Area officials mull greenway options
By Scott Nicholson

An education subcommittee conprised of Watauga County, Boone, local school board and other agency officials met Friday to discuss a proposed Greenway Trail connector on the new high school property in Perkinsville, though no action was taken.

The subcommittee fielded two route proposals, one near the high school and one running across the creek from the high school.

A portion of the property included in the second option is owned by Appalachian State University instead of county property.

Architect Bill Dixon presented information on slopes, topography and landscaping of the two options, with Dixon saying he was concerned about the amount of the terrain that would have to be cut to install the trail, which he said could lead to bank cuts of up to 14 feet. An old farm road and a sewer line go through a portion of the proposed site. Dixon said it made more sense to keep the trails near waterways and reduce the number of trees that would be removed.

The first option would cost an estimated $92,000 from Daniel Boone Drive Extension to connect with the existing trail. The paved asphalt trail would take about four or five weeks of construction time, according to Boone Public Works director Blake Brown.

He said the second option, routed through a more wooded area, would cost about $124,000. Additional costs for trucking, a track hoe and debris disposal could add another $75,000, and it would have to be contracted due to the high cost, adding another $37,000 to the cost.

Brown said it could take four to six weeks for permitting and another 10 weeks for construction, leading to steep cuts unless expensive trail switchbacks were used. “If we started today, it would be tough to get it done by May 31,” Brown said.

The county’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Task Force has received a grant to expand the Greenway Trail, but the $100,000 must be spent by May 31. Watauga County health department director Danny Staley said the deadline could be extended by a couple of weeks, but the project would need to be nearly complete. If the grant money was not used, it would be lost, he said.

Staley said there was “no clear answer” to fighting obesity, but the Centers for Disease Control was promoting public activity as a way to prevent the health problems caused by obesity. He said the expected life span of children was declining and that the use of recreation trails boosted fitness.

“There is a push,” Staley said. “Other communities encourage and almost mandate physical activity.”

Earlier discussions on the trail extension focused on school safety, educational functions of the trail, public access, and neighborhood concerns. Some school board members felt the proximity of the trail to the new high school would detract from instruction and draw away resources in order to monitor the trail, as well as take away property that might be needed for educational space in the future.

Trail supporters believe the trail would reduce vehicle traffic near the high school by encouraging more students to walk or bike to school and would enhance public recreation.

A fence will surround the instructional building and athletic fields, whether the trail is constructed or not. County commissioner Jim Deal said no matter which option was selected, neither would connect directly to the building and students would still need to go around to the main school entrance.

Several people in attendance offered examples of other trails near schools, though none were actually on school property, and said no safety issues had been reported. Others pointed out the scarcity of walking and cycling trails in the town.

Margie Mansure, who is working with the Childhood Obesity Prevention Task Force, said the original idea was to connect the high school with surrounding neighborhoods. “There are a lot of R-1 (rural) communities with high school children,”’ she said.

Brown presented data that suggested using the trail was safer than being in high school. According to Boone Police Department records, one assault had been reported on the existing Greenway Trail since 2003.

In the last two years, 19 assaults had been reported at the high school. There were also 18 reports of vandalism at the high school in 2007 and 2008, compared to one at the Greenway Trail over a six-year period. However, the Greenway Trail generated more emergency medical response calls and automobile breaking-and-entering cases were about the same.

Boone Town Council member Lynne Mason said it would be difficult for the town to come up with additional funds if the more expensive option was chosen, and she said the town would need solid reasons to justify the higher cost to taxpayers. “For the town to come up with the difference (between the two options) would likely be a challenge,” she said.

School board chairman Lowell Younce said the board had heard the opinions and was taking them seriously, noting the geographical challenges that had led to a years-long search for a new school site.

“We realize this is a community-based high school,” Younce said. “We know who is funding this school and it is the citizens of this county.”

The county commissioners will discuss the project during their Feb. 17 meeting.