TRAIL COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
APRIL 15, 2009
Present: Jason Reed, Lenore Budd, Launa Lagasse. Stewart Pierson, Colin McNaull, Martha Keenan
Colin, Jason and Stewart attended the Town Volunteer Thank you Dinner prior to the meeting. Colin said that our long term goal was to emulate the Trails Around Middlebury for Hinesburg. The start of this project would be a town meeting in the future. On a more immediate basis, the goal of the committee was to remark sections of the Eagle Trail.
MARCH 18, 2009 MINUTES – Approved.
EXECUTIVE SESSION AND CONFIDENTIALITY - Discussed this issue.
UVM INTERN(S): suggest this recruitment be around the project of planning a PUBLIC MEETING to prepare a master plan for Town trails. The assignment would be to work with the Trail Committee in planning this event, and then oversee the publicity for it; participate in it and then help develop a follow plan. Such an intern might come from the Recreation Department or Environmental studies. Colin will deal with the UVM possibilities, Marie Vea-Fagnant, Richard Watts, Mary Watzin, and Walter Kuentzel. Jason will explore the use of AmeriCorps volunteers. Both will report back to the committee at our next meeting if not before.
OLD TOWN FOREST PLANNING: This could also be a project for a UVM intern. That work will need someone with wild life experience to facilitate new trail development that does not impinge on wild or plant life. Jason Reed has kindly agreed to be on the committee that will be writing a management plan for the Town Forest.
HEMMINGWAY ENTRANCE TO (GILMAN ROAD SOUTH ENTRANCE): The trail on the deeded 50 foot wide road way between the Hemmingway and Wagner land that leads to the Gillespie Copp-Welch & Hinesburg Riparian Forest Trails needs some adjustment and some maintenance. The adjustment will take advantage of the width of the road in order to lessen impact the Hemmingway home. Colin will be meeting with the Hemmingways very soon. Survey markers on the Wagner side should facilitate this process.
JUNE 6TH WORK DAY: Jason has this in hand. Suggestion is to begin by improving the Gilman Road south entrance to Gillespie Copp-Welch & Hinesburg Riparian Forest Trails that goes between the Hemmingway and Wagner property. This section of the trail needs clarification work. Colin will also post this in the FRONT PORCH FORUM closer to the June 6 date. Some signage will also be needed. Colin will send a letter to the abutting property owners alerting them to this work day and inviting their participation as well.
GPS UNITS AND GPS/GIS MAPPING - The Hinesburg Community School has made four GPS units available to the Trails Committee. They are currently held by Ken Brown, Jason Reed, Lenore Budd, and Colin McNaull. Some of the $350.00 could be used for tuition to a GPS/GIS mapping school.
ECONOMU ROAD ENTRANCE TO OLD TOWN FOREST: Grading and drainage improvement is needed on this entrance. It is not clear whose job this is: Huntington or Hinesburg. Jeannie Wilson is the key person. This should be done by experienced people such as Mike Anthony (Road Foreman). Although Trails has money available, the Trails Committee this job feels like the Town's work. Trails money might be used for New Town Forest where other money is less available.
ANCIENT ROAD UPDATE - The Ancient Roads Committee hopes to be out in the woods and fields shortly to look for and confirm where the ancient roads in the town are actually located. They have not yet had the chance to review Colin’s request, “Are there any ancient roads that connect Lavigne Hill Road via Red Pine Road to Partridge Hill Road? Is there an ancient road that connects Economu Road to Hayden Hill Road? This is probably a moot issue since if there is one; it probably runs/ran thru the Town Forest.”
PLANNING FOR A TOWN MEETING – Continues as the need is there to accomplish our goals for the town.
EQUINE CENSUS UPDATE – Colin hopes to have this completed prior to our June meeting.
GILMAN ROAD NORTH (FUTURE MIDDLE) ENTRANCE -Gillespie Copp-Welch & Hinesburg Riparian Forest Trails, while the Trails Committee has been calling this trailhead "Gilman Road North" because it is the northern of the two entrances to the existing trail network, it is the SOUTHERN entrance of the two legal access points to the new (Bissonette/LaPlatte Headwaters) town forest. Lenore donated a gate to temporarily prevent motorized access to the new town forest via the existing farm/logging road to The Hidden Meadow and beyond. $350.00 might be used here as well.
NRG: Martha reported good progress with Mobile Short Stop in laying out the path along Route 116. It will lie between the row of Maple trees and the ditch. NRG has the engineering staff to lay out a proposal for SHORT STOP to review. Once the actual placement has been agreed upon, engineering drawings and legal papers for a five foot wide asphalt path can be prepared.
THISTLE HILL PATHS: Signs for the required trails have been placed, but it is not clear what other work, if any , has taken place. Colin is suggesting that some of us take a walk there, possibly in the evening as daylight increases or on a Sunday.
NEXT MEETING: MAY 20TH AT 7 PM
(3rd Wednesday of the month)
Respectfully
Stewart Pierson
Additions on 4/20/09 by Colin McNaull
Updated: 4/21/09