The weather is warming up and so is progress on the Dryden Rail Trail initiative, which gathered 40 people from around the community Saturday, June 17, in a workshop to present ideas for the trails thematic elements and design components.

The basic premise that were coming at here is that this is a trail that should reflect our community and show the different aspects of the history, culture, and other aspects that really make this area special, David Cutter, a Cornell University Landscape Architect and Vice President of the Task Force, told the group at the beginning of the workshop.

Cutter then broke up the group into several planning groups to generate ideas that would steer the trail thematic moving forward.

The trail should have an overall name but allow communities to name their individual section, said Judy Auble-Zazzara, a resident who lives along the planned route in Etna.

Freeville resident Amy Dickinson agreed

And I think thats so important to allow all those communities while having their own specific individual identities that make them unique, she said.

Nobody can doubt the area has a rich history, and residents have agreed portraying this along the trail is a high priority. The trail itself would mostly follow the route of the old Lehigh Valley railroad that chugged across the Dryden town limits for more than 100 years from the late 1800s. Shut down in 1972 following the damage dealt by Hurricane Agnes, the land from the railroad was sold back to surrounding land owners. Now in 2017, the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force is looking to trace those same tracks and restore those roots once more.

Most of the group agrees that the trail should be divided into several sections to reflect not only the encompassing town of Dryden, but also the hamlets of Etna and Varna and villages of Freeville and Dryden as well. Signage to interpret the historical nuances along the trail are a point of almost unanimous consensus among the groups.

Dozens of ideas were brainstormed for the physical use of the trail as well. Hiking, bird watching, exercise, community development, picnics, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, horseback riding and biking are all ideas that the breakout groups developed.

Ill definitely be using it for hiking and walking my dog and horseback riding. Weve submitted a letter asking for that to definitely be included as well, said Alice Walsh Green, of Freeville.

Ive been looking to buy a bike for years now and this would finally give me a reason, David Fogel, the mayor of Freeville added.

Some residents advocated for a broad range of activities allowed on the trail, but some others preferred to restrict some activities such as horseback riding and any kind of motorized transport. Other ideas for amenities along the trail included benches, nature walk guides, land owner appreciation, opportunities for local business sponsorships, and a mobile app for users.

Many of the attendees also brought up other opportunities the trail could present for the area including providing an alternative way for transportation to Cornell University or side trips to other local businesses like ice cream and coffee shops.

Those decisions will ultimately have to be worked out by the task force in coordination with the town after all the easements from land owners are granted and before shovels hit the dirt.

The event, hosted at the Dryden Fire Company, continued a discussion that has been going on since 2015 when Design Connect, a student led project at Cornell University, presented opportunities for recreation development in the area. That opened up the idea for the rail trail and formation of the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force. The group has been operating since early 2016 and has made significant progress in that time.

Bob Beck, chair of the task force, told the group that of the 36 land owners between Ithaca and Dryden Village all but a handful have granted easements for the trail.

Is George Junior the only obstacle? one resident asked.

We're not an obstacle! Pat Foot, Director of Facilities for The William George Agency for Childrens Services, known as George Junior, chuckled from the other side of the room.

Rail Trail Task Force members said the agency is the only land owner left who needs to give permission for the trail between the Village of Dryden and Freeville. Foot said the agency and the Rail Trail Task Force are very close to coming to an agreement on an easement.

However, other land owners have expressed their disagreement on the trail in general. One resident voiced her concerns over a large map at the meeting telling organizers that the trail ran right behind her house and it would not happen. Another resident addressed the group at one point, concerned with the visual aspect of having a trail through his back yard and even discussed potential legal action.

The rail trail task force looks to move forward and continue chugging through these pennies on the track and working with all concerns to create the best possible recreational experience.

What were looking for today is input on what is it that we want the trail to look like, Cutter told the group. Things like names the trail and those types of things so that it works for you, for what you want to do on the trail, for you as a neighbor and it reflects what were proud of here as a community.

The current track of the trail would tie it into the East Ithaca Recreation Way, proceed across Game Farm Road, through Varna, across Route 13 at Monkey Run, through Etna, making a sharp turn in Freeville where it would head down to the Village of Dryden and connect with the existing Jim Schug Trail.

Excerpt from:

Rail Trail Progress Chugging Along - ithaca.com