Many residents welcome trail

Rail line use is discussed

Friday, Jan. 25, 2008

Preparations are under way for the 13-mile stretch that planners believe will become the most popular park in the county.

Formerly a railroad that led to the U.S. Navy base in Indian Head — a rail line used by the Navy that has been dormant for decades — the county obtained the corridor after the Navy, in 2005, deemed it surplus.

‘‘In October 2006 the county acquired the abandoned naval rail line,” said Tom Roland, chief of the county’s parks department, during an informational meeting Tuesday at the county government building in La Plata. ‘‘Charles County has a very rare opportunity to put together a significant recreational trail ... one that would not exist [otherwise]. It would take us decades to put together properties [to make up the trail].”

Running from White Plains to Indian Head, the 100-foot-wide path would initially be for bicyclists and pedestrians, such as joggers and hikers, Roland said.

Later, a bridle path for equestrians could be incorporated to run parallel to the trail.

The county has been working with the nonprofit Rail-to-Trail Conservancy to develop the corridor.

The conservancy works with communities around the country to preserve and transform unused railroad lines into trails and paths.

There are about 14,000 miles of trails in the United States, said Jeff Ciabotti, vice president of trail development at RTC. In the future, that distance will more than double as new trails are being planned and built.

In local and national surveys the one amenity people look for in their communities is a hiker⁄biker trail, Roland said.

About 3 percent to 5 percent of a community’s population will use a golf course, while 53 percent to 58 percent of the population report they would use a hiker⁄biker trail, he said.

However, during Tuesday’s meeting some homeowners who live close to the trail were leery of the project.

A 20-year-resident, whose property borders the trail, said from now on he would be sleeping with a shotgun next to his bed thanks to the project which he said will ruin his privacy.

‘‘If they’re being honest, nobody would want this in their front yard,” he said. ‘‘[It’s] destroying my little heaven and making it hell.”

Other homeowners raised the issue of safety, particularly when their property backs up to the trail.

Roland said he would meet with homeowners one on one at their homes to determine what could be done to maintain privacy, but added that by taking over the trail, the county would be able to monitor the area, whereas now it does not.

‘‘We’re just going to spend as much time as we can to listen to adjacent landowners,” Roland said.

Additionally, according to Ciabotti, a rail trail will only increase the property values of nearby homes and real estate agents will begin touting the proximity of a home to such an amenity.

‘‘It’s not just about getting from Point A to Point B,” he said. ‘‘It’s what it does to connect to the community. When you connect it to the community it is better. Trails to trails, trails to businesses, to transportation hubs ... we’re seeing more and more.”

Johnnie DeGiorgi a candidate for commissioner in District 2 in the 2006 election, brought up the potential for criminal activity on the trail, mentioning media reports of incidents occurring in areas such as Fairfax, Va., and Washington, D.C.

But Roland pointed out that rural trails, like the one planned to connect White Plains to Indian Head, statically have very little crime.

Crime on trails tends to occur more in urban areas, Roland said.

Trails actually work to deter crime as there are people not only patrolling the area but people who are using it.

Some members of the community have been waiting a long time for this trail.

La Plata resident Blake Altman said he would use the trail to commute to his job in Indian Head.

‘‘I frequently commute [on a bicycle] to work during the spring, summer and fall,” said Altman in an e-mail. ‘‘This commute includes riding the length of Route 225 from La Plata to Route 210. I hope to work this trail into my work commute. The existence of the trail will allow me to commute later into the year since I can’t ride to work in the early morning or at dusk due to the dangers of riding on the busy Route 225 corridor.”

Jan Tucker of Waldorf, who, like Altman, is a member of the Oxon Hill Bike Club, also supports the trail.

‘‘I plan to use the trail to ride my mountain bike and run,” Tucker said. ‘‘If and when we ever get enough snow I’d also like to cross-country ski on it.”

The project is being funded in a variety of ways. The salvaging the old railroad rails will bring in about $549,349. The Charles County commissioners approved $402,000 in the capital improvement plan and the state’s Program Open Space is set to approve $1,400,000 for the project, Roland said.

The trail, like all of the county’s other parks, will be supported through the general fund.

To start, asphalt will cover portions of the path — most likely a couple of miles beginning in White Plains and maybe a mile starting in Indian Head — with crushed stone layering the rest of the path.

Additional asphalt, which is a more durable, but expensive topper, would be added in coming years.

The county would be responsible for the maintenance of the trail; the town of Indian Head will not have the burden, Roland said.

And established rules would be set, such as daylight hours only, patrols conducted by park staff, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office and park volunteers. No motorized vehicles, except emergency vehicles, would be allowed access.

The project’s timeline has trail construction beginning in the summer and concluding 12 to 18 months later.

Currently, planners are looking for community members to be a part of the trail advisory committee. The committee, which will be selected by the parks department via an application process, will work to establish rules and regulations and hopefully, Roland said in an interview, grow as the trail does.

‘‘We hope this group can evolve into a volunteer group to patrol the trail,” he said. ‘‘We’d like a representative group of different types of users.”

Eventually, Roland hopes the trail will link up with Three Notch Trail in St. Mary’s County and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, which connects the Allegheny Highlands in Pittsburgh to the Chesapeake Bay in Southern Maryland.

The trail also presents an opportunity for local businesses and the potential to grow small businesses in the area.

Whether it is bicycle repair and rental shops, restaurants or bed and breakfasts, the success of other trails throughout the nation could be duplicated in Charles County, Roland said.

‘‘I’m sure the trail would lure visitors to Charles County,” Tucker said. ‘‘People are willing to travel quite a long way to ride a pretty trail. Some will even plan a vacation to hit popular trails.”