INDIANAPOLIS GREENWAYS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEEREVISED MINUTES OF PUBLIC MEETING -- January 20, 2004 City County Building -- Room 107 Voting Members Present: SILVER, HENNEKE, HUPPERT, MOONEY, MYERS, D. PAPENMEIER and VOLLMER Voting Members Absent: JOHN, QUINN, KUMAR, YEAGER, BAILEY, SOMMERS and BARTON Others Present: Ray Irvin and Lori Block (Indy Parks Greenways), Lisa Hicks (Board Applicant, University of Indianapolis) and other members of the community. Meeting to order at 5:06 p.m. Minutes from December 16, 2003 meeting approved PROJECT UPDATES: IRVIN & BLOCK reported on the following: Fall Creek Greenway -Phase I (Monon to Keystone Ave.) has all major components complete, but Labor Day flooding, which washed out a trail portion at Tacoma Ave., has delayed 100% completion. Contractors received a Notice to Proceed for the new, larger box culvert. Monon to Central - We submitted a TEA grant this week for $1.2 million for funding, and this phase will likely be bid in 2005. Butler Fairman & Seufert completed the trail design from the Monon to Central. Plans for Phase II from 56th to Skiles Test (Shadeland Ave.) have been submitted to INDOT for review and bidding. The project should be bid in February 2004. Work continues with other phases of this corridor. Lower Fall Creek from Meridian to the White River could be designed and constructed by the ACOE as part of the Central Waterfront Master Plan Update, which we will review tomorrow morning at a meeting. Eagle Creek - The 1.8-mile trail will connect 56th and 46th Streets. Storrow/Kinsella combined the trail plans with the Pike Youth Soccer development plans, thereby reducing the total project cost. The project went to bid in November. A low bidder was received; the Parks Board needs to approve the contractor. Parks Department finalized the agreement with Pike Youth Soccer, and DPR can now move forward with awarding the contract. The Eagle Creek corridor to the north of the recently completed DPW Raymond St. piece is being considered for in-house development, due to the in-place levee system, and the bridges would be outsourced. Pennsy Corridor -The Pennsy Corridor runs from Arlington, east to the county line, south of Washington St.. The future Indianapolis Pennsy Trail will connect to the existing Pleasant Run Greenway Trail and to the Town of Cumberland's future Pennsy Trail. Storrow/Kinsella and Al McFerrin with Associated Right-of-Ways are under contract. The City-County Council has approved a $1.8 million for project development. A Phase I Environmental Study is being completed, and in the future the City will make offers to property owners. South White River Trail - Greenways submitted a TE grant application to INDOT this week for $1.8 million to fund this project. Ninebark and EDIS were hired to design and engineer a 2 mile trail from the zoo to Raymond St. Connections include the Downtown Canal Walk, Eagle Creek, Pleasant Run, and Raymond Street. Pogues Run - DPW has completed a wetland mitigation/flood control project at the Pogues Run Basin, off of I-70 & Emerson Ave. The 40-acre site, encompassed by a 1.5-mile loop trail, will be incorporated in the Indy Parks Greenways system. Phase I will include Design Development, resurfacing the trail, installing artistic benches and park shelter, environmental research led by IUPUI, and environmental education for local schools and interest groups. Greenways has developed partnerships with DPW, Parks Environmental Education staff, Parks Rangers, The Indianapolis Arts Council, universities, and the Caleb Mills Organization (CMO). Funding opportunities include $30,000 from the Greenways budget, $50,000 from DPW, a possible $30,000 grant from the Indianapolis Foundation (application was submitted January 12, 2004), a $2500 grant to CMO from the Penrod Society, and over $5000 from the 2003 CMO fundraiser. After Jan. 1, 2004, Parks will initiate the RFQ process for a project designer. Greenways will resurface the trail and open the site in spring 2004. Little Buck Creek - A bridge from Whispering Hills on Brookville Rd. will be refurbished and utilized over Little Buck Creek to connect the trail pieces constructed by C.P. Morgan. Two pony trusses will be constructed to complete each end of the span. The bridge will cost $196,000 and will go to bid in April 2004, pending DNR permits. SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES: Greenways Safety and Security Subcommittee - a letter written by a Monon Trail user was distributed to all board members. This user emailed the Greenways website to express safety concerns about riding a bicycle on the streets after dusk, due to parks' hours of dawn to dusk. IGDC members will review this letter for future discussion. NEW BUSINESS: Volunteer recruiting via Greenways Website - The Indy Parks Greenways website, www.indygreenways.org, is sponsored by the Greenways Foundation. The website's front page currently focuses on recruiting volunteers for new initiatives in spring 2004. Volunteer outreach will be expanded through the website with a future "wish list" explaining volunteer needs from cleanups, to gardening, to trail and environmental research. Upcoming events include the Annual White River Cleanup, tentatively scheduled April 3, 2004, and Indiana Amphibian Monitoring Training given by the DNR on February 7, 2004. Indiana Amphibian Monitoring Training February 7, 2004 - As frog and toad populations throughout the Midwest and worldwide have undergone significant declines, a current national program aims to monitor their status by listening to breeding calls. Since frogs in Marion County are increasingly confined to urban and suburban areas, monitoring these populations and their habitats in Indianapolis will significantly contribute to environmental conservation in our city. The IDNR is holding a training session for volunteer frog monitors Saturday, February 7 at Holliday Park Nature Center from 11am-1:30pm. Inter-Urban Corridor - Greenways is still interested in bridging across the White River to connect to the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA). The IMA Art and Nature Park is progressing, and nearby Holcomb Estates neighborhood is interested in a trail through the Inter-Urban corridor. Carmel Monon Trail Support - The city of Carmel requested the support of the Indianapolis Greenways Development Committee for a TE Grant to fund a pedestrian bridge over 96th St. on the Monon Trail. This bridge will connect the existing Marion County trail to the Hamilton County piece in a safe manner. The IGDC agreed to lend support; Lori Block will draft a letter to Carmel Mayor James Brainard for Chairman Silver's approval. Bike Routes - This year 12 bike routes were added to the Indy Greenways system; map will be shown at upcoming IGDC meeting. Old Northside Neighborhood Support Letter - Chairman Silver received a letter from the Old Northside Neighborhood on January 8, 2004, which suggested that a portion of the Monon Trail from 16th St. to the I-70 Bridge include a commemoration for Judy and Governor Frank O'Bannon. The neighborhood suggested naming a portion of the trail after the O'Bannons and offered to assist with dedication identification. After discussion, VOLLMER proposed the following motion: "The Indianapolis Greenways Development Committee moves to enact appropriate commemoration, giving consideration to the Old Northside Neighborhood's request to honor Frank and Judy O'Bannon's contribution to the Greenways system of Marion County, in accordance with Indianapolis Parks Department standards." Seconded by MOONEY The IGDC assigned the matter to the property committee, who will work with Parks' planners for further refinement. HUPPERT, MOONEY and VOLLMER will report back to the IGDC. Meeting adjourned Respectfully submitted by Lori Block, Indy Parks Greenways *All IGDC meetings are recorded and aired on WCTY Channel 16, copies available through WCTY. |