Former earth lodge site targeted for proposed Glenwood trailhead

Big changes could be in the works for the former Glenwood Earth Lodge Site.

The site at 206 E. Sharp St., a three-acre triangle of land wedged between the Keg Creek, Glenwood Community High School and Sharp Street across from Glenwood Lake Park, could be the future site of a trailhead that would run along Keg Creek and possibly connect to the Wabash Trace.

Glenwood Community School District Devin Embray, who discussed the possibilities for the site at last Monday’s school board meeting, said the plan is in it’s infancy logistically, but behind the scenes, much is going on.

The city of Glenwood is currently in negotiations with the Iowa Department of Transportation to deed the land to the city.  The plan is to then have the city hand the land over to either Glenwood Community School District or the Mills County Historical Society. The historical society operated the earth lodge on the site for many years but the site has sat unused since 2015.

“The state owns a right-of-way in the property,” said Embray. “It should have transferred early on when the state released it over to the city and the county when Sharp Street was the main ‘Highway 34’ when the bypass went in but it didn’t happen. It just never got included so it’s been a drawn out process trying to get it released.”

As soon as the city deeds the land over, to either the historical society or the school district, Embray said the Mills County Trails committee will move forward with grant opportunities and securing 28-E agreements with the property owners to develop the site and a biking and walking trail with branches along the creek. The project would include several bicycling and pedestrian bridges and trail spurs connecting to the Glenwood Aquatic Center, the Glenwood Athletic Complex, the city soccer fields and the park camp grounds.

Shawn Koehler heads up the trails committee. He’s worked closely with the city, school district and the historical society for several years on the project and he envisions the trail project in three phases: a Glenwood trailhead, a Glenwood loop through the city and finally a spur connecting to the Wabash Trash near Mineola. Koehler said there has also been talk of connecting the Glenwood trail to the Keystone Trail in eastern Nebraska via the Highway 34 Bridge.

The Glenwood loop will be a 1.5- to 2-mile paved trail wrapping around the northern edge of the city’s soccer complex. The trailhead site along Sharp Street would include more than 100 parking spots, a restroom facility and access to the trail. The site would also include interpretive signage about the site and the Glenwood area and a pedestrian bridge connecting the site to the Glenwood Athletic Complex immediately to the north.

Koehler estimates the price tag of the project will be in the neighborhood of $1.4 million when completed. All of the costs would be covered by private donations and grants.

The trails committee thinks the trail could have lasting and huge benefits to the entire community. Partnering with the city, the county, the school district and the historical society has helped the project along up to this point, Koehler said.

“They’re all a big piece of this,” Koehler said. “There’s a lot going on behind the scenes to help make this happen. A lot of people are working diligently on this.”

Koehler said the trail won’t just be for bicyclists, roller bladders and joggers. He sees local groups and clubs using the trails and paved branches improving accessibility for everyone to city spaces.
“We’re trying to get trails and walk ways in place together,” Koehler said. “When you look at people in wheelchairs and families pushing strollers around the soccer complex, if we can get that easier to navigate then that’s great. Part of that is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance as we get people and seniors out, so they don’t have to worry about the terrain. That’s an important consideration.

Embray said the school anticipates they will also be asked to contribute funds, but no funding has been committed to the project as of now. After the land deed process is completed, the future trailhead site will come further into focus.

“We’re hearing rumors the historical society might not want to take on the land so they’re interested in deeding it over the school district,” Embray said. “Once we had it we’d have to prioritize and plan how we’d develop it and what part we’d have in the 28-E Agreements with other entities to help develop it.”

Embray did express some concern about the cost of future maintenance of the site should the district take possession of the land.

“Adding another 120 to 125 stall parking lot that you’d have to maintain year round and push snow off on top of everything else concerns me a little bit,” Embray said. “I’m not sure how much use we (the district) would have for it in winter months.”

If all goes as planned, Koehler said the project could be completed in a year and a half.

“Everything right now is built around resources,” Koehler said. “But I truly believe if we put our nose to the ground and really get going we could have a fully completed project in the middle of 2018.”
 

The Opinion-Tribune

116 S Walnut St Glenwood, IA 51534-1665
P.O. Box 377, Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-527-3191
Phone: 712-623-2566
Fax: 712-527-3193

Comment Here