By Joseph Slacian
jslacian@thepaperofwabash.com
LAGRO, Ind. — Nearly 150 people filled the room and poured out into the hallway of the Lagro Community Building on Monday, May 8, to hear pros and cons about the Wabash River Trail.
The meeting, conducted by the Wabash River Trail Committee, was the first time the group publicly spoke about the project. It was ordered to do so by the Northeast Indiana Regional Development Authority as a condition of receiving more than $900,000 from the state’s Regional Cities Initiative program.
Bill Konyha, former president and CEO of the Economic Development Group of Wabash County, moderated the two-hour meeting, which featured a 16-minute presentation by Dawn Kroh, the trail developer from Green 3.
During her talk, Kroh said the primary focus of Monday’s meeting would be the section of the Wabash River Trail that is located in Lagro. A subsequent meeting, sometime later this year, will deal with the proposed trail from Lagro to Wabash.
“We’re here with a lot of details about Phase 1A today, because we have been able to make some plans, to do some field investigations, to do the survey work needed to present those,” Kroh said. “That has not occurred yet on Phase 1B.”
Phase 1A is a 1.5 mile section beginning at the right of way on the west end of Basin Street. It travels about 1,000 feet east until it reaches a spur that will lead to the parking area near the Little League field. It then travels another 1,800 feet until it reaches State Road 524.
Across 524 is a section being referred to as Streetscape.
“In that section we will have pavement markings on the roadway, on Basin Street, and bicyclists will use the roadway,” Kroh said. “Pedestrians will be on a newly constructed sidewalk on the south side of Basin Street.”
East of Davis Street the trail continues along the canal tow path until it reaches Kerr Lock. There is a spur trail that goes through the lock and comes into Kerr Lock, which is being designed as a trailhead.
“At Kerr Lock, on the main line, the trail keeps going and a new pedestrian bridge will be created at the old location, where the old bridge was that crossed Lagro Creek,” Kroh said.
After crossing the new bridge, the trail will continue another 1,800 feet, ending by Tipton Street.
She stressed that the committee and trail designers are working with local residents to make sure that plans for the trail and their land is compatible.
“Everybody has a unique situation, and coordination is ongoing, and will be ongoing, until we get the designs so that it satisfies all the private access needs, whether that’s private access to your drive way, whether that’s private access to your farm field, what have you,” Kroh said.
In addition to working with public and private landowners, she continued, the group also must work with easement holders, specifically, Duke Energy.
WRT designers contacted Duke in 2015 about easement information, which the company provided. However, spokesman Angeline Protogere told The Paper of Wabash County, that the utility was unaware that work had started until February when it was spotted during a routine helicopter patrol.
The developoment in Lagro also will contain a new restroom facility, as well as a new pavilion in the downtown area.
Kroh did acknowledge that work on a boat ramp just east of State Road 524 was completed without the proper permits required by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. She blamed the contractor for that happening.
However, she said, the permit has since been received. Opponents to the trail have appealed the DNR’s decision. A hearing on the appeal is scheduled for May 17, according to Glenn and Sheila Butcher, who filed the appeal.
After Kroh’s remarks, the next 90 minutes were a give and take with audience members and Kroh.
Both proponents and opponents spoke. One proponent, Sarah Cole, said he appreciated the WRT efforts, noting that her daughter is showing and interest in biking.However, as a mother, Cole said she feels traveling along the existing trail is too dangerous for youth.
Lou Studio, who owns the ice cream shop in Lagro, praised the WRT for trying to revitalize the downtown portion of the town, and urged both sides to reach a compromise.
Opponents raised concerns about such things as safety along the trail, and what should happen if drug paraphanalia and drug deals were to happen.
Kroh said that the trail will help reduce drug crimes, noting that those dealing or making drugs will want to go to an area where there is fewer people.
Another resident asked Sheriff Bob Land how many new deputies he will have to hire to patrol along the trail.
Land said he currently has 16 patrol officers, adding that he doesn’t believe it is enough to cover the county now.
Other opponents questioned what rights property owners have to reject giving or sellng land to WRT.
“As indicated, the trail will only be developed where there is a willing seller or a willing donor,” Kroh said. “So if you’re not a willing seller or a willing donor, we will have to route around that will go around you.”
Others questioned why the trail is not going south of the river.
Doing so, Kroh said, would require one, if not two bridges at a cost of about $1 million per bridge.
Three members of the Northeast Indiana RDA were present at the meeting.
Michael Galbraith, director of the Road to One Million program, which oversees the funds the WRT is seeking, said he planned to report to the board on Tuesday, May 9, about Monday’s meeting.
He didn’t expect that any action, as far as setting a deadline for the final plans for the Wabash to Lagro route, would take place.
Kroh said she felt the meeting went well, thanking those from both sides who came to the meeting.