Great Parks of Hamilton County is asking people to weigh in on plans for a 25-mile, shared-use trail on the western side of the county. The proposed West Region Blueway & Trail System would run along the Great Miami and Whitewater rivers from Shawnee Lookout to Butler County.
The trail would connect four Great Parks — Shawnee Lookout, Campbell Lakes, Miami Whitewater Forest and Mitchell Memorial Forest — and pass by two preserves (Oak Glen and Richardson). It would then tie into the 99-mile Great Miami River Trail, which extends to Piqua.
Great Parks CEO Todd Palmeter says the recently opened public survey seeks feedback on the proposed trail route.
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"We have what we call a preferred alignment," Palmeter says. "It's very conceptual in nature because ... there's a lot of property, different pieces of property, that we would need to talk to individuals (about). ... Right now, we're trying to look at the entire north to south alignment and make sure the community gives us feedback and understands what we're looking to do, and maybe tell us something (we) weren't aware of."
Palmeter says Great Parks' proposal does include some parcels of land it doesn't currently own or have access to, so negotiations will be needed with local municipalities and, in some cases, private land owners.
The West Region Blueway & Trail System would include a paved trail for hiking, biking and walking, as well as a "blueway" that would offer "increased access to the river(s) for paddling, fishing — any type of water-based adventure."
Palmeter says the goal currently is to get as much feedback as possible from a large number of people.
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"We want to hear from everybody — all our constituents across Hamilton County. Take the survey so we can hear from you and really help us determine the best alignment because this is going to be a really exciting project over the next several years."
The virtual open house website has more detailed information about the trail and its eight segments. The survey is open now through Sept. 1.
