ROGERS -- Residents and users of the Razorback Greenway will have one more trail connecting them to downtown in the new year.
The Walton Family Foundation awarded a $750,000 multi-year matching grant to the city for construction of a 1-mile trail along Easy Street, a patch stretching between North Dixieland Road and North Eighth Street.
The City Council accepted the matching grant Tuesday and adopted a plan for use on the Northern Loop Trail project's phase two.
"This is a trail we're wanting to build to connect the (Rogers) Regional Sports Park to Foerster Park, where the Rogers Activity Center is," said Nathan Becknell, project engineer. "If you continue to go on the trail up the greenway and up Turtle Creek, it gets further east and is a good connection (to get) around the city."
Part of the city's agreement is to maintain the project after the trail is built and the plan for maintenance is similar to other trails. They've been working with the Walton Family Foundation on the matching grant since earlier this year, Becknell said, and since the stretch of trail is close to A&M Railroad, they've worked out coordination there, too.
The project was unanimously recommended for approval by the Transportation Committee, said alderman Mark Kruger.
"We've worked for years on establishing connections to the Razorback Regional Greenway," said Mayor Greg Hines. This particular trail is a part of those plans.
A connecting point in the southern part of the city will be completed with the Monte Ne Road and pedestrian tunnel construction.
"The northern connection has been the more challenging route and the more expensive one," Hines said. "We've finally found a route that makes sense. It connects to downtown, the Railyard (Bike Park) and Lake Atalanta Park."
The proposed trail also goes by a number of elementary schools, which will allow the easier function of bike-to-school buses, Hines said.
Other items approved in the Tuesday meeting:
• Reappointment of Caroline Smith to the Library Board with the new term to expire in December 2021.
• Reappointment of Mark Kruger to the Advertising and Promotions Commission with the new term to expire in November 2020.
• Reappointment of Buddy Wright to the Advertising and Promotions Commission with the new term to expire in November 2018.
• Reappointment of Mike Whitmore to the Museum Commission with the Museum Commission with the new term to exprire in December 2019.
• Reappointment of Diana Daniel to the Museum Commission with the new term to expire in December 2019.
• Reappointment of Greg Lindley to the Parks Commission with the new term to expire in December 2021.
• Reappointment of Sara Lilygren to the Board of Directors for the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority with the new term to expire in December 2022.
• Appointment of Eriks Zvers to the Planning Commission to fill the unexpired term of Brian Jackson, with a term to expire on Sept. 23, 2017.
NW News on 12/14/2016