Door County village extends survey deadline for proposed off-road hiking and biking trails
EGG HARBOR - Organizers of the initiative to create multi-use, off-road trails around Egg Harbor and possibly into neighboring Fish Creek say public response to the idea has been so strong, they're extending the deadline for an online survey on the effort to Dec. 31.
That is one of the takeaways from the survey, as well as a public input session held Dec. 14 at the Kress Pavilion to show where the Egg Harbor Trails Initiative currently stands and gather comments and ideas from the community.
The current design idea would create 11 total miles of trails to connect nearby neighborhoods and points of interest to downtown Egg Harbor, along with one from Egg Harbor to downtown Fish Creek about 7 miles away. The website for the effort says this trail would link the village to Gibraltar School, where Egg Harbor children likely would attend school.
Other proposed trails are the Beach to Beach Trail, which would connect Frank Murphy County Park just south of the village to Egg Harbor Beach, with the Point Beach Neighborhood residential development in between; the Landmark Ridge Trail, connecting the village with the popular resort off State 42; and Rainbow Ridge Trail, which includes the Meadow Ridge of Door County condominiums, Harbor Ridge Winery and Wisconsin Cheese Masters.
The village is working on the effort in partnership with the town of Egg Harbor and town of Gibraltar. It also is receiving support, including landscape architecture and community planning help, from the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program as well as a range of other organizations regionally and in Door County.
The initiative's Susan Stauber said 1,321 people had filled out the survey as of Dec. 14. She said a key finding from the input session was not only "the community’s overwhelming enthusiasm for the multi-use trails project" but also that many of those who attended are in favor of expanding the possible trail network to include more communities on the Peninsula. She said the organization is reaching out to other communities.
Stauber said the heavy preference from those responding to the survey and attending the session is for off-road trails for hiking and biking, citing safety concerns for walking or biking on roads around the village that are often narrow and can be packed with vehicle traffic, especially in summers. She said people, and initiative organizers, are aware off-road trails may not be feasible in every desired location because of the county's geography, "but the message is clear that we should aim to achieve whatever we can that is closest to that ideal."
Responses from the survey have led to adjustments to the maps shown on the initiative's website. Other topics raised on the survey will be addressed by developing an FAQ page on the website, such as the trail surfaces, funding, ADA compliance and initial reasoning behind each proposed trail.
Next, the group will address ideas and concerns raised during the information sessions, look to expand community outreach and refine the project to align with the community's needs and preferences, Stauber said.
Stauber also noted volunteer opportunities are available. To do so, visit villageofeggharbor.org/volunteer. To fill out the survey or for more information on the trails initiative, visit villageofeggharbor.org/egg_harbor_trails_project.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Egg Harbor extends deadline for survey on off-road hiking, biking trails
