Opinion : Letter to the Editor: Ideas for Old Creamery Nature Trail

Dear Editor,

For the residents of Vinton and surrounding area who are interested in exercise, nature and trail activity, do you really want to see the entrance to the Old Creamery Nature Trail at West 8th St. and Highway 218 be closed? That is the plan by Benton County Conservation who own the trail. A new trail entrance to the OCNT has been graded and surfaced approximately 2/3rds of a mile west of Theisens on the north side of the road.

The main goal for changing the entrance is to connect the "blue trail" beginning on 2nd Ave. near the high school, to the OCNT for better visibility of the blue trail. The connecting route would be 13th St. and crossing the highway at 218 and 13th. In case you haven't observed lately, the intersection of 218 and 13th is the busiest intersections in Vinton with 4 lanes, semis coming to Kwik Star, traffic to four businesses and two churches.

I am sorry the blue trail was placed where it is not very visible to the public, where it exists along a very dusty road and goes in a circle.

One of the original discussions was to connect the blue trail with the Cedar Valley Trail at Urbana via north on 2nd Ave., across the Cedar River bridge where there is already a pedestrian passage cordoned off and follow some of the grading still in place as a detour when the newest Cedar River bridge was constructed.

The current entrance to the 14 ½ OCNT has a parking lot provided and maintained by the city. It is on the east side of the highway. The DOT refuses to install white pedestrian crossing lines on the highway because there are white lines there marking the railroad. There are trail signs in both directions on 218. Remember any vehicles marked as transporting hazardous materials, school buses and other units transporting people are required to stop at the railroad which makes a speed trap for people crossing the trail.

The volunteer trail group fundraised and paid for a permanent access and 15 ft. wide easement with the railroad to get west 1/3 of a mile from 218. That is where the trail officially begins. It would be very sad to have the easement west from 218 become defunct from lack of use.

The OCNT trail is being used often by walkers from within the city of Vinton, sometimes with baby strollers. Bicycle riders of all ages and kinds of bikes access the trail from within town. Americore and NCCC live just three blocks from the 218 trail entrance. I can assure that they very much appreciate and utilize the trail, especially because the entrance is very accessible to them since they do not have access to their vehicles while in the program. We need to accommodate them in any way we can, because they are a great asset to our community economically, community service wise, visibility and town distinction.

Do we really think trail users from around the nation will come to Vinton to use the OCNT at night in order to access the blue trail and vis versa?

The railroad has placed safety railings where the trail connects with the railroad near the fertilizer plant. There is a verbal agreement with the railroad that the trail will not be blocked by rail cars for longer than ½ hour. I have known but one time in many years that the trail was blocked with railroad cars, which were removed in a timely manner with a reminder.

Because of some land swap for the new trail entrance there would need to be negotiations to keep the trail west of the first bridge passable.

The first bridge west of Vinton is very picturesque. What a disgrace to close it off!

What can be done? Talk to Benton County Board members. Be willing to sign a petition to keep the 8th St. entrance to the trail open. I think we could meet the challenge of having two entrances to the OCNT!

Nancy Baldwin