ODNR gives pathway provisional grant

Created on Wednesday, 12 December 2012 Written by JOEL E. MAST

Nearly half of the local share of a project to extend a bicycle path from Urbana to Bellefontaine has been committed and backers hope a provisional $500,000 state grant will energize the fundraising effort.

Bellefontaine Mayor Adam Brannon, who is active in the Simon Kenton Pathfinders’ fundraising program, announced at Tuesday’s meeting of the Bellefontaine City Council that the Ohio Department of Natural Resources picked the 15.8-mile bike trail project for a provisional grant.

Currently, the pathfinders need another $170,000 to reach its $300,000 share of the project.

Mayor Brannon said he believes the group will soon hit its goal so that work can begin next spring.

Pathfinder member Carmen Scott said the provisional grant from the Clean Ohio Trails Fund shows donors and prospective donors the project is viable and worthy of their support.

The first phase will be a tightly packed gravel path that links up with an existing pathway ending at the north edge of Urbana.

That path connects with others leading all the way to the Ohio River.

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