Residents Support Trails Plan

FARMINGTON — Only a few people showed up at a public hearing on a proposed Master Trails Plan for the city of Farmington and they spoke in favor of walking and biking trails for local residents.

“We’re for it,” said Kathleen Doss, speaking for herself and her husband.

Doss lives in Valley View subdivision and said she wouldn’t “dare” walk or ride a bike on Highway 170 or U.S. 62. She said, though, that she would use a trail that goes from her subdivision to other parts of town.

“To make it more of a community, we need to get people walking,” Doss said.

LaDeana Mullinix, who lives on Wolf Lane, also lent her support to the plan.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Mullinix said. “I see kids walking on Double Springs Road and it scares me.”

Evelyn Bembry, who lives on a cul- de- sac in Twin Falls subdivision, had one concern.

The trails map showed the trail going behind her house and she said she worried that people would park on her street and go through her property to get to the trail.

Commissioner Gerry Harris assured her that access to the trail would not be through her property, noting a trailhead would not be placed on a cul-de-sac.

City Business Manager Melissa McCarville said the Master Trails Plan is just that, a proposal on where to possibly develop trails in the future. The plan is actually in the form of a map that shows two proposed trail routes.

“We have no timing,” Harris added. “It takes money. We want to get this on the books. If we want to get any grant money, we have to have a Master Trails Plan approved by the City Council.”

McCarville also said that the location of the trails could change, depending on development. When development occurs, she said the city would ask the developer to give a public right of way for the trail.

“It’s a guideline,” McCar- ville said.

“We would work with a developer. We don’t have to stick with this like it’s the 10 commandments.”

The map shows that the trails include existing sidewalks, city streets and the walking trail at the Farmington Sports Complex. The trails go across undeveloped land and follow along the creek bed of Farmington Branch.

The commission decided to work on guidelines for the trail system at its next work session, with the goal to approve the master plan at its March 25 meeting. When the plan is finalized, the planning commission will forward the map to the Farmington City Council for adoption.