MANSFIELD — City engineer Bob Bianchi told City Council on Tuesday about a vision that could lead to a project.
Bianchi offered council members a vision of a connecting trail between the B&O bike trail and Trimble Road, another step toward a larger project that could eventually end up in downtown Mansfield.
“A project starts with a vision,” Bianchi said. “The project is lets get a separate facility from the B&O bike trail to the downtown. It may take 20 years. We gotta start. We could potentially be at the (Mansfield Art Center) in six (years),” Bianchi said.
The engineer is asking council to approve $90,000 to fund the design of the 1.25 mile connection, a $1.1 million construction project for which the city will seek funding in the form of grants from the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Bianchi said the city will seek a $500,000 grant from ODNR and a $350,000-$400,000 grant from ODOT. Additional donations and grants could be sought to fund the rest.
“We have to fund the design,” Bianchi said. “I want to put in for the ODNR grant in February. That’s why we are here tonight about (design funding).”
The trail (identified in red in the map above) would meander through land being acquired by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, part of a 280-acre area near South Home Road and Marion Avenue. The conservancy is using an Ohio Public Works Commission Clean Ohio grant to buy the former Weaver farm property and create the Niss Waterfall Conservancy.
Bianchi, who said ground could be broken for the trail in about two years, said the city will obtain an easement through the property. Construction could take nine months to a year, he said.
“We have spoken to the conservancy district. It’s all been positive. (In fact), they used this (trail plan) as part of the pitch to move forward with the purchase,” Bianchi said.
Council finance committee chair Jon Van Harlingen told fellow council members he discussed the request for unappropriated general revenue funds with city Finance Director Linn Steward.
“There are funds available if we would like to spend it and approve this legislation,” Van Harlingen said.
Council members, who appeared supportive of the idea, approved a first reading of the proposed legislation and will consider its final approval at its Oct. 2 meeting.
