Laserfiche WebLink
December Staff Updates Continued <br />LL: Cityolf <br />Louisville <br />PARKS & RECREATION <br />Memorandum <br />To: Louisville City Council <br />From: Louisville Open Space Advisory Board <br />Date: October 13, 2022 <br />Re: Coal Creek Trail Paving CIP <br />Purpose: <br />Recently it was brought to the attention of the Open Space Advisory Board (OSAB) that there is <br />a proposal to pave an approximately half mile section of the Coal Creek Trail (CCT) between <br />US 36 and Dillon Road. This project would replace the existing crusher fines (gravel) trail with a <br />wide concrete path at a cost of up to $720,000 (when accounting for contingencies). We as a <br />board feel that this paving project is not just unnecessary and wasteful, but actively harms a <br />major portion of the amazing trails network that makes our city such a wonderful place. <br />Background: <br />Our rationale for not supporting this project are as follows: <br />1. Changing from the existing crusher fines (gravel) surface to concrete would significantly <br />and negatively impact the user experience. A paved path here undermines the concept <br />of the open space land through which it passes. User feedback on recent paving <br />projects within the city (including two on the Coal Creek Trail at Dutch Creek and <br />southwest of Community Park) as well as in the County (the Meadowlark Trail's new <br />recycled asphalt surface) shows a clear desire on the part of trail users to have soft <br />surface trails. <br />2. The CCT from Superior to Erie is generally a soft surface trail and we would like to <br />minimize further changes in the character of the trail within the city limits of Louisville. <br />The regional nature of the trail, in fact, means that Louisville should really not be making <br />major changes without getting input from other partners such as Superior, Lafayette, <br />Erie, and Boulder County. <br />14 <br />