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INDIANAPOLIS GREENWAYS DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

REVISED MINUTES OF PUBLIC MEETING -- September 15, 2005

City County Building -- Room 118

Voting Members Present: SILVER, VOLLMER, HICKS, BARTON, MOONEY, SOMMERS, SHIKANY, DORSA, MYERS, and JOHN

Voting Members Absent: PAYNE, HENNEKE, PAPENMEIER, QUINN and MASON

Others Present: Ray Irvin, Lori Keys, Jonathan Gick & Colleen Broderick (Indy Parks), Matthew Klein, Joshua Wells, Clayton Jones

Meeting called to order at 5:07 PM

Minutes from July 2005 IGDC meeting were approved.

GUEST PRESENTATIONS

Matthew Klein, President of the Greenways Foundation, Inc., discussed the foundation's three new goals for expansion: membership, marketing and fundraising. Working with Hirons & Co. Communications, the foundation is developing a marketing plan to better reach its supporters. Furthermore, the Greenways Foundation, Inc. will adopt changes to the bylaws to promote surrounding counties in Central Indiana. A fundraising committee will work with the IGDC. A new member of the Greenways Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors, IGDC member Brian Payne, will help facilitate this collaboration.

Joshua Wells, Artist, proposed a mural rendering for the Monon Trail just south of 49th St., on Winthrop Supply's building. Joshua is an aerosol artist by trade and proposed a 120-foot long brightly colored mural depicting athletes in motion. The rendering was reviewed by the IGDC Arts Subcommittee and DPR Planning. BARTON made a motion to approve the mural for use on the Monon Trail at the proposed location. SOMMERS seconded the motion, adding that the scale and design of the artwork would add a professional quality to this section of the Monon.

Clayton Jones, Eagle Scout candidate, presented the project he completed at Town Run Trail Park under the supervision of Jonathan Gick. Clayton and his volunteers eliminated fall line trails and created sustainable trails at the park. They tried to keep grades under ten percent for sustainability, while inserting logs and other items for variety and interest.

PROJECT UPDATES:

IRVIN, KEYS and GICK reported on the following:

Central Canal - In spring of 2004, Indy Parks Greenways partnered with the Department of Waterworks, Veolia Water Indianapolis, and IUPUI to clear the canal banks from 30th Street to Burdsal Pkwy, providing a service road and eventually a trail. Veolia has already invested $71,000 on this initiative, and Community Baptist Church raised community support for improvements to the Canal. Veolia has also made donations to the Greenways Foundation. These entities joined forces with the community and churches, holding a clean up of the area on July 23, 2005. Other partners in the cleanup included Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, the United Northwest Area, and DPW. About 170 volunteers met at Community Baptist Church and spread out to clean both the Canal banks and the community streets between 30th St. and Burdsal Pkwy., and Riverside and MLK.

Fall Creek Greenway - The bid packet for Phase II from 56th to Skiles Test (Shadeland Ave.) was re-bid at the end of May, and Harco Asphalt was low bidder at 1.3 million. Indy Parks still needs to get INDOT's approval for inspection services before a preconstruction meeting can be held.

Pogue's Run - Pogue's Run Art and Nature Park will be enhanced with its first artistic amenities in spring of 2006. Partnership development with Herron School or Art and the Caleb Mills Organization will result in five artistic benches and three sculptures installed at the sight. Graphics for an interpretive sign at the park's entrance are being completed in-house. Environmental service learning projects are continuing at the site with IUPUI.

Eagle Creek Greenway - A ribbon cutting this fall will officially open the 1.8-mile trail piece connecting Eagle Creek Park to neighborhoods from 56th to 46th Street. This portion comprises part of a 16-mile corridor that would connect to Zionsville to the North and to the White River Trail south of downtown. Much work has been completed, and a few things such as street crossings, signage and miscellaneous corrections are among the few items that remain to complete construction.

Pike Connectivity - Road projects throughout Pike Township will connect to Eagle Creek Park, Eagle Creek Trail, and Lafayette Rd. A trail along 56th St. is currently being constructed as part of a road widening project.

NEW BUSINESS

National parks conference - Indianapolis will host a national parks and recreation conference in two years. With approximately 10,000 attendees predicted to visit the city, DPR will allocate some funds to aesthetic improvements and maintenance.

Pennsy Rail-Trail - $1.4 million has been dedicated to this project on Indianapolis' east side. The 6.5-mile corridor project is still in the land acquisition phase. As the railroad owned the corridor for 150 years and sold some fragmented pieces to private owners, DPR is working carefully to address property issues.

Discuss health related benefits of greenways - Chairman SILVER addressed the health-related benefits of greenways in conjunction with recent local initiatives, such as the FitCity campaign. Upon SILVER's request, Dr. Lisa HICKS agreed to lead a discussion of health and fitness in relation to greenways at a future IGDC meeting.

Meeting adjourned 6:29PM

Respectfully submitted by Lori Keys, Indy Parks Greenways

*All IGDC meetings are recorded and aired on WCTY Channel 16, copies available through WCTY.


 

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