Access Most of the 25 miles of trail we now have planned for the KMTrails system are on private land. So we must first obtain access to build a trail. To date most landowners have been very generous. What we tell them is simple. It is that the trail won‟t work unless it is a win-win situation for everyone. We ask that they express all their concerns for us to take into consideration. The benefits for the landowner are varied, but may focus on the improved property values that come with proximity to trails, or may require us to plant a hedge or erect a fence. Of course there is also a goodly component of just plain community spirit, and the desire to improve the quality of life for everyone by granting access. In 2006 Madison Paper informed us that they could not agree to our plan to extend our trail down the east side of the Kennebec River to Winslow past the dam because of safety concerns at their boat ramp for dam maintenance. However, they have agreed to allow access across the former railroad bridge piers that still stand and are in great shape in the river leading to the railroad yard. Such bridge construction will have to wait a while, but the concept is just great. In 2007-09 we hope to obtain agreements with all landowners along the rest of our proposed trail routes. We are almost there. Teaming Kennebec Messalonskee Trails sees itself as a trail advocate and facilitator. For instance, the Rotary Centennial Trail was built primarily by a great local contractor, funded by the Rotary Club, with the work overseen by the Benton Roads Commissioner. Similarly the Oakland trail was managed by the Town of Oakland. Our role was chiefly in conception. Mill Island Park was entirely the work of the Town of Fairfield. And it is no accident that we have Mark Turner, Waterville‟s new Public Works Director, on our Board. That speaks for itself about Waterville‟s commitment to our project. The involvement of the City and Towns is paramount – they are the ones who do the work on the ground. We also partner with schools. You have heard about how we are working with Benton Elementary School and Unity College on wildlife signs. You heard about the revitalized school grounds trail in Winslow. You may not have heard about the Waterville Technical College and making of maps for KMTrails. All are going on more or less simultaneously. Our partnerships with our three great local colleges continues. In 2005 we held our Annual Meeting at Colby College, under the aegis of the newly-established Goldfarb Center for Civic Engagement. We will soon be thanking them for offering the land of the former Colby Ski Slope to the City for recreational purposes. In 2006 we visited KVCC and walked around their mile long campus trail. This year we are at Thomas College, who, as I mentioned, will be building a trail around their campus in the fall. Their trail is special for us, as it includes
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the confluence of Messalonskee Stream with the Kennebec River. Thank you, Thomas College. We also feel the partnership of the business community, and are especially honored to have been awarded the Chamber of Commerce‟s Community Service Project Award for 2007. Finally we feel in partnership with our two great hospitals. Inland Hospital has a great thing going with Move & Improve. We work well together both on our National Trails Day events, and in support of their Men‟s and Women‟s Health Fairs. Recently, the Inland Foundation voted to support the construction of the Thomas College trail, which happens to be the closest part of our trail system to their KMD campus. Maine General has also been supportive over the years, and has a companion program called MoveMore. Maine General gave us an initial generous donation of the printing of our letterhead and brochure. Funding We cannot do any part of this project without money, of course. It takes money to develop trails. So far we have got away pretty cheaply, with trails constructed chiefly using State Recreational Trail funding, which maxes out at $30,000 per trail segment. However, the Department of Transportation is interested in our type of urban trail system, gave a lot of encouragement in our feasibility planning, and has funded the Alfond to Head of Falls trail under its umbrella call alternative transportation. We are hoping for more funding from DOT for our other transportation routes in our system, reserving money from the Department of Conservation for recreational trails. Recently a group of trail groups bandied together with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine to float a Trails for a Healthy Maine Bond in the Legislature. Though it won considerable support, it died recently in Appropriations, as did all Bond proposals in favor of accepting the Governor‟s package which we hope will end up with some funds for the likes of us. So we are looking to private funding of our trails construction. So far our efforts have been rewarded with donations from a large number of citizens, and large donations from Mardens, Johnny‟s Selected Seeds, my own company (Emery & Garrett Groundwater), Gardiner Savings Bank and others. We have a lot to do, so will continue with this fundraising. Our Membership Our membership is essentially similar to that for public radio and TV: you are welcome to walk or bike the trails for free. But we offer you the opportunity of being part of the business of building and maintaining the network, like an investment in your community. Directors As a final note, let me introduce you to our Board of Directors, without whom the work wouldn‟t get done.
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Mike Gallagher is our Treasurer. He keeps tabs on everything, and also has a wealth of knowledge from a career in trails funding at the State Department of Conservation. Mark Turner is the Director of Public Works for Waterville. It is his interest in having a bicycle pedestrian friendly City that will make it happen. Ernie Baker is former DPW Director in Winslow. He quietly goes about making things happen with respect to trail maintenance and road signs. Laurie McReel is our chair of the trail design and sign committee. Signs will soon be very visible along our several trail segments. Shannon Haines manages to squeeze us in on an already busy life with Main Street and MIFF. Her advice on fundraising and publicity is invaluable. Eliza Mathias has plenty of experience with non-profit ventures and is always willing to move us forward. Jim Nelson, professor of wildlife at Unity College, has been gathering a team of students to work with us on trail signage. Rene Burdet has been with us longest, and offers the sagest advice on everything. Jon Rogers is our legal expert and is particularly helpful on contractual matters and access. Marilyn Canavan is busiest in this season, with legislative hearings going on late into the night. Dan Beaulieu is our strategist. Later we will have an opportunity to vote them in for another year of service as Directors. And if you would like to join them, please speak up. You will enjoy the challenges we face as we develop one of the best trail systems in the State.
Thanks for being here. Thanks for your interest.
C:\Documents and Settings\Peter\My Documents\Beautification\Ken Trail\Statements\State of the Trails 2007.doc
Kennebec Messalonskee Trails