INDIANAPOLIS GREENWAYS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEEREVISED MINUTES OF PUBLIC MEETING -- April 21, 2005 City County Building -- Room 118 Voting Members Present: SILVER, Shikany, VOLLMER, MYERS, HENNEKE, PAPENMEIER, BARTON, HICKS, SOMMERS, and JOHN Voting Members Absent: MOONEY, Payne, Dorsa, MASON, and QUINN Others Present: Ray Irvin, Terri Van Zant, Lori Keys, Sandi Young and Stephanie Seawell (Indy Parks) Greg Lindsey, Craig Lee, Paul Mullin, (IUPUI) Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Adams and Councilor Ron Gibson Meeting called to order at 5:05 PM Minutes from February 2005 IGDC subcommittee meetings were approved. March 2005 minutes were deferred to next month's meeting. Chairman Silver quoted Indianapolis Municipal Code 241-213 as it pertains to the Indianapolis Greenways Development Committee's role and responsibilities. Special Guests Sandi Young, Executive Assistant of Indy Parks and Recreation, spoke on behalf of Director Joseph Wynns. She explained that Director Wynns was unable to attend today's meeting due to an engagement at Indiana University's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation in Bloomington. Ms. Young recognized the Indianapolis Greenways Development Committee for their time and efforts in improving Indianapolis. She also introduced Stephanie Seawell, Indy Parks Grants Coordinator. Criag Lee from the IUPUI Anthropology Department was asked by Chairman Silver to speak on his ethnography research done on Bethel Church. The 168-year old church, located on west Vermont St. and within the Cultural Trail's alignment, is a historic landmark within the IUPUI campus. Once serving as an Underground Railroad stop, the church contains significant history for Indianapolis. Through his oral history research, Mr. Lee discovered the community value that the church has and continues to provide, particularly in the Black community. Councilor Gibson emphasized the need to dedicate the church as a historical monument. Mr. Lee agreed to update the committee as his research continues beyond the church to include other historic places in the immediate area. Dr. Greg Lindsey, Professor and Associate Dean of IUPUI's School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and Associate Director for the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment presented his recent findings from his continued trail counting work on Indy Greenways. In his current studies, Dr. Lindsey's primary aim is to explain variations in trail traffic, and to then develop a model for forecasting trail traffic on proposed or existing trails. Spaced about every mile, 30 trail counters on five trails makes up a 40-mile network. The counters allow Dr. Lindsey and his team to examine hourly traffic and daily counts, including peak hours and weekend vs. weekday. Using weather data, time, socio-demographic characteristics, street segment length and population data, as well as other variables, a model is being developed to forecast trail traffic. This research along with past research by Dr. Lindsey and the Center for Urban Policy and the Environment helps support Greenways in securing funds to build more trails by answer the question "How do you know this investment is worth it?." The study's final goal is to build a national model for trail usage. PROJECT UPDATES: KEYS, VAN ZANT and IRVIN reported on the following: Volunteer Projects -- 6th Annual Fall Creek Cleanup -- March 26, 2005. Volunteers cleaned debris on Fall Creek's banks from MLK to Rader Street. 17th Annual White River Cleanup -- April 2, 2005. Because of over 170 volunteers and 11 participating organizations, 10 tons of trash were successfully removed from the White River. 49th/Monon Art Mural -- April 17, 2005. Youth volunteers from the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation completed a new mural to add to the existing art murals at 49th Street on the Monon Trail, using Winthrop Supply's building. Additional volunteers from the Indianapolis Arts Center Mentor Program helped unify the 49th Street urban arts project by painting the wall's columns. Chris Smock, DPR Arts Services, helped direct the project. Town Run Trail Park -- Greenways staff and HMBA (Hoosier Mountain Bike Association) have spent countless hours enhancing and repairing trails within the park. There has been significant damage by BMX riders, and attempted repairs have been continuously undone. Eagle Creek Greenway -- This 16-mile corridor transects the B & O, White River Greenway, and Pleasant Run Trail. Currently under construction, the 1.8-mile trail piece will connect 56th and 46th Streets. Construction has been on hold throughout the winter, although a few days of work were completed during good weather last month. Notice to proceed has been issued for April 25, and provided optimum weather conditions, trail construction should happen quickly. Gradex, the contractor for this project, is scheduled to begin driving the pilings for the boardwalks this month. The project should reach substantial completion this summer with landscaping and other miscellaneous items completed by fall. DPW's improvements along 56th St. from Lafayette Rd. to Guion will make this project more accessible to the area. DPW/56th St improvements -- As part of a road improvement project for 56th Street from Lafayette Road to Guion Road, DPW has designed an 8-foot asphalt path from Georgetown Road to the existing path along 56th from Lafayette Road west to Eagle Creek Park. This project is part of the envisioned Pike Township Connectivity Plan and is to be completed in 2006. Fall Creek Greenway -- The bid packet for Phase II from 56th to Skiles Test (Shadeland Ave.) was released by INDOT in March and then pulled due to problems with the construction documents. The project will be re-bid in May/June. Construction will begin by July, with substantial completion by the year's end. Pogues Run -- Pogues Run Art and Nature Park's 1.5-mile loop trail recently received a new layer of crushed limestone. DPR Greenways continues to work with trail neighbors to develop trail amenities and host an annual cleanup for the basin and corridor. Browing Day Mullins and Deardorf has been contracted to develop a full site master plan, keeping with the park's initiative of merging art and nature. Upcoming Events -- 1st Annual Pogues Run Community Cleanup -- May 21, 2005 National Trails Day -- June 4, 2005; hosting "Pleasant Run, Pleasant Walk, Pleasant Day" Other Business -- DPR Greenways received an honor award for The Monon Trail, phase 4 and 5 from the ACEC (American Council of Engineering Companies) of Indiana for Engineering Excellence. Committee approved motions to accept the CICF's pledge to $5000 to fund Greenways marketing. Chairman Silver will report to Parks Board on this matter. Meeting adjourned 6:25 PM Respectfully submitted by Lori Keys and Terri Van Zant, Indy Parks Greenways *All IGDC meetings are recorded and aired on WCTY Channel 16, copies available through WCTY. |