Letter to Commissioner Heller
This letter was sent to me and is being reproduced online with the full approval of the writers, in hopes that future trails construction can be managed in a way that is friendlier to property owners along the trail.
March 13, 2008
To: Springfield Township Commissioner Doug Heller
From: Laurie Jenkins and Lisa McCurdy
29 West Mill Road
Flourtown, PA 19031
Re: Green Ribbon Trail Issues and Follow up
Dear Doug,
This letter is in response to our conversation last week regarding the ongoing issues we have with the Green Ribbon Trail and our suggestions for improving the process of future trail construction. As we have spoken about at length, the process of creating and constructing the Green Ribbon Trail has been extremely problematic and frustrating for us. We purchased our house in July 2006 knowing that the Green Ribbon Trail would run through the end of our property. We were told when we bought the house that the trail construction would begin that August 2006. No one ever contacted us to let us know that this would not be the case and getting information about the status of the construction involved me calling the Montgomery County Planning Commission on many occasions to try to get information. Finally, August 1, 2007 we received a letter from the Planning Commission that indicated trail construction would begin within two weeks. It was a full two months later that trail construction finally began (with no communication to us that there would be a delay).
When the construction began they brought in huge trucks and bulldozers to create a trail that now measures 15 feet in some parts (a clear violation of the original contract with the homeowners). When I spoke to the Planning Commission about the width of the trail and the destruction of habitat and property by the over sized equipment I was told that the Planning Commission subcontracts out trail construction and the subcontractors usually build "roads and highways." (I have many photos of the construction, the destruction, and the equipment used if you would like them).
After the trail was created I had to call MANY times to both John Wood and Rich Wood to get them to come back and put a fence up (because we had people walking on our property), put wire up on the fence (because dogs were running all over our yard from people walking on the trail), and to clean up, plant and restore the trail as they promised they would do.
As the weather became colder and they had not cleaned, planted, and restored I continued to call and often two weeks would go by before anyone would return my phone calls. It was only after the Township Commissioner wrote to John Wood at the Montgomery County Planning Commission that I began to get responses to my phone calls. When they finally came and planted trees they did not clean up the site and it continues to be littered with debris and trash that the neighbors have been trying to work on cleaning up ourselves because it is such an eyesore. Also, they did not protect the small tress they planted from the deer, many of which will die because the bark has been entirely stripped off them. In addition, the gravel roadway they originally put in to remove our shed remains exactly as they left it, even after many promises that replanting of this area would occur.
I have a letter from the Planning Commission dated August 1, 2007 that the "roadway that some of you see along the creek that was used for the removal of an old shed structure will be removed, restored, and replanted." In addition, this letter states that the final restoration of the construction site will be completed "in two to four weeks." It has now been almost six months and the clean up and restoration of the construction site has still not occurred even after many phone calls from us. Specifically, in order to complete the Green Ribbon Trail construction process the Montgomery County Planning Commission needs to do the following:
- Clean up and complete replanting and reseeding of the construction area
- Clean up construction debris at entrance to trail (near Ft. Washington Day Park area)
- Restore and replant access roadway (see letter of 8/1/07)
In addition, in order to improve the process of trail expansion in the future I have the following suggestions:
- Establish a plan to facilitate communication between homeowners, Planning Commission and regional trail managers (suggest website re project, email updates). COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE COMMUNICATE!!!
- Use landscape architect/wetlands restoration expert to draw up a replanting and restoration plan that is respectful to the needs of the natural environment and the homeowners
- Use experts to develop a plan for trail construction that is environmentally sensitive and appropriate for the intended use (pervious trails, aesthetically interesting, least damaging to nature)
- Subcontract trail construction to appropriate company that is capable of creating a trail that leaves the least offensive footprint on the land surrounding the trail and allows for a trail of appropriate size
- Complete trail construction in the agreed upon time frame that is reasonable and clearly delineated from the beginning
- Develop a plan in writing regarding appropriate use of the trail (i.e. it is not appropriate that Ft. Washington Park Ranger patrols a nature trail in a patrol car. This is what has occurred on the trail behind our house and it makes the trail feel like a highway behind our house).
- Make the priority of a nature trail (even if it is"multi use") to PRESERVE the natural environment surrounding the trail. The way in which the Green Ribbon Trail was constructed was so destructive that it has driven out much of the nature we used to see in our yard, destroyed natural habitats, and made the area surrounding our houses and the trail at increased risk of erosion and flooding due to the lack of appropriate planning, planting, and restoration.
I hope that this helps the Township Commissioners as you consider all of the issues surrounding the expansion of the trail system in Montgomery County. Fundamentally we have always been pro-trails. What I hope is that our experience will add to the reasoned and thoughtful exploration of all of the issues involved in nature trail construction. I believe there is a better way!
Very truly yours,
Laurie Jenkins
Lisa McCurdy