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Mark Virgil, real-estate manager with Luck Stone, looks over a pond along a demonstration trail proposed
Utility work left deep ruts in sections |
By RUSTY DENNEN
Spotsylvania County has about 22 miles of bike and fitness trails, according to a recent study.
Chris Folger, who heads up the fledgling Spotsylvania Greenways Initiative, thinks there should be a lot more available in one of the region's fastest-growing localities.
Indeed, the county's trails plan suggests that another 96 miles are needed.
To that end, SGI is working with Luck Stone, the MillionMile Greenway and county officials to develop new trails and to link them with others in surrounding localities.
"It's a huge quality-of-life issue in terms of health and getting people outside and moving," Folger said in a recent interview. "We envision trails for walking and biking, handicapped-access trails, and we see connecting historical and cultural resources."
SGI was conceived last summer as Luck Stone was mapping out its plan for Ni Village at River Run Business Center in Massaponax.
"As we started to form a vision for Ni Village we needed a strong emphasis on the outdoors, nature" and community, said Denise Baddour, spokeswoman for Luck Development Partners, the real-estate division of Luck Stone. The partners develop parcels of land around Luck Stone holdings.
"We worked with Chris to bring SGI to life," Baddour said. "They're doing a great job so far."
She added, "One of our missions is to preserve nature and historical sites and to respect the land."
With a grant from MillionMile Greenway, SGI is working with Luck on a two-mile demonstration trail at River Run, off U.S. 1. Based in Atlanta, the MillionMile Greenway aims to create a nationwide million-mile network of trails and greenways.
The River Run trail winds through woods and along wetlands and an old farm pond. Folger said her group is working with county officials to secure the necessary approval.
"This is just a small trail, so we can learn lots of things--how to recruit volunteers, how to work with the county, what the county's needs are," she said. "It's a learning trail for us."
SGI is hoping for an OK from the county within a couple months. "Then we'd get cost estimates and build it," Folger said.
The trail could open as early as next spring, she said.
On a larger scale, greenway connectivity is the key.
Ideally, existing trails, say, in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, should connect, Folger said. To that end, SGI is also exploring potential connections with some of the largest undeveloped tracts in the region--the four battlefields within the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.
Rusty Dennen: 540/374-5431
Email: rdennen@freelancestar.com
A greenway is a path or trail linking parks and communities and providing public access to green spaces and waterfronts. Among established greenways here are the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail in King George County, Fredericksburg's Canal Path and the city's Rappahannock River easement property. |
