Fayette commissioners approve trail funding, partnership
There were no deadlocks in Thursday’s commissioners meeting, as the two remaining elected officials agreed on every action item on the agenda, including approval of several items to boost recreational tourism around the county.
“We’re trying to improve the quality of life in Fayette county,” said Commissioners Vincent Vicities before he and Commissioner Scott Dunn voted to accept the bid from Raffle Construction in the amount of $1.14 million for the Dunlap Creek Park Lake Trail Project.
Menallen Township Supervisor Brian May said he was both “happy and proud” to see progress toward building a walking trail around the 50-acre lake.
“It’s a gem in our community and I’m so glad that (the commissioners) are working together to make this happen,” May said.
Vicites and Dunn – the lone decision makers after Dave Lohr resigned his post earlier this week – also voted for the county solicitor to enter into negotiations to transfer three land parcels on the Sheepskin Trail to Fay-Penn Economic Development Council. The memorandum would include an agreement for Fay-Penn to maintain the surface areas of about 8 miles of trail located in Springhill and Georges townships.
The agency would be responsible for the trail construction process of the land, including pruning, surveying, clearing and grubbing, seeding and mulching, drainage improvements, road crossings and fencing.
The proposal would also include an option for the county to regain ownership of the parcels if Fay-Penn were to use the land for anything but the Sheepskin Trail.
Tim Flecker, executive director of Fay-Penn, said Wednesday the agency is “betting on the trail” and the potential economic benefits it could bring to the county.
Vicities called the potential partnership a “win-win.”
“(The county) is getting (8) miles of the trail built at no cost and no need to acquire grant money. That’s a big chunk of our 34-mile trail,” he said.
Dunn cited a 2021 Great Allegheny Passage Economic Impact Report that estimated that every mile of the trail brings in about $800,000 annually in tourism revenue.
“The Sheepskin Trail is 34 miles long, so by just using that number, that’s a $27 million annual impact to Fayette County’s economy,” he said.
A timetable has not been set for the accepting of the agreement and final approval of the agreement requires a vote at a public meeting.
Funding for trails, particularly the Sheepskin Trail, has come under fire from Lohr, who has been an outspoken opponent of trail funding, frequently referring to the parks as “luxury items.”
“When you’re looking at the expense factor for 1 mile of trail, I don’t care where the money comes from – I don’t care if it’s a grant through the state or the federal government – come April 15 I had to write checks to the federal, state and to the local government,” Lohr said during an interview on the WMBS radio station Wednesday evening.
On Thursday, Vicites and Dunn addressed criticisms regarding funding of the trail.
“Please remember that 0% of the Fayette County general fund has been used to build the Sheepskin Trail,” Dunn said.
He explained that if a federal grant requires a match, which is typically 20% of the requested grant funds, the county has been able to get funding from the state.
Vicites said county officials are not solely focused on the trial, calling it a “small fraction of what we’re trying to get accomplished.”
He and Dunn said they’ve applied for grants related to infrastructure, housing and economic development, too.
“We requested $14 million from the federal government to achieve all these priorities, that’s how extensive we are working to try to get these things funded moving forward,” Vicities said.