Deer Run Residents Protest Public Walking Trail

By Ted Cox
tcox@garrardcentralrecord.com

Deer Run Residents opposing the construction of a walking path that would, in part, lead down the street of their sub-division showed up to voice their concerns at a public forum held last Thursday morning, as well as at Monday night's city council meeting.

Wendell Johnson, 284 Deer Run, presented Judge-Executive John Wilson with a petition on Thursday  signed by 57 Deer Run residents who don’t want the walking path to run down the street in front of their homes.

The petition reads, “We the residents and property owners of Deer Run sub-division are not in favor of a walking trail/path being placed in front or behind our property/home.”

Johnson, who owns two pieces of property in Deer Run, said he signed the petition twice.

The general consensus between Deer Run residents is their concern for privacy and an added amount of foot traffic on the road in front of their residences, as well as concerns for ATVs, parking and the impact on wildlife.

“They’re acting like we’re kind of the bad guys because 17,000 people are invited county-wide to walk through in the middle of our street right in front of our property. If I wanted my house along a public walking trail, I’d buy a home in Logan-Hubble Park,” Johnson told the city council.

“Currently in Garrard County people are using the cemetery to walk or they're using Logan Hubble Park or They're using the Tom Dormin Nature preserve,” Wilson said of Johnson's concerns. “All of those areas are at least semi-public for walking. The reality is there's not 17,000 people walking in any of those places, there's not an abundance of litter.”

Stan Lovins, 411 Deer Run, expressed his opposition to the construction of the path running through his neighborhood at both the forum and city council meeting as well as his concern over a population of deer living in the area that he feeds.

“As for this thing, I'm totally against it,” Lovins said. “You talk about there won't be four-wheelers, but there's four-wheelers over there at the city lake now. You can't stop them. With being on the end down here, I want this thought out a whole lot more before any ground is broken on it.”

Lovins told the City Council Danny Irvin, who is the developer of Deer Run, is against the project and refuses to sign an easement. Garrard County Economic Development Director Nathan Mick and Wilson have gone on record in the past expressing Irvin's support and agreement to sign necessary easements.

Mick said he could understand why residents of Deer Run were more concerned with the nuances of the project.

“There isn't a lot of green space in Lancaster” Mick said. “But here you have a phenomenal partnership between all these moving parts, the city council passing it, the fiscal court supporting it, Victory Christian Church supporting it, the Owsley House supporting it, the health department even talking about contributing to it, the Extension Office, you talk about about providing health alternatives for youth as well as promoting nature and the environment. The herd of deer is one thing but I think you will provide a lot more attention to the environmental area out there with the Extension Office taking some ownership of this trail and what they can provide to be stewards of that area.”

Mick called the project a sure fire way to help attract business to the county as well.

“From an economic development standpoint when businesses come here and they want to see what amenities our community has I think it's nice to be able to have them look at the partnership of our community that has been done in recent years to help promote health and wellness and outdoor activities. It is a net gain for our community,” he said.

While only four residents showed up voicing their opposition this time, Johnson said he would return with 70 if he felt the council didn't address their concerns properly.

“I live there because I like it private. I live there because I have two small children. There aren't that many people that walk up and down the streets, it's mostly neighbors I see walking. It's very private and very family oriented. This may do nothing to that. I don't know,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s main concern is a large investment in his real estate in the area.

“I do know that I have a $140,000 house and the lot for a $200,000 house and my property value is the biggest investment I have. I don't want it behind my house either.”

Johnson claimed that no one he had talked to except for one resident had been informed of the plan by the city or county.

“We have no problem with the trail going around the lake. It's our property we're concerned with and why no one contacted us about the project. Maybe you felt like you didn't have to.”

Wilson responded, asking Johnson to be respectful and cited the fact that no one voiced their concerns or called his office even though the plans were well publicized in both local newspapers.

“I'm not trying to be disrespectful,” Johnson said. “I just want the path kept out of the subdivision.”

Communities from all over Kentucky are submitting applications for walking trails through the same  Recreational Trails Program Grants as Garrard. Wilson's main concern is that the upheaval will cause the $60,000 that could have been spent in Garrard County to go somewhere else.

“They're going to fund whatever they have money for,”  he said. “My concern is that they will focus their money where there is broad support for projects. If as a community they think that we're not behind this project then they won't fund it. They'll give the money to a community that is behind it. When we fill out a grant application it doesn't guarantee we're going to get the money. Based on the show put on by Wendell Johnson, I have a concern that we probably won't get the grant because of it. We had an obligation to send the petition along with the minutes of the forum to the grant committee for review.”

With a $20,000 grant just accepted through Bluegrass PRIDE, concerns are further raised that those funds may have to be returned if the path is rerouted.

“The city is the greatest player from a property standpoint because they own the property around the city lake,” Wilson said. “The fact is that we submitted a detailed grant application showing a detailed map of where he trail would be. I don't think we can change that now. It's kind of to a point where we either do this with the money we've got or send the money back.”

With the project facing a possible shortfall of what could have been $80,000, concerns are further raised as to the money and time already spent on the project.

“Based on the city council’s vote, we've gone a pretty far way down the road with this thing. They voted to support it. They had a copy of the map detailing where the trail would go and they voted to support it. In reliance on that vote we put a lot of work, time and money into this, all that engineering work is not free,” Wilson said. “The first phase is already funded and ready to go. The city council has already authorized the project by vote. The fiscal court authorized it by vote and we've already began spending money. There's already been a lot of time and money spent to make this a reality.”

The health department has $13,000 that they're going to contribute to the project as well, which could be pulled if the path is rerouted away from the health department.

“I am sympathetic to the concerns but the reality is that some of the nicest neighborhoods in Lexington have walking trails incorporated into their subdivisions. Hartland has one and Masterson Station has one. There's not litter abundant at either of those locations. They aren't a conduit for criminals to come into those communities and they make those subdivisions nicer places. It's an amenity to those communities to have that in there. In some areas they expect those kind of things,” Wilson said.

“I think our people  deserve something better and something nicer and that's what this is,” he said. “This will improve the natural areas of that lake. There is already some illegal dumping and use going on there, but that's what it's being used for now. When we have a different clientele using this you're not going to see that anymore. This is a good thing and I think in the end when it's built I think everyone will realize that it was a good thing. I agree with some of the comment made. Deer Run is a very nice sub-division and I think that this will compliment it very nicely and make it even nicer.”

The city council voted in December to pass a motion made by Councilman Bret Baierlein, supporting the walking path plan and approving easements needed along city land. The only condition pending being to meet requirements set by the Army Corps of Engineers and Homeland Security. While talking with Johnson, some city-council members said they never voted to approve the easements and the December vote was just meant to show general support. Rinthen said he has not yet been presented with any easements to sign.

“They can’t walk on anything unless I sign an easement,” he said.

Mayor Don Rinthen told the Deer Run residents that because the walking trail is the Garrard County Fiscal Court’s project, the only thing the council could offer to review the issues with the fiscal court. The Council plans to hold a joint meeting with the fiscal court to discuss the issues raised during Monday's meeting.