INDIANAPOLIS GREENWAYS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEEREVISED MINUTES OF PUBLIC MEETING -- December 15, 2005 City County Building -- Room 118 Voting Members Present: SILVER, BARTON, PAYNE, MYERS, SHIKANY, HENNEKE, HICKS, VOLLMER, and SOMMERS Voting Members Absent: DORSA, PAPENMEIER, QUINN, JOHN, MOONEY, and MASON Others Present: Ray Irvin, Terri Van Zant, Annie Brown, Jon Gick, Lori Keys (Indy Parks) Frankie Tibbs & Pat Carroll (DPW) Connie Szerdy, Matthew Klein, Greg Gerkie Meeting called to order at 5:09 PM Minutes from November 2005 IGDC meeting were approved. END OF YEAR SUMMARY: IRVIN, VAN ZANT, GICK, BROWN, and KEYS reported on the following: 2005 Highlights
Town Run Trail Park -- Work at Town Run mainly consists of unsustainable trail elimination and creation of new sustainable trail. Many of the existing trails are fall-line trails that contribute to erosion and occur in the bottom of the flood plain. New, suitable trails are constructed at higher elevations at 10% or less grade. To protect the area of the eliminated trails, barriers are put up and the area re-seeded. Utilizing these new types of trails adds two or more months of usage because the trails dry out faster. Hoosier Mountain Bike Association (HMBA) is the major contributor to the success of this trail parks, but Eagle Scout projects add much value to the trails as well. Clayton Jones Eagle Scout Project consisted of 200-250 hours of trail elimination and sustainable trail building. Matthew Crocker's Scout Project utilized 300-350 hours and replaced a fall-line trail with a new sustainable one. HMBA Challenge Park concept, separate park area, for special challenges to increase skills, Director Wynns has approved the concept. Bike Routes Greenways has continued to work with DPW to install signs on 6 new routes this year. The routes cross the county and are roughly 15 miles long each. Greenways staff is also working with DPW to obtain a grant to install bike lanes along some of the designated routes. Coordination with DPW Adult Protective Services, provided 480 hours of Community Service Workers per month for a $439,855 total annual partnership value. This work help keep the greenways free of litter. Americorps VISTA Greenways staff was assisted for 10 weeks this summer by 3 students, provided by Americorps VISTA. The students were responsible for cleared viewing area along Pleasant Run at trailhead, painted benches and bridge railing at Spruce and Pleasant Run Parkway. The VISTA students did countless hours of work on the Canal Towpath. They worked on clearing the North Terrace of the Broad Ripple Canal and organized the One Heart Many Hands volunteer work, which resurfaced the Towpath's edge and cut back vegetation. The students assisted in the Pleasant Walk-Pleasant Run-Pleasant Day event on June 4th . ART MURALS A mural on the Winthrop Supply building was completed by the VISTA students at the end of their 10 weeks. Joshua Wells' art mural on Winthrop Supply Co. (south of 49th on Monon) Work has begun, but is on hold until preferable weather There were two other mural completed in 2005 as part of the 49 Street art mural project located on Winthrop Supply's North building. The Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation designed and painted a mural with the help of the Indianapolis Art Center Mentor Program in April 2005. Assistance also provided by the Greenways Foundation. Erin Ward's "picnic" mural based on the children's story was painted by kids from Mentoring of Children with Promise. Morris Kurz, 64th Street Mural -- Morris is a mural artist that took it upon himself to supply the materials to repair the American Legion building. He painted a Native American landscape scene on the White River. Jordan YMCA public/private partnership -- City of Indianapolis, White's Ace Hardware, Inoke Investments, BF&S, YMCA, Eagle Scout, Joel Myers wrote and received IPALCO Golden Eagle grant for $1000 to purchase additional landscaping White River Cleanup; over 170 volunteers, 10 tons of trash, 15 gallons of coffee and 11 participating organizations Pogue's Run Corridor Cleanup over a dozen organizations assisted in this cleanup and worked with Arts Council of Indianapolis, Sean Derry selected "Charting Pogue's Run" retraced original alignment of the stream, and inlayed medallions in the streetscape. Pogue's Run Art and Nature Park -- Plan was establish for how to spend grant funds received by CICF. Partnerships furthered with Caleb Mills and established with Herron School of Art and Design. Students from Herron were commissioned for benches and sculptures. Local artist Pat Mack has also been commissioned to create a custom kiosk for the park. Service Learning Project were held at Pogues Run with IUPUI Sociology Students and Key Learning Community Students Central Canal -- Corridor Restoration by Veolia. Invasive vegetation cleared, service road created, laying foundation for future trail. Value of $75,000 for Greenways.Canal Community clean up -- The Broad Ripple Canal north terrace between the Monon to Guilford was originally constructed and planted in 2000 with turf grass, rose bushed and low-grow sumac. The impetus for this restoration was the weeds, specifically Siberian elms. Roses prevented adequate weeding measures. Beginning in June with Greenways' VISTA students, Greenways began restoring the landscaping. Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation volunteers help for an afternoon in September. Additionally 20 students from IUPUI Sociology and 25 high school students from Senator Evan Bayhs office, helped wrap this project up by completing the weed and rose bush removal, and planting 130 new Chokeberry shrubs. This project will be completed next spring with the addition of short-grass prairie plants to replace the turf and new trees. Some of the Evan Bayh's students also spent some time cleaning up the drinking fountain area at 71st and the Monon. Service Learning Day with IUPUI Sociology students; honeysuckle and trash removal at Upper Fall Creek future trailhead. IUPUI Sociology students also had a service learning day at Town Run Trail Park APO, Service Day, 13 students from Alpha Phi Omega came to plant trees and shrubs donated by IPL to replace recently relocated spruce trees along the Monon. Trees relocated by Eagle Creek Nursery. Traders Point Christian Church provided 25 volunteers on their "Great Day of Service" campaign to help cleanup and weed the south Monon. Eagle Creek Greenway - A public ribbon cutting was held November 4th. to open the 1.5-mile trail-piece connecting Eagle Creek Park to neighborhoods from 56th to 46th Streets. The trail section is partially located within the Mary and John Geisse Soccer Complex and partially on property leased from the Indianapolis Airport Authority. Trail amenities include mile markers, secondary trails, and native plants installed between the trail and fields. Pike Connectivity - DPW's road improvements in Pike Township will help connect to Eagle Creek Park, Northwestway Park, Eagle Creek Trail, and Lafayette Rd. DPW is installing a path along 56th St. from Georgetown to Lafayette as part of a road widening project. DPW began bank stabilization along Fall Creek at the Keystone Pedestrian Bridge. Dr. Lindsey's trail counter work continued in 2005. He and his staff maintain 30 counters and one camera and continue to collect priceless information about trail usage. Indianapolis Art Center, new access from ArtSpark to Monon Trail Pedal & Park -- These events at State Fair, Indianapolis Art Center and Indianapolis Museum of Art are possible only by the cooperation and dedication of CIBA, MPO, Greenways Foundation. Website www.indygreenway.org, sponsored by Greenways Foundation received 300,000 hits. Special thanks to webmaster tom mcCain. Fall Creek Greenway - Trail project for Phase II from 56th to Skiles Test (Shadeland Ave.) pre-construction meeting was held December 13. Project is moving forward. Special recognition of Frankie Tibbs, was given by Ray Irvin, Matt Klein and Pat Carroll. Lifetime achievement award present by Matt Klein, President of Greenways Foundation to Frankie Tibbs. Respectfully submitted by Terri Van Zant, Indy Parks Greenways *All IGDC meetings are recorded and aired on WCTY Channel 16, copies available through WCTY. |