Perhaps as early as next summer, a 1.3 mile public trail will run adjacent to the Conestoga River. The eight foot wide paved trail will, according to an intermunicipal agreement, will “provide a direct link from the southeastern part of the City to the County’s 544 acre Central Park.” James Hackett, Executive Director of the Parks and Recreation commission told the Commissioners at their October 27 Work Session that the six-month construction project could begin within the year.
The trail, Hackett said, will stem from Betz Road, off of Conestoga Drive, and continue to South Duke Street, near the park’s Chesapeake Street entrance.
The project is a joint effort between the County, the City, Lancaster Township, and the Lancaster County Conservancy. Under this agreement,
- The County has secured land easements along the trail, and will be responsible for maintenance and repair with the help of a grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR);
- The City will stabilize ravines along the river bank, maintain the Chesapeake access area, and lend police services, where needed;
- Lancaster Township will maintain accesses at Betz Road and South Duke, while also lending police service;
- The Conservancy will act as project manager through design, construction, and inspection, also providing 200,000 for a matching DCNR grant.
Hackett said that a past study had recommended a greenway to run adjacent to the entire Conestoga River. “This 1.3 mile section,” Hackett said, “is really the first section of that. It’s been a long time coming, I know there’s been a lot of discussion on it, but this is the first section. We’ll see where it goes from here.”
County prepares for staff cuts
Also at Tuesday’s Work Session, the Commissioners passed a new, uniform Severance Policy for County employees. According to Administrator Charlie Douts, the measure is intended to provide continuity between all County departments, in the event of future “reorganizations” or position eliminations. In addition to contracted studies that are currently underway, Douts noted that the County has been internally assessing the efficiency of its departments.
