By ADAM LAPIERRE
News staff writer

The Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation District held a meeting last week to discuss with the public its pending plan to create a community trail that will run from Westside Elementary School to the skate park. The project has been met so far with considerable support from the public, and organizers are currently working to finalize a route that will run north to south for roughly three miles, connecting the West Side area to the new neighborhoods along May Street, and then to Cascade Avenue, Wasco Street and the skate park.

Although the trail is still in the early stages of planning, the Parks and Recreation District hopes to have a final plan and the required easements in place by 2010.

With a couple of apprehensive property owners in attendance at the meeting, Lori Stirn, Parks and Recreation District director, helped addressed their concerns about a trail running through or by their property.

“We want to emphasize that this is just a proposed route. We’re just getting started, and we’re looking for community input,” Stirn said. “We don’t want to put a trail where people don’t want it, or where it won’t be appreciated. So, if this route doesn’t work for people, we will look at alternatives.”

The proposed trail, which will be funded mainly from grants and system development charges of the Parks and Recreation District, will likely have a surface similar to the Indian Creek Trail. From the south end, it will start at Westside Elementary School and run down Fairview Drive shortly before cutting north through several properties with an open, meadow setting. The (proposed) trail will then tie into Rocky Road before going back into an open meadow setting and will eventually connect with the Willow Ponds Development. From there the trail will cross May Street, follow the Henderson Creek drainage to the school district’s new property and continue north and east until it splits and connects with Cascade and Wasco avenues.

As a long-term goal, the trail will serve as to connect the West Side to the Hood River Waterfront and the Indian Creek trail, creating a loop that encircles much of the lower valley.

For more information, to view the proposed trail or to give public input, visit www.hoodriverparksandrec.org or call 541-386-1303.