Ankeny works on upkeep agreement for new trail

Wed August 11 2010
Posted Aug 12, 2010
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By Melanie Lageschulte Maintenance agreements for the High Trestle Trail should be created now that the project is nearing completion, Ankeny Parks and Recreation Director Todd Redenius said at Monday's City Council work session. The High Trestle Trail runs from Ankeny to Woodward. Nearly all the trail sections are finished; the massive bridge over the Des Moines River will open this fall and a formal dedication is planned for the spring. Numerous jurisdictions, organizations and private donors paid for the $15 million project. "Ankeny is positioning itself as a hub of regional trails," Redenius said, and upkeep of the regional paths will be as important as expanding the system. Redenius said he has been working with the city attorney and Polk County Conservation on a maintenance proposal for the trail. Along with general clearing of brush along the path and other general maintenance, Redenius said, the trail's several bridges will need inspections in the future. "There's a cost that's going to come with that," he said. Redenius said he expects the proposed maintenance agreement would set out responsibilities for the various jurisdictions the trail runs through. He suggested Ankeny be willing to help with maintenance along sections of the trail outside the city limits if necessary. "It makes sense to do that because Ankeny is going to benefit from it," he said, because the paths that are part of regional systems are the most-used trails in the city. He added there would be additional labor needed for that upkeep but that Ankeny, unlike some of the smaller communities along the route, already has the needed equipment. Redenius said the proposed maintenance agreement could come to the council for a vote in September or October. Council members Craig Block and Gary Welch asked about foliage growing along some locations of trail within the city. Redenius said city crews make routine checks of the paths and trim back foliage as soon as they can. Trails that are used by students walking to school or that help residents reach activity centers in the city are a priority for maintenance, he said. Loop trails in city parks are also popular with residents, he said. Redenius and Paul Moritz, public works director, also updated the council Monday on the status of other major trail projects in the Ankeny area. Officials said plans for the Gay Lea Wilson Trail extension that will connect Ankeny to the north side of Des Moines are coming together. The city's 4.5-mile share of the 7.3-mile project will cost about $1.6 million; Redenius said about $718,000 has been secured so far and Ankeny leaders are applying for another $150,000 grant. The other portion is the responsibility of Polk County. Moritz said an engineering contract for the first phase of Ankeny's work on the Gay Lea Wilson Trail could come to the council next month. Officials hope to start on the project in the spring and have it completed by late 2012 or early 2013. It can cost between $200,000 and $250,000 to create a mile of trail, Redenius said, and the amount and types of grants available for such projects average out to covering $150,000 to $200,000 of that cost. Given that fact, he said, "you can understand how long it takes to fully develop those trails."