Carrollton -- At least 50 people met last night for a public meeting at the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce to learn about and discuss phase II of the Carrollton Greenbelt Project. The project aims to build a 15-mile pedestrian and bicycle path linking area parks and scenic routes around the city. Executive Director of the Path Foundation partnering with Friends Of Carrollton Greenbelt, Ed McBrayer, says one of the many benefits of a multi-purpose path is economic activity.
“There are a couple people here tonight involved with bike shops—that one is pretty obvious, because if you have a place to ride a bike and rollerblade you’re going to sell more jogging shoes and bicycles…” he told the crowd. “Also, the convenience store on the corner is going to sell more Power-Aide and that type of thing.”
Erica Studdard is the Executive Director of the Carrollton Greenbelt Project. Addressing the concerns of several members of the audience, she says the most difficult part of the project is certainly property acquisition. “We really want to try to tie into the city parks and to do that we are going to have to be able to come inside the bypass,” she says.
Once the project is complete, maintenance will be handled by the City Parks & Rec. Department. Phase II, which will begin some time in the spring will connect Lakeshore Park and East Carroll with the future route to continue around Lake Carroll. Simultaneously the Buffalo Creek Park should begin and be complete around the same time as phase II. Friends Of The Carrollton Greenbelt have set a difficult but obtainable goal to complete the loop by June of 2016 marking 5 years since the groundbreaking.