This post is unedited from the 2018 election to show Barry Wilson follows through and does what he says he is going to do.
I attended the Parks and Recreation meeting on February 7, 2018. Eric Lucas, Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture, and his staff were receptive to these ideas regarding trails / bike paths. I also met with Chief Planner, Scott Ballstadt, on March 8, 2018 and he was also very receptive to these ideas. On March 20th, I met one-on-one with Wade Willis, Parks and Open Space Manager, regarding my concerns about trials and bike paths for District-2 residents.
The Poudre River Trail is a great asset to our community, but we should expand access to more Windsor residents. Adding more trails will promote exercise, reduce traffic, and make Windsor residents in Larimer County be more linked into the Windsor community.
The Great Western Trail on the east side of town linking Windsor, Severance, and Eaton is a success that can be built upon. If we can link Severance and Eaton to Windsor, we can link Windsor residents in Larimer County into Downtown Windsor.
I support an entry point for the Poudre River Trail from downtown somewhere between CR-13 and Eastman Park, preferably in the Covenant Park area. District 2 residents behind Safeway are a short distance from the trail, but cannot get to it. It’s a challenge to make this happen, but I am confident with the right leadership that we can be creative and find a way for more people to access the trail.
I’m an advocate and will lobby for safe pedestrian & bicycle lanes and/or trails linking Windsor neighborhoods in Larimer County to the west end of Main Street. Some District 2 residents live less than a mile from businesses on the west end of Main Street, but cannot safely bike or walk to them. There are various proposals on the table. The biggest obstacle is funding and finding a location for a pedestrian bridge since the CR-13 bridge is too narrow for bicycles and pedestrians. If CR-13 is expanded, a new bridge should include a bicycle/pedestrian lane.
The current plan to connecting the trail behind the Windsor Recreation Center to the River Bluff Trailhead behind Ptarmigan bypasses District 2 residents along the CR-13 corridor. Everyone I met with was willing to revisit the plan, but it’s up to the Town Board to make it a priority.
I would like to explore the possibility of adding a trail along HW-392 from the Poudre River Trail tunnel under HW-392 to High Hops and other businesses on Main Street. The marsh and river are the main obstacles, but the Town of Windsor owns the Kyger Reservoir and I’m sure High Hops and other business would welcome the traffic.
I am also an advocate of trails connecting Windsor neighborhoods on the CR-13 corridor (District 2) to Windsor neighborhoods along CR-5 (District 1). The fact that a new neighborhood elementary school is being built at CR-30 and CR-5 in Highland Meadows makes this proposed project a higher priority. Mayles Baker, Town Board member representing District 1, and I have discussed this common goal on several occasions.
I recently drove my daughters 4.3 miles from our home in River West (District-2) to a classmate’s house in Highland Meadows (District-1). When I looked at a map, our homes were less than a mile apart. A trail will resolve this problem.
If elected, I will continue these discussions and be an advocate for District 2 residents having easy access to local trails.
– Barry Wilson