Updates provided on Panhandle Pathway development

Details

Published: Friday, 29 August 2014 19:48

The Friends of the Panhandle Pathway hiking/biking trail met Tuesday (Aug. 26). Among discussion items as an update on the management and future development of the trail.

Begun in 2009, the Panhandle Pathway is a 21-mile linear non-motorized recreational trail that has been developed on the old railroad corridor that runs between Winamac and Kenneth (near France Park), passing through Star City, Thornhope and Royal Center

Updates on the trail were outlined as follows:

The Southside

The Friends of the Panhandle Pathway (FoPP) began working on the trail access to France Park in February, 2011, over three years ago.  A France Park Access Committee was formed at that time and they began trying to find a way to complete the 0.8 of a mile from the south end of the trail to the entrance of France Park.

The railroad that runs along this strip of land was resistant to FoPP requests to develop access along its property.  This last spring railroad representatives sat down with trail developers for the first time to discuss a possible route along the property over to France Park. FoPP is hopeful to have a second meeting with them before this year is out. Progress is being made, but an agreement is not imminent.

The Northside

The trail is ready to expand into downtown Winamac and then north across SR 14 to the old railroad right-of-way on the back side of the GalFab property.  Work continues on this expansion. 

FoPP is now exploring two possible right-of-way options to the north and out to Tippecanoe River State Park. Each of these routes involves obtaining right-of-ways from private land owners - difficult and time consuming work. Similar to what was encountered in bringing the trail into town from the south side, all land owners along the way must agree to the plan in order to make it work. It only takes one landowner in a string of several to say "no" and all progress stops. At this time, FoPP continuea to talk and discuss plans with these land owners.

The FoPP extended special thanks to the Pulaski County Community Foundation for its cooperation and financial support, noting its work would be much more difficult without this help.