MUNCIE – Residents of Delaware and Madison counties packed the library’s community room to share their opinions of the proposed Mounds Greenway and to ask questions.
The Mounds Greenway would stretch about 20 miles and connect to the White River Trail and Cardinal Greenways, creating a trail system of about 109 miles. The greenway is estimated to cost anywhere in the range of $15 million to $40 million.
Tim Maloney, senior policy director at the Hoosier Environmental Council, led the meeting and briefly described the greenway before opening the stakeholder meeting at Kennedy Public Library in Muncie to questions, concerns and ideas of the attendees.
Maloney told the attendees before opening the floor that they were especially seeking opinions and ideas about who should own the trail, how it should be funded and who should be involved.
Maloney shared various models other trails have used, but he said the council wanted to see what the public thinks would be best for those big questions.
The biggest concerns about the proposed greenway came from local property owners, one being Mike Blanch, who lives west of Yorktown.
He said with his property, the trail would either be right in front of his house or right by his wife’s horse stables. Either option is unacceptable to him.
Blanch shared concerns about losing his land through eminent domain. Maloney explained they will not use eminent domain to obtain land, so they won’t be taking any land without permission.
Where the trail will be is still fluid, primarily because they aren’t sure yet who will be willing to sell their land for the trail.
Maloney said this is the first of many meetings to get public opinion. A second meeting, very similar to this one, is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Anderson Public Library.
The Hoosier Environmental Council is having an economic impact study conducted. Maloney said the results are expected in March. Then, more meetings will be held in Anderson, Muncie and the towns in between.
“This is, more or less, the formal beginning of an ongoing public input process that we’re sure will continue for months and perhaps even longer,” Maloney said.