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Search For Greenways and Trails Solutions in Mt. CarrollBy Tom Kocal
MT. CARROLL Several groups in the City of Mt. Carroll are making a concerted effort to give their community better living, working, learning and playing conditions. With that in mind, they invited Diane Banta with the National Park Service (NPS) to review their Greenways and Trails project plans at a community meeting Wednesday, May 13 in the Mt. Carroll City Hall. George Bellovics, Landscape Architect with the Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR), was also on hand with nearly 20 local and county residents, business people, and organization representatives. Banta told the audience of the Calumet-Sag Trail on the south side of Chicago that the NPS was involved in. The 26-mile trail was planned by a coalition of 14 communities located on the trail. "It's not what I do for you that makes your project successful," Banta said. "It's the people involved in the project and its organizational development priorities that really make the difference." Bellovics said there were some good parallels between the Cal-Sag Trail and the Mt. Carroll/carroll County area. "Cal-Sag goes through a variety of communities, from historically blue-collar areas with a wide ethnic mix, to some very poor to more well-to-do neighborhoods. The trail unites everyone in the 14-community coalition in a quality of life project for them. Once it is completed, they can invite others to join them. "The trail recreates a 'sense of place' that has meaning to them, like it was in the past with their rich history. Just like it is here in Carroll County." Banta said there are grants available to help Mt. Carroll fulfill their desires to link the downtown area, Campbell Center, and Point Rock Park through the Transportation, Community, and System Preservation (TCSP) Program, a U.S. Dept. of Transportation initiative. TCSP is a comprehensive initiative of research and grants to investigate the relationships between transportation, community, and system preservation plans and practices and identify private sector-based initiatives to improve such relationships. States, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, and tribal governments are eligible for discretionary grants to carry out eligible projects to integrate transportation, community, and system preservation plans and practices that: · Improve the efficiency of the transportation system of the United States. · Reduce environmental impacts of transportation. · Reduce the need for costly future public infrastructure investments. · Ensure efficient access to jobs, services, and centers of trade. · Examine community development patterns and identify strategies to encourage private sector development patterns and investments that support these goals. Len Anderson, a businessman and member of the Friends of the Waukarusa, wants to develop the area on the Waukarusa from the dpwntown area west to around Camp Benson.
"We started the plans 4 years ago," Anderson stated proudly. "We have a 'Palisades Park' in our own backyard at Point Rock Park. The rock formations have names, like Devil's Backbone. There used to be foot bridges over parts of the river. Camp Benson is located on the Waukarusa, too. The view is simply spectacular, and most Carroll County residents don't even know about it." Anderson spoke of the developments at Point Rock Park that the 'Friends' have spearheaded: a disc golf course and new tree plantings. The City has placed new playground equipment. Their 2009 summer project is an asphalt trail that will start at the parking area and meander through the park. A Band Shell has been constructed, surrounded by the cliffs and the woods, and will be used for music festivals, weddings, and more. "On our wish list are signs to direct traffic to the park from the downtown area, about 2 blocks away. Also, a walking trail to the park should be developed," Anderson said. Banta agreed, saying that the exercise and health aspects of this plan are important points, both for tourism and local use. Also, the history and natural landscape of the area are equally vital concepts. Jim Warfield, owner of Raven's Grin Inn, said that in 1915, an area near Camp Benson was voted "The Most Beautiful Spot in Illinois." Nancy Gmitro, a member of the 'Friends' and the Mt. Carroll Community Development Corp. (CDC) raved about the park "Point Rock has wild flowers in the spring to die for! There are 2 rare plants, too - Snow Trillium and a yew that grows on the limestone walls. "I always tell the workers to 'be careful of the trillium, because it's rare.' They say, 'how can it be rare? It's all over the place!" Anderson said the Kraft Building restoration project is a focal point of the development project, and that the current walking trail is already mapped out in the form of a brochure. "The trail goes thru downtown, to Campbell Center, and past several historic homes and the park. Want to enjoy small town life? We're the place to do it." Alderman Doug Bergren mentioned the Dept. of Commerce & Economic Opportunity's CCI brainstorming program that got input from 140 people 2 years ago. "We got over 600 ideas that we are still assessing. We have these organizations - CDC, Chamber of Commerce, City Council, Friends, Campbell Center - who all have their responsibilities. The challenging part is how we pull them all together. We have political challenges, and financial challenges. But most of these projects don't need much money. We need sweat equity." John Swiech, Director of the MCCDC and Community Developer for the U of I Extension, commented that "Today's meeting is a first big step toward accomplishing these dreams." The Circa-1843 Stone House project that will create a permanent park site and rest area on the northern edge of Mt. Carroll will host a tourism kiosk to help tourists find other sites in and around Carroll County. "As we put these pieces together," Anderson said, "we hope you can give us some insight into how we can proceed." Bellovics and Banta were impressed that the City and the organizations have been through an "introspective critique" that helped Mt. Carroll determine "what you are about, and how you interact with the community and its visitors." "Visitors interpret 'your space' differently than you do" Bellovics stated. "They don't just drive on a street. They travel through your space, which happens to be the community that the trail goes through. it's more intimate to them.
"If they don't feel comfortable in your space, they'll leave. They want to feel safe. Safety is about familiarity. First impressions include how welcome do they feel? The elements of your town need to portray that." The history of the area can be capitalized on. "What was happening in Mt. Carroll when the stone house was built in 1843?" Banta questioned. "Use it, develop it." It was suggested the group investigate the potential use of additional property surrounding the Waukarusa for public access to the river and its beautiful views, as well as the problem of having only 6 rooms available to rent in Mt. Carroll Bed-and Breakfast facilities. "But for now, you're a 'day-trip' community, and that's just fine," Banta said. The City will assist with more definitive mapping of the area, Mayor Carl Bates said. "Collectively, we will coordinate and reorganize our wish list items that we've identified, and connect funding with the benefits of each project." "I challenge anyone that this is the most beautiful quadrant in the State of Illinois," Anderson claimed. "We're in a time warp here," Bellovics said. "People don't look for big change when they visit. But they do look for the little things that keep them coming back."
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