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| Forest preserve wants to move forward with trail | |
| Aug 13, 2008 | |
| Kathy Cichon kcichon@scn1.com | |
| Naperville Sun | |
| Pertains to West Branch Regional Trail, Naperville | |
| After 16 years, it's time to get moving on the trail. That's the consensus among DuPage County forest commissioners, who on Tuesday said the West Branch Trailway project should finally move forward. "We've been looking at this since 1992," said President D. "Dewey" Pierotti Jr. "I think the taxpayers deserve an answer. ... We've waited from '92 to 2008." In 1992 the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Naperville and Naperville Park District for the construction of the West Branch Riverway Trail. The trail would provide access from forest preserves and trails north of McDowell Grove to the DuPage River Trail, south of downtown Naperville. Plans for the West Branch Trailway call for construction of a trail extending from McDowell Grove Forest Preserve in Naperville, south along the West Branch of the DuPage River toward the border of Will County. In 1992, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the city of Naperville and Naperville Park District for the trail, which would provide connectivity from the forest preserves and trails north of McDowell Grove - along Raymond Drive between Interstate 88 and Ogden Avenue - to the DuPage River Trail south of downtown Naperville. A few years ago the forest district completed a portion of the trail system within the preserve. For the next segment though, between Ogden and Jefferson avenues, the trail must cross property owned by the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad. But to make this possible, all three government agencies need to be co-parties to a license agreement with BNSF. Since 2007, the plans have been at an impasse as the attorneys for all four entities cannot reach agreement. "This thing has been kind of at a standstill for the last year and a half," said Ross Hill, project engineer. Forest district staff recommended the district amend the current intergovernmental agreement to become the sole agency to enter into the agreement with the railroad. The district would become fully responsible for all aspects of the trail built on BNSF property. Under the current intergovernmental agreement, the district is responsible for construction only, with the Park District responsible for trail maintenance and the city responsible for law enforcement. But forest officials are concerned the district, if acting as the sole agency, will be left footing the bill for a variety of tasks. Staff proposed that in return for the forest district acting as lead agency, the intergovernmental agreement be amended to require the city to obtain the land rights needed for a 60-foot trail section that crosses private property. "If the forest preserve takes the lead ... that's a big step forward," said attorney Robert Mork. "Then you can move forward and amend the intergovernmental agreement. Unless we get something worked out with the railroad, I don't see us moving off of first base." Forest commissioners agreed to call a meeting with city and Park District leaders before taking any action. Commissioner Roger Kotecki of Warrenville said the trailway is an important regional resource - not just a Naperville resource. "It's an important part of the West Branch Trail system," Kotecki said. "One of our goals should be to complete this West Branch trail before I get too old to use it." |
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