• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

March 2012 Towards a master plan for trails in Merrickville-Wolford Towards a master plan for trails in Merrickville-Wolford: the next step Introduction and guide to this document: The Merrickville District Trails Society (MDTS) produced a discussion paper on this subject in November 2010. An integral version of this paper can be found at the end of this document, and can be used to find necessary or desired information – we will not repeat it here. It was presented formally at a meeting of the Municipal Council in May 2011 and, after a generally very favorable and encouraging reception, was tabled for further discussion by Council. Council subsequently asked us to present a Master Plan for development, including timelines and estimated costs, including capital costs. We understand that Council would prefer to defer any decisions about governance of a municipal trails system until we are further along in the Master Plan. The MDTS Executive was very pleased with the favorable response of Council, but we were concerned about our capacity at this time to develop a Master Plan proposal with sufficient detail, particularly with respect to generating accurate capital costs. After some discussion we did decide, however, that we certainly would be able to move this project forward another useful step by further describing our projects and needs, establishing some priorities and timelines, and providing sufficient detail on the desired outcomes. We have also taken this a step further, quantifying as best we can the resources, in terms of materials and labour, necessary to reach the desired end states. This in turn has permitted us to estimate the value of the likely overall capital improvements, and these are submitted for each project, as well as for the whole trails network over the next five years. We have not attempted to break these values down by year, or indeed to decide where the funding will come from, whether it be volunteer labour, donations in kind, or cash contributions, or other. This would all need to be done as part of the implementation of the Master Plan. As a result this document contains four major new sections, in addition to the November 2010 report: 1. A series of “Trails files” which describe in narrative form each of the individual projects, including the desired end state and our best estimate at this time of the materials and other resources that are necessary to reach the end state. These files fall into two groups a. Organizational and governance objectives b. Trails and similar projects 2. Value estimates of the various projects, and of the whole 5-year plan. Page 1 of 22 March 2012 Towards a master plan for trails in Merrickville-Wolford 3. A flow sheet that suggests some “Priorities and approximate timelines” for the above projects and objectives over the next five years. These are all indicative, and propose more the order in which we should proceed rather that absolute timelines. These could be determined as each individual project comes to its turn. The flow sheet is a separate file, as an appendix. 4. Maps, in various states of development, of the trail proposals, also as an appendix 5. Previously circulated, November 2010: Towards a master plan for trails in Merrickville-Wolford: a discussion paper A brief conclusion and our recommendations for our priorities in the first year of the Master Plan can be found after section 2. First section: “Trails files”: these are a narrative description of the identified activities and trails that appear in the Master Plan, to be used in combination with the 5-year overview flow sheet and the maps. They are presented in the following order: 1. Governance a. Integration into municipal structure b. Private land use package c. Funding strategy and package d. Other 2. Ongoing support activities a. Trail information: brochures, guides, general information b. Publicity c. Maps d. Web site e. Trail maintenance mechanism f. Organizational support: routine functions and expenses 3. Trails a. Merrickville-Limerick Forest North (Scotch line) b. Woodland-Toboggan Hill Loop c. Schoolhouse –Armstrong Roads Loop d. Bird Sanctuary Trail and Fairgrounds Loop e. Paved shoulders or paths along highways i. Road 43 Village access east and west Page 2 of 22 March 2012 Towards a master plan for trails in Merrickville-Wolford ii. Municipality (County) wide f. Links with existing walks within and without the Village, and new routes within Village g. New long distance trails throughout Wolford h. Long term vision for Trails network in Merrickville-Wolford 1. Governance a. Integration into municipal structure (also see item 2, November 2010 discussion paper) We believe that the governance of the trails network project must be formally incorporated into our municipal structure. The MDTS realizes that this implies a considerable loss of control for us over the destiny of trails development, but we also believe the benefits far outweigh the risk. As a group and as individuals (whenever eligible), the MDTS will collaborate and participate actively as much as is desired in the eventual Trails governance arrangement. Our preferred model would be a Committee, or the equivalent, reporting directly to Council, such they have in Gananoque, or as we have for the Blockhouse Museum or the Library, but we would be willing to endorse any functional variants on this model. b. Private land use package Several projects would benefit from being able to pass through private land, and this obviously requires informed permission from the landowners. While success in such negotiations can never be assumed ahead of time, a well structured information and agreement package would always be helpful, which sets out expectations and limits ahead of time, makes sure that the landowners retain all their rights, as well a mechanisms to deal effectively with any problems that might arise. We can seek advice from associations such as the Rideau Trail Association and Snowmobiling clubs on this; one key to success might be to identify some real advantages or incentives for landowners who agree to participate. c. Funding strategy and package We can anticipate that all major funding for development projects will need to come from outside sources. The MDTS can organize and provide volunteer resources, the Municipality could provide general organizational support and some services which fit in well with overall daily operations, but major funds for material and labour will need to come from donations in kind and successful requests to pure funding sources. We have obtained significant but small funding for several projects in the past, so we are not starting from zero, but we need to move this activity towards a much more active and pro-active part of our efforts. Good information packages, both general and project specific, as well as a well thought out continuous approach to fund-raising, will be essential. d. Other: to be determined 2. Ongoing support activities a. Trail information: brochures, guides, general information At the moment limited to one brochure, describing trailheads, but no detailed maps or guides for trails. Small but regular funding is necessary for reprinting brochures. We will need to decide on the content, the format and the distribution of this information as it is developed, as well as the budgetary requirements. Do we want to eventually have a fairly complete pocket guide to walking in and around Merrickville-Wolford? Page 3 of 22 March 2012 Towards a master plan for trails in Merrickville-Wolford b. Publicity What is to be our strategy for both local and distant publicity, and how will we measure success, for both residents and visitors? We clearly need to develop a plan for this. c. Maps In spite of great help from various individuals and use of some available on-line resources, this continues to be a source of frustration, and our maps are not as we would like them to be. The type of content, simplicity and production quality we would like to achieve would be similar to those used by Limerick Forest, at various levels (from pocket maps and guides to major trailhead maps). All of our trails will need good maps and guides, so the capacity to generate these maps on a regular basis is likely to be present for several years to come – it is not a one time need. Well-produced maps in digital format could then be used wherever there is a need: trail signs, trail guides, web site posting, poster and print publicity, events, etc. d. Web site We have been fortunate enough to have a web site created for us, but we have not succeeded in populating it with the desired material, or maintaining it. It is live but it is of very limited usefulness to anyone at this time. In spite of this realization, we are still convinced that a good and functional web site is one of the major keys to a successful future. So we need to rethink our web strategy, and find some new solutions, perhaps in collaboration with others, to make sure it responds to its promise as the main communication tool and archive for Trails related issues and activities. e. Trail maintenance mechanism As each trail is developed it will need to have a maintenance schedule, which will be done by a combination of volunteer work and some regular activities by municipal works. The exact nature and intensity of these regular maintenance activities remain to be determined, but they will need to be pragmatic, as well as sufficient and active, if we wish the trails network to thrive for years to come. One urgent matter that falls most logically under this rubric, and which illustrates the need for some simple planning and action, concerns the dumping of snow and other heavy materials ( e.g.

Load more

  22

Copy Link