Time to saddle up and pull out your jogging clothes. Menifee is slated to begin construction on a 16-mile trail in 2018 that will reach from Goetz Road to State Street and Champion in Hemet. Pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians will be welcome.
The project started out as a major flood control operation back in the early 1970s. Deviating from the typical “concrete boxes” used to stop water from flowing, the Salt Creek Trail Project was visionary in its attempt serve the dual purpose of controlling floods during wet seasons and beautifying the city with scenic routes to travel. The fathers of this original model envisioned picnic areas, playgrounds, walking paths, and equestrian paths along the trail.
“It demonstrated through proper planning, proper engineering, and environmental work that you could find a balance between function, the environment and recreation,” explained Mark Brewer of the Riverside County Regional Park and Open Space District.
The plan would resurface in the Menifee town mapping of 1986 and in 2003 as a “tiered trail” that reasserted its focus within the city. Even in 2008, the plan was featured in a city update as they sought to secure funding.
The Commission met Jan. 21 for a workshop on the project. Brewer urged the committee to consider working to bring the project to life at last. A soft-surface portion is planned for equestrians and joggers with asphalt on either side. The trail will be Americans with Disabilities Act compliant to support persons with disabilities who want to use it. Riverside County Flood Control will assume authority over the trail once it is built and continue to maintain it into the future.
Public commentators and Commissioner Ken Gaunt were concerned with the planned development and felt that Flood Control could do very little to prevent potential vandalism and homeless wanderers from reaching their homes.
In response, Brewer assured everyone that “Bicyclists are the best eyes and ears on the trail” and that an element of “self-policing” will take care of any problems.
One of the biggest perks of the project that the public speakers expressed was the incorporation of equestrians into the trail. This concept will be addressed in the form of a large five-foot wide trail with two extra feet of shoulder length.
Commissioner Martin H. Rosen feared that the trail would be too narrow to allow bicyclists, walkers, and equestrians to travel in both directions at the same time. Similarly, Commissioner Tom Giedroyce was eager to have the project supervisors identify open lots between homes and all major street crossings so that the council could find out if they were open for construction.
It was clear that the project has quite a few details to iron out before it can be fully underway, but the project speakers seem confident that their trail will soon be birthed after all these years.
Project Manager Cathy Wappler explained that the trail will be federally funded, which could spell out stricter environmental requirements and other regulations when it is constructed. The project is also currently looking to dip into Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds by way of a grant application.
At this point, the initial portion of the trail that runs through Menifee is near being fully-funded while other portions remain penniless. There is still a lot of ground to cover, but the committee welcomes another way to put their city on the map.
