60 Miles of Woodstock You Have Never Seen
That’s the tagline for the Greenprints Alliance. They are the non-profit community based organization working in conjunction with the City of Woodstock to create a paved trail and mountain bike trail system through and around Woodstock. With generations longing to get on their bikes and feel the wind on their face without the conjestion of cars this is the answer. While biking may be one use, walking, running and strolling are welcomed.
According to Brian Stockton of the Community Planning Dept. for the City of Woodstock, the Mayor and Council commissioned a park master plan that started in 2007. A steering committee of 15-20 residents was assembled with business owners and residents participating in nine months worth of meetings. During these meetings the group decided that the focus would be on creating a ‘green infrastructure system’ for the city. The components of the ‘green infrastructure system’ include trails (multi-purpose and specialized) and greenspaces. The greenspaces would be used more for preservation of land, but would also provide some areas for recreation more in the form of open fields, not structured recreation (ball fields, tennis courts, etc.). The plan was adopted by the Mayor and Council in June 2008 and included in out 2030 Comprehensive Town Plan, which makes the system mandatory as part of any future development in the city.
Progress to Report
Thanks to $5 million dollar funding from the 2009 Cherokee County Parks Bond Program there are two segments in the works now. An additional 7+/- miles of the multi-purpose trails including one along Noonday Creek next to Towne Lake Parkway. This trail will connect the Towne Lake community with Downtown Woodstock. Design is underway and portions of it could be open as early as fall 2010. The first segment of the trail, which was about 0.5 mile in Olde Rope Mill Park next to Little River opened in 2008. The first 1.3 mile segment of the mountain bike trails, Avalanche Trail, as part of the Taylor Randahl Memorial Trail opened in May of 2010. SORBA, in conjunction with the City of Woodstock is building this trail system.
“We feel that this system, when complete, will provide people an opportunity to use alternate forms of transportation and encourage people to get outside, exercise and travel around in something other than a vehicle. It also helps us show off a lot of natural beauty we have right here in Woodstock by providing more formal access to spots that have been hard to get to prior” says Stockton.
The plan document and maps are located at greenprintsalliance.org under Plan. Another group working on a project that intersects with the Greenprints Project is The Elm Street Cultural Arts Village located on the proposed path. Its plan includes community gardens, black box theater, artist venues and more visit them at elmstreetarts.org.
To volunteer with the Greenprints Alliance or for membership information, contact jennifer@greenprintsalliance.org.
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