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Residents see Lake Herman rec trail plans
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By CHUCK CLEMENT, Staff Reporter
| 10/21/2009 |
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City and county officials fielded questions Tuesday night and pointed out on maps the details related to a proposed recreational trail that would connect Madison to Lake Herman.
About 30 people attended the open house held at the Madison Fire Station. Some visitors expressed their concerns about the effects the proposed three-mile trail would have on their nearby property. Among the concerns were increased foot and bicycle traffic, littering, water drainage and tree removal.
Chad Comes, Madison's city engineer, spoke to visitors while seated next to County Commissioner Bert Verhey at one display table.
"The main purpose of last night was to let people see what the proposal is and what can be done with its design," Comes said Wednesday. "We wanted to put everything out there and fix any misconceptions that people might have."
The proposed trail would start at Flynn Field in south Madison, travel west along a creekbed to Highland Ave., turn south along the avenue, and then turn west again and follow 234th St. to Lake Herman.
Local officials and Ulteig Engineers personnel, the surveying contractor for the project, listened to comments about the removal of a group of plum trees near the creekbed and possible installation of fences or hedges between the trail and private property. They also heard landowner concerns about water drainage and legal liability for accidents.
Comes said that organizers had sent invitations to all of the involved landowners to attend the open house.
"And we have talked to all of them informally previous to last night," he said.
About half of the nine property owners who possess land along the rec trail's route in and outside of Madison attended the open house. Three landowners possess property along the creek, and other parcels of land in the Madison are currently owned by the city.
Engineers working for Ulteig have surveyed the proposed route and have developed plans for the construction design of the rec trail. The next step in the development process involves obtaining the rights-of-way needed for construction. According to John Bohman, an Ulteig surveyor, the typical payment for a right-of-way amounts to the land's assessed value plus 15 percent.
The city received $320,000 from a federal earmark in 2005 for the construction of local recreational trails. To this point, $45,000 was spent building a rec trail to Lake Madison and another $170,000 was budgeted for an extension along SD-19 west of the lake. Of the remaining $105,000, $50,000 was assigned as payment to Ulteig Engineers and $55,000 was left for land acquisition and other development fees.
City officials are requesting that the public make comments about the Lake Herman rec trail project. Comment cards were available at the open house and they are still available at the city engineer's office.
In addition, comments can be mailed to Adam Schoenherr, Ulteig Engineers, 5701 S. Corporate Place, Sioux Falls, S.D., 57108, or e-mailed to adam.schoenherr@@ulteig.com.
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©Madison Daily Leader 2009
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