At September’s meeting, Trustee Catherine Stoker said Wong should wait until there was more money to complete the entire trail plan and not put it together in segments.
Two residents spoke in support of the trail, and five others attended to hear the outcome.
“Safety of our citizens is imperative,” Wong said, stressing the high cost to build the entire trail. “Besides, to wait for winning a jackpot in the near future, that’s pretty unrealistic.”
Wong said it would cost about $10,000 to match the grant and would enable residents to access the trail in West Chester Twp. rather than Fairfield.
Stoker said fiscal responsibility is important as well as following the process established for prioritizing trails.
“I have no problem with putting any proposed bike path into that process for consideration,” she said. “One of the reasons I think West Chester has been doing so well financially is because of fiscal responsibility. I do not belong to the school of thought that says just because there is some money some place we should spend it.”
Trustee George Lang said the safety issue would be extending a trail filled with inexperienced bikers up to a busy highway.
The trustees also debated the merits of Wong’s suggestion to extend paths from Beckett Road to Smith Road up to Kroger. Lang asked for further cost estimates beyond the initial pavement costs of $225,000 and for it to be placed on the agenda to consider for next year’s budget. Stoker also agreed to consider it.
In other business trustees granted Partners in Prime a zoning change from residential to commercial for its new West Chester Activity Center, but would not waive the $750 application fee.
“Tell them next time don’t drop that on us at the last minute and we would have more time to consider it,” Lang said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com
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