Area officials took the first step Wednesday night by having their initial talk about the proposed Colfax-Frankfort Trail Master Plan at Clinton Prairie High School.
Between 75 and 100 individuals gathered in the Field House at Prairie to hear a discussion on a plan that focuses on a bicycle-pedestrian corridor that will connect the Big 4 Trail in Colfax to Frankfort.
“I was prepared to receive unsupportive feedback about the trail,” said Landscape Architect Jessica Nix of Butler, Fairman and Seufert, who presented the plan to the audience. “We were here tonight to gather that information and use it to finalize the master plan in the next couple of months.”
The proposed route will generally follow along Manson-Colfax Road and the abandoned railroad corridor between Colfax and Manson. It will also follow County Road 450 West, past Clinton Prairie High School, and along State Road 28, ending at County Road 200 West in Frankfort.
During her presentation, Nix went over the plan including the construction process, project goals and outcomes, and talked about the overall trail route as how it will affect Colfax, US 52, Interstate 65, Clinton Prairie High School and State Road 28.
Area Plan Commission Chairman Liz Stitzel said she considered the event to be successful.
“I think the point is to get people to come out and people to participate and comment,” said Stitzel. “And the larger that number is, the more its clear that people have been notified and they are aware and they are wanting to engage. The success of planning, at least on the front, is measured less by the success as by the participation. So, I think it’s good.”
Both Nix and Stitzel made it clear that this was just the first step in the process and that nothing would be voted on or decided at the meeting.
“The next step is to finalize the master plan,” said Nix. “After that, the decision on what happens with the master plan will be determined by the county officials.”
As part of the Master Plan process, public involvement is extremely vital to best discuss attributes and obstacles that will affect the local community. This gives the audience the opportunity to provide input and suggestions that will influence the final product of this trail plan.