CITY OF HOMER
HOMER, ALASKA

CITY MANAGER

RESOLUTION 03-96

 

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA, SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A COMPREHENSIVE TRAILS PLAN FOR THE HOMER AREA.

 

           WHEREAS, The Homer Comprehensive Plan (1999 Update) states that the City of Homer will “develop an integrated system of trails, sidewalks, and walkways to connect City parks, schools, recreational areas, and the downtown area,” and makes frequent reference to the value of trails, bikeways, greenways, and pedestrian ways; and

         WHEREAS, Trails are known to provide economic benefit, health and safety benefits, recreational opportunity, and reduced reliance on automobile travel; and

         WHEREAS, An excellent trail system would enhance Homer’s appeal as a visitor destination and would make our community a more attractive place to live, work, and do business; and

         WHEREAS, Projected growth and development in the Homer area make it imperative that we develop a plan to ensure that trails and pedestrian ways are included in future development;

         WHEREAS, A great amount of work has been done on extending and solidifying the Homer trails network by the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Planning Commission, the Port and Harbor Commission, the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, the Kachemak Nordic Ski Club, and other citizen volunteers such as the members of the Trails Committee, and

         WHEREAS, Although the City has long recognized the inherent value of trails, there have been many starts and stops in the effort to adopt a comprehensive trails plan and no official trails plan exists, and

         WHEREAS, The various plans, documents, and studies that directly or indirectly address trails include a Comprehensive Sidewalk and Trail Plan (1984), Bike Trail Plan (1993), draft Master Trail Plan for Town Square (2000), and a map of existing and proposed trails and sidewalks (2003); and

         WHEREAS, There is a need to incorporate, synthesize, and expand upon all of these efforts with the ultimate goal being a comprehensive trails plan that is adopted by the City Council; and

         WHEREAS, The Comprehensive Trails Plan will provide a long range plan for an integrated trails network and will document existing trails, recommend trails that need to be formalized, make recommendations regarding future trails, and suggest strategies for acquisition and funding of trails; 

         NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Homer City Council hereby endorses and approves the Administration’s plan to undertake a coordinated effort involving background research and participation by the Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Port and Harbor Commission, the general public, and other interested parties to produce a comprehensive plan for trail development in the Homer area; and

         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Comprehensive Trails Plan will be completed by June 30, 2004.

        

Page Two

Resolution 03-96

City of Homer

PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE HOMER CITY COUNCIL this 14th day of July, 2003.

                                                                        CITY OF HOMER

                                                                                                                        ________________________
                                                                        Jack Cushing, Mayor

ATTEST:

___________________________
Mary L. Calhoun, City Clerk

 

 

 

 

 

Fiscal Impact: None known at this time