Iroquois Approves Nearly $50,000 For Al’s Trail Project

By Jan Howard

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal announced this week that the Iroquois Gas Transmission System has authorized the release of $49,413.87 for Al’s Trail, a nine-mile continuous greenway trail that runs through Newtown from the Upper Paugussett State Forest to the Reed Intermediate School.

The funding approved is the remaining money in an approximate $900,000 grant to the town received in 1991 through Iroquois’ Land Preservation and Enhancement Program (LPEP).

The proposal to use the funds for Al’s Trail was submitted to Iroquois in January.

In a letter to Mr Rosenthal granting approval to use the funds for the project, Anita Flanagan, manager of public relations and corporate communications for Iroquois, wrote: “We agree that this is a wonderful project that appears to have the strong support of the town and the many volunteers involved. After reviewing the proposal and subsequent to our discussion, we find that the trail project conforms to the intent of the Land Preservation and Enhancement Program (LPEP) and the time frame given for completion satisfies our request to close out the grant by years’ end.”

The $49,413.87 will be released, Ms Flanagan said, when copies of the bills involved in development of the project are provided to Iroquois. Also required at that time is written confirmation that the town will install plaques at the project site stating that funding was provided by the Iroquois Pipeline’s LPEP program.

Requests for reimbursement of expenditures must be made by December 31. At that time, Iroquois requires copies of any canceled checks associated with the project not already submitted, photographs of the site and any news articles relating to the project, any plans (definite or tentative) regarding a dedication ceremony, and directions to the site.

Though Iroquois gave the town to December 31 to complete the project, Mr Rosenthal said the goal is to complete it by October. He said easements have to be obtained to build footbridges, and fencing and signage would also be installed along the nine-mile trail.

Mr Rosenthal said he has met with representatives of Iroquois regarding the various projects. “They’ve been very kind in giving extensions,” he said.

He said the funding was originally planned for other sites in town. They were never able to proceed, however, because of problems with access to the site or with the site itself.

Mr Rosenthal praised the late Al Goodrich, for whom the trail is named, for his hard work in bringing the trail to fruition. “Al was very persistent about it,” Mr Rosenthal said. “A lot of effort went into this.”

Pat Barkman, a member of the Ad Hoc Open Space Committee, has spearheaded the project since the death of Mr Goodrich. She said Tuesday she has applied for a National Recreational Trails Grant that is administered through the state Department of Environmental Protection. The grant, which is 70 percent reimbursable, would be used to build a gazebo along the river in the rear of the Methodist Church property on Church Hill Road.

Other projects for which Iroquois’ LPEP funds were used since they were awarded in 1991 include: 1993, Treadwell Pool, $300,000; 1994, rebuilt Hattertown Dam, $100,000; 1995, built Orchard Hill Nature Center, $50,000; and purchase of 13 acres on Elm Drive from Amarals for $400,000.