Barcelona to Chautauqua Institution Trail
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Barcelona to Chautauqua Institution Multi-Use Trail Feasibility Study and Implementation Plan November 2013 Barcelona Westfield Mayville Chautauqua Institution Prepared for CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Prepared by . ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Project Steering Committee A special thank you goes out to the citizens and organizations of Barcelona, Westfield, Mayville and Chautauqua Institution, as well as the greater Chautauqua County area, for their enthusiasm and input during this study. Also, the time commitment, wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm, decision-making ability and dedication of the following individuals that made the Barcelona to Chautauqua Institution Multi-Use Trail Feasibility Study and Implementation Plan possible. Barcelona to Chautauqua Institution Multi-use Trail Steering Committee Aaron Resnick ..................Westfield Development Corporation, Project Manager Jack Voelker .....................Chautauqua Golf Club Jim Fincher .......................Chautauqua Rails to Trails Michael VandeVelde ........Village of Westfield, Mayor Martha Bills ......................Town of Westfield, Town Supervisor Joel Seachrist ....................Town and Village of Westfield Representative John Hemmer ...................County Legislator, Westfield Representative Thom Wright ....................County Greenway Trail Planning Committee Thomas Carlson ................Town of Chautauqua Martin Bova ......................Village of Mayville, Mayor Tim Jacobson ....................Village of Mayville, Trustee Donald Emhardt ...............Town of Chautauqua, Supervisor Michael Jabot ...................SUNY Fredonia John Jay Warren................NCCF Local Economic Development Committee Andrew Johnson ...............EcoStrategies Civil Engineering Roy Davis .........................Historical Society of Dunkirk Andrew Nixon ..................Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................I CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND ............................................................................................ 1-1 I. Methodology ..................................................................................................................................................1-5 1.1 Project Scope of Work .......................................................................................................................1-5 1.2 Public Input ...........................................................................................................................................1-6 1.2a Project Steering Committee Meetings .....................................................................................1-6 1.2b Public Meetings ..........................................................................................................................1-6 1.2c Survey Results .............................................................................................................................1-7 1.2d Community and Governmental Support ................................................................................1-8 II. Existing Planning Efforts..................................................................................................................................1-9 III. Chautauqua County’s Demographics ...................................................................................................... 1-10 CHAPTER 2: INVENTORY & ANALYSIS ........................................................................... 2-1 I. History and Status of the Jamestown, Chautauqua, and Lake Erie Railway ............................................2-2 II. Potential Destinations and Connections .....................................................................................................2-3 III. Historical and Cultural Inventory ............................................................................................................... 2-11 IV. Parcel Inventory ......................................................................................................................................... 2-19 CHAPTER 3: RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................. 3-1 I. Vision ................................................................................................................................................................3-1 II. Goals ................................................................................................................................................................3-1 III. Trail Types ......................................................................................................................................................3-2 IV. Concept Plan ................................................................................................................................................3-7 V. Financial Feasibility ...................................................................................................................................... 3-21 5.1 Opinion of Probable Costs for Land Acquisition/Purchase of Easements for Public Access 3-21 5.2 Opinion of Probable Construction Costs for Trail Development .............................................. 3-21 VI. Overall Feasibility ....................................................................................................................................... 3-30 6.1 Scoring, Ranking and Prioritization .................................................................................................. 3-31 VII. What We Learned During the Planning Process ................................................................................... 3-31 7.1 Addressing What We’ve Learned During the Planning Process ................................................. 3-33 7.1a What is my liability if I allow the trail to go through my property? .......................................... 3-33 7.1b Who will manage, operate, maintain, patrol the trail, and who will clean up litter and protect my property from vandalism? ......................................................................................... 3-33 7.1c How will the proposed trail impact my property value? ........................................................ 3-34 7.1 d How will you provide for the safety of trail users during hunting seasons? ........................ 3-35 VIII. Implementation Strategies ...................................................................................................................... 3-37 8.1 Management Plan.............................................................................................................................. 3-37 8.2 Demonstration Projects .................................................................................................................... 3-38 8.3 Management Structure ..................................................................................................................... 3-40 8.4 Property Acquisition ........................................................................................................................ 3-41 8.4a Model Easement Agreement ........................................................................................................ 3-41 8.5 Long Term Projects ........................................................................................................................... 3-42 8.6 Corresponding Implementation Projects ...................................................................................... 3-42 IX. Potential Sources of Funding ................................................................................................................... 3-42 TaBLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) Appendices Public Outreach 1: Meeting Minutes ........................................................................................................... A1-1 2: Tabulation of Public Meeting & On-Line Survey Results.......................................... A2-1 3: Parcel Inventory & Analysis ......................................................................................... A3-1 Management, Policies, and Implementation 4: Sample Management Plan Policies & Recommendations ....................................... A4-1 5: Trail Branding & Wayfinding ......................................................................................... A5-1 6: Sample Intergovernmental Agreement ...................................................................... A6-1 7: Model Trail Easement Agreement .............................................................................. A7-1 8: Model Trail Event & Special Event Policy .................................................................. A8-1 Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Economic Development, Lead Agency Greg Edwards..........................County Executive Bill Daly..................................Director Mark Geise .............................Deputy Director Don McCord ..........................Senior Planner Pashek Associates - Planning Consultants John Buerkle .......................................Principal Mike Kotyk .........................................Project Manager, Planner, GIS Lisa Schmidtfrerick-Miller ...................Planner Erica Grohol, Student Intern ...............SUNY ESF, Landscape Architecture The Barcelona to Chautauqua Institution Multi-Use Trail Feasibility Study