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It was the consensus of the City Council last week that engineers should plan for an on-street recreational trail in conjunction with the 2008 street and utility improvement project.

Gaylord’s Trail Committee has proposed constructing a trail along Lincoln Avenue. It would start at the City park shelter, run along Lincoln Avenue, and eventually wrap around the stormwater pond. This is seen as phase one of a trail system in the City.

Initial plans were for an off-street trail on the south side of Lincoln Avenue. That proposal drew concerns from property owners who felt the trail would be too close to homes. Safety was also a concern as the trail would cross driveways and several intersections.

After hearing concerns from residents, engineer Justin Black, of Short Elliot Hendrickson Inc (SEH), presented four trail options to the City Council.

Option 1 included an 8-foot wide bituminous trail, the minimum width outlined by MnDOT’s Bikeway Facility Design Manual. According to Black, it would be located 4-feet south of the south curb line on Lincoln Avenue. A 4-foot grass boulevard would separate the sidewalk from the curb.

Option 2 is similar to the first but the trail would be 2-feet south of the south curb line. Colored concrete would be placed in the 2-foot area separating the curb and trail. This would eliminate the need to maintain the grass area.

A third option would be to install a 5-foot wide sidewalk with a 5-foot wide grass boulevard. This proposal is estimated to cost $106,169.

Option 4 would be the least expensive, according to SEH’s estimates. This option would include white striping on the road marking two, 5-foot lanes, Black explained. Parking would be eliminated on Lincoln Avenue if this option is approved by the City.

Cost estimates for the three off-street trail options ranged from $106,169 to $135,836. The on-street trail option is estimated to cost $39,150.

Trail committee member Dale Johnson told council members Wednesday that the City needs to have some sort of trail along Lincoln Avenue. He said it is a busy pedestrian street which will be narrowed during the street project. “It is a safety issue,” Johnson said.

City Council members Pat Pinske and Carl Wetzel spoke in favor of Option 4. Pinske doesn’t believe this option will detract from the purpose or beauty of the trail system.

Wetzel said he favored an on-street trail because it is being placed in an already established residential area.

City Council President Brenda Pautsch said she would prefer an off-street trail in some other location. She questioned why the initial phase of a city-wide trail system couldn’t start somewhere else. Pautsch believes option 4 is creating more of a restriction for residents.

If the City follows through with an on-street trail, parking would be eliminated on both sides of Lincoln Avenue. This appeared to be the only drawback of option 4.

City Council member Jessica Uecker believed option 4 made the most sense and felt a trail would make Lincoln Avenue “safer for children.”

Pinske, Wetzel and Dale Breuer all agreed with Uecker while Pautsch said she would rather see a trail off the street.

Council members directed SEH to proceed with final documents for the 2008 street and utility improvement project. The proposed recreational trail will be bid as an alternate, according to the feasibility report for the 2008 street/utility project.