Straker grant will enable Park District to create new walking trail

ZANESVILLE − For decades, a long strip of property along Muskingum Avenue in Zanesville's Putnam neighborhood was largely forgotten. Too narrow to be developed, it was choked with invasive plants, blocking the view of the Muskingum River.

Acquired from CSX Transportation, the strip was once a railroad spur serving the city's industrial edge. It passed from the Zanesville Green Commission to the Muskingum Valley Park District, which largely ignored it as well, for want of something to do with it.

That changed about three years ago, said Russell Edgington, executive director of the Muskingum Valley Park District. The district worked with the Friends of Putnam group, and individual members cleared sections of the underbrush. About a year ago, the district was approached by Susan Holdren at the Straker Foundation, who expressed interest in recreational trails along the Muskingum River.

The parcels of land along the Muskingum River in the Putnam neighborhood sprang to mind, Edgington said, and that started the birth of the Putnam Greenway.

Holdren, who is the executive director of the foundation, said the "J.W. & M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation has made walking and biking trails in Muskingum County a priority," and the foundation is championing causes that add to the quality of life in the county. Trails like the Putnam Greenway will help retain and attract young professionals to the area. "In addition, because of our emphasis on health and wellness, we think trails are a necessity for the welfare of our fellow residents," she said.

The trail will weave its way south through the trees from Putnam Landing Park to roughly Pierce Street, near the Zanesville Community School. Because of the topography of the river bank, the trail will sometimes pass close to the roadway, so it will protected by fencing, Edgington said. In the future, the district hopes to add observation decks and fishing access.

The trail has already begun to take shape. Crews from the City of Zanesville's Public Service Department's various subdivisions have cleared much of the invasive fauna, and the Park District is readying contracts for engineering for the project, which is expected to cost $1.2 million, funded through a grant from the Straker Foundation. The district's goal is to have the Greenway open to the public by the fall.

The trail itself will be 10 feet wide, and paved. Importantly, it will be built to American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials standards.

"The cost up front is a bit more, but maintenance is far less, and the longevity of the trail is far more," Edgington said. "We are really pushing for all of our new construction to meet those standards." Building a trail to the higher standards will lessen the districts future expenses, he said.

Another project in the works, which is also expected to be completed this year, is paving the final unpaved sections of the Muskingum Recreational Trail between Ellis Dam and Dresden.

The work will be paid for largely though an ODOT Transportation Alternatives Program grant, which is federal highway money administered by the state. The grant covered 95% of what was an $850,000 project when the grant was awarded in 2020. A jump in asphalt prices post-COVID-19 meant the project will cost the district $260,000, although the grant will still cover the bulk of the project.

The district has "big plans" for the future, Edgington said. "The goal is to connect the Putnam Greenway to the Zanes Landing Trail." That would include building a trail along the Muskingum River Canal, a project that was already planned by the City of Zanesville but fell through when state funding was diverted to COVID-19 relief in 2020. That idea would be revitalized, Edgington said, and the district is seeking funding for planning assistance, including an application for Appalachian Community Grant funds.

"The ultimate goal is to connect Zane's Landing Trail to the Muskingum Recreational Trail, which would mean you would be able to get on the trail in Putnam and go all the way to Dresden," he said.

The district recently completed a five-year plan, which is available on its website. Edgington said the plan addresses all of the district's 11 other properties. One of those is Meadow Springs Farm, north of Zanesville. The farm was bequeathed to the district and has been dormant since. Plans are underway to open the property to the public, with perimeter trails around the area still being farmed, Edgington said.

After voters passed a levy supporting the park district in 2021, 2022 was a year to catch up on maintenance, Edgington said. The levy allowed the district to purchase needed equipment, like a tractor and a truck, to keep up with the work needed to keep parks and trails in good shape.

"Before we were at the mercy of grants, and when you have grants you don't have a clear idea of what you can do from year to year," Edgington said. "The Park District has been around for 23 years, and basically never accomplished much." The development of Joe's Run Recreational Trail and Westview Community Park help show the public the the district was a viable agency, and going to do good things for the community, he said.

For more information about the district's parks, visit the district's website.

ccrook@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Straker grant will enable Park District to create new walking trail