INDIANAPOLIS GREENWAYS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEEREVISED MINUTES OF PUBLIC MEETING -- May 2004 City County Building -- Room 107 Voting Members Present: SILVER, JOHN, VOLLMER, MYERS, PAPENMEIER, DORSA, and SHIKANY Voting Members Absent: HENNEKE, PAYNE, MOONEY, QUINN, BARTON, and SOMMERS Others Present: Lori Block and Annie Brown (Indy Parks Greenways), Chuck Huppert, Greg Midgley, Luke Papenmeier Meeting called to order at 5:04 PM Minutes from April 20, 2004 meeting approved PROJECT UPDATES: BLOCK & BROWN reported on the following: Fall Creek Greenway - A pre-final inspection for Phase I (Monon to Keystone Ave.) occurred yesterday. All major construction is complete, with the new box culvert recently constructed to repair Labor Day flood damage at Tacoma Ave. Minor repairs will be completed by the contractor by next month. The warranty on plant material expires in fall 2004, at which time all necessary plants will be replaced. "Trail Closed" signs will be removed. We have partnered with DPW to construct a sidewalk at the 38th Street crossing. Monon to Central - Butler Fairman & Seufert has completed the trail design. A TEA grant was submitted to INDOT for $1.2 million to fund this phase, and if awarded, construction could begin in 2005. Plans for Phase II from 56th to Skiles Test (Shadeland Ave.) should have been submitted to INDOT for review and bidding in February 2004, now bidding will likely occur this summer. Indy Parks Land Stewardship has undertaken a large restoration project in preparation for the trail. 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. All necessary permits have been obtained, and DPR is ready to issue a Notice to proceed to the contractor, Gradex. Greenways will install signs to inform neighbors about the upcoming trail. 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, the Town of Cumberland's future Pennsy Trail, and eventually east to Greenfield. Nine adjacent property owners agreed to support the trail in meetings last month. The city continues to focus on land acquisition while design team at Storrow and Kinsella Associates continues design efforts for the corridor. Development could begin in 2006. South White River Trail - Greenways submitted a TE grant application to INDOT for $1.8 million to fund this project. Ninebark was hired to develop construction documents for this 2-mile trail piece from the zoo to Raymond St. Indy Parks will enter into an easement with INDOT to develop a lighted parking lot and trail access under the I-70 bridge at Kentucky Ave. Pogues Run - This 40-acre wetland mitigation/flood control project, encompassed by a 1.5-mile loop trail, will become part of Indy Greenways as an art and nature park. The trail will be open for use in 2004 as soon as a Memorandum of Understanding is signed between Indy Parks and DPW. A $30,000 grant was received from the Indianapolis Foundation for site amenities. Indy Parks is working toward hiring Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects to complete a site masterplan. Greenways developed partnerships with DPW, Parks Environmental Education staff, Parks Rangers, The Indianapolis Arts Council, universities, and the Caleb Mills Organization (CMO). DPR will hold a public meeting after landscape architects are under contract. 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, pending city budget restrictions and DNR permits. Town Run Trail Park - This park contains 8 to 9 miles of single track trail for hiking and mountain biking. Greenways owes much of the park's success to the Hoosier Mountain Biking Association (HMBA), who volunteers for the majority of all trail work and cleanups. A new changing room and restroom facility with 2 portalets was installed this month. SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATES: The IGDC delegated members to the following subcommittees: Arts Subcommittee - SOMMERS (Chair), SILVER Maintenance and Design Subcommittee - VOLLMER (Chair), HENNEKE, MYERS Marketing Subcommittee - JOHN (Chair) Property Subcommittee - SHIKANY, MOONEY Safety and Security Subcommittee - PAPENMEIER, DORSA. NEW BUSINESS: Pedal & Park - Sponsored by the Metropolitan Planning Organization, this partnership between the Greenways Foundation, Central Indiana Bicycling Association, Indiana Bicycle Coalition, and Indy Greenways allows trail users to ride their bikes to special events and park them in a secure area for free. Upcoming events include Bike to Work Day May 21, the Broad Ripple Art Fair May 22-23, and the Talbot St. Art Fair June 12-13. Visit www.indygreenways.org for further information. IPD North District Partnership - IPD North District's Bike Patrol will move into the Boulevard Station office on the Monon Trail at 38th St. In addition to Indy Greenways and IPD, this partnership includes Parks Rangers and community Crime Watch groups. A press conference will be held Monday, May 24 at 10:00 am at Boulevard Station. Presentation by ex-officio IGDC member Chuck Huppert - As former chairman of the Property Subcommittee, C. Huppert gave the following updates. A) The subcommittee has continually worked with property owners adjacent to trails to limit commercial activity in natural areas and support areas such as Broad Ripple that have historically been commercial centers. B) Signage for a Frank O'Bannon memorial at 16th St. and the Monon has been approved, per conversation with Don Colvin, Administrator of Planning. The interpretive sign needs to be designed. C) The safety of commuters after dark is still being discussed by the IGDC. A city ordinance mandates that all parks hours are dawn to dusk; however, trail users who commute from work point out that they must use trails after dusk during most times of the year to commute safely home. The IGDC feels that greenways serve as alternative transportation routes in addition to parks, so the property committee will continue to research the issue with regard to federal regulations. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful partnership with School for the Blind - KIB is partnering with the J. Everett Light Career Center at North Central High School to expand the plaza at the Indiana School for the Blind on the Monon Trail. Meeting adjourned 6:04 Respectfully submitted by Lori Block, Indy Parks Greenways *All IGDC meetings are recorded and aired on WCTY Channel 16, copies available through WCTY. |