Public asked to weigh in on proposed walking and cycling trails into Egg Harbor
EGG HARBOR - The village of Egg Harbor wants to improve opportunities for people to safely walk or bike into and around the community without using the roads, and it's asking for input from the public.
Residents and visitors are asked to take part in an online survey on the proposed Egg Harbor Trails Initiative that would create four off-road trails for pedestrians and cyclists leading to the village. The survey is open until Dec. 11, when the village will hold a Community Outreach Event about the project with more chance for public feedback at the Kress Pavilion.
"In Door County, safe off-road trails for bikers and pedestrians outside of state parks are nearly nonexistent. Egg Harbor is no exception," the initiative website says as its reason for the trails. "Most residents and visitors are located just outside the village downtown with its shops, restaurants, grocery stores and community spaces. Currently, there are limited safe walking or biking options into the village."
The 11 total miles of trails are intended to connect nearby neighborhoods and points of interest to the village, including one from downtown Egg Harbor to downtown Fish Creek about 7 miles away. The website for the effort says this trail would link the village to Gibraltar Area Schools, where Egg Harbor children likely would attend school.
Another of the proposed trails is the "Beach to Beach Trail" that would connect Frank Murphy County Park just south of the village, one of the more popular county parks on the Peninsula, to Egg Harbor Beach, with the Point Beach Neighborhood residential development between the two beaches. This trail first was proposed in 2019 and a survey at the time showed 75% of respondents supported it, but further development was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The other two trails would connect the village with Landmark Resort, the popular resort with 294 units off State 42, and Rainbow Ridge, 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 received support from the National Park Service, which awarded the project assistance through its Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program by assigning a landscape architect and a community planner to help. The park service also would help find partners and stakeholders, develop public outreach and engagement strategies, conduct stakeholder and public engagement workshops, recommend trail routes and make conceptual plans for trails and amenities.
Also, the Wisconsin Bike Fed designated the effort as a priority project, and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation this year awarded it $108,376 through the DOT's Transportation Alternatives Program to conduct a feasibility study.
A wide range of other organizations have voiced support for the project, including the Iowa State University Community Design Lab, the county's Facilities and Parks Department, Door County Land Trust, Door County Community Foundation, Egg Harbor Business Association, Egg Harbor Historical Society and Destination Door County.
For more on the project, visit villageofeggharbor.org/egg_harbor_trails_project or facebook.com/EggHarborTrails. To take the online survey, visit rebrand.ly/TrailsSurvey by Dec. 11.
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 seeks input on proposed walking and cycling trails project
