12-10-87 Agenda & Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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problems to trail construction is ex- tremely rare, but an axiom of trail development is that existing resi- dents• will always protest,while new purchasers of housing along the trail see it as an amenity. - • Continuing the project in the face of opposition. Because trails are linear parks, they can affect more people and run into more physical and legal obstacles than the 1. average park project. While criti- cized as an inappropriate tax dollar expenditure, the trail won out as a • priority. Trails are an investment in the future and their value to the community becomes readily appar- ent as they become a reality. As you can see from these case studies, each trail project has unique opportunities and prob- lems. Building a critical mass of political and community support is like foreign diplomacy: you must explore unknown territory,find out who is important and why,learn the bewildering rituals and customs of the native organizations, and find a • mutual benefit with each of them. Some important issues in trails development are only briefly men- tioned here: fundraising, managing boards and committees, securing easements,liability,trail design,and trail operation. There are many good sources of information for each of these issues.On page 30 is a checklist of actions for cultivating public support of an urban trail project. Included are ideas from Mary Carter of the South Suburban Park Foundation and Kari Van Meter of the Loveland Planning Depart- ' ment. ❑ 1i EDITOR'S NOTE:A list of currently available references that are good sources of information on develop- ing an urban trail project is avail- able from the author at the Division of Parks & Outdoor Recreation, 1313 Sherman, Rm. 618, Denver, • CO 80203.