Nature trail near lake could see summer improvements

A little-known, three-quarter-mile nature trail along the southern end of Lake Mitchell could be substantially improved this summer.

An update on the project was given Tuesday at City Hall to the Lake Mitchell Advisory Committee by committee member Mark Puetz. He said the project began last year, when overgrowth was cleared from an existing trail between the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village and the amphitheater. One of the motivations for the work was a desire to provide a link between the Indian Village and the amphitheater, where the Indian Village held a concert event last summer.

“The other was just to provide another area along Indian Village Road where people could actually get into the trees, get into the area around the lake, and have access to those nature areas,” Puetz said.

Another existing trail section extends from the amphitheater to Kiwanis Woodlot Park, but that section still needs to be cleared of overgrowth. After some discussion with the rest of committee, Puetz agreed to seek permission from the city’s Park and Recreation Board to gather volunteers and do the work this summer. He said the two sections of trail combined are about three-fourths of a mile in length.

The committee also discussed the need for signs to mark the trail, but deferred further discussion of that issue to future meetings. It was also noted that other, similar trails exist around the lake that could be similarly improved.

Also Tuesday, the committee heard updates on its top-two prioritized projects for this year: the installation of a handicap-accessible fishing pier and improvements to an existing boat ramp.

Randy Ahrendt, the city’s director of parks, recreation and forestry, said he hopes the handicap-accessible pier will be installed by June. The location of the pier is on a point in what’s known as Frank’s Bay, which is accessible from West Harmon Drive on the south side of the lake.

The boat ramp that has been targeted for improvements is often referred to as the Sportsmen’s Boat Ramp. It’s located just west of the Mitchell Prehistoric Indian Village off Indian Village Road.

No funding is in place for improvements at the ramp, but the city has a preliminary plan developed in 2007 that includes paving of the parking lot, expansion of the ramp, and shoreline stabilization.

Tim McGannon, the city’s director of public works, advised the committee Tuesday that a federal permit will likely be needed for construction in the water. McGannon said an archeological review of the site will probably also be needed because of its proximity to the Indian Village, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark site. The committee directed McGannon to begin working on those fronts.

In other business, the committee:

• Worked on a draft ordinance that would establish a permitting and fee system for the winter storage of privately owned boat lifts and docks on city-owned shoreline sites;

• Confirmed March 10 as the date for a presentation from a company pitching a water circulator device designed to reduce algae levels;

• Discussed March 16 as the date for a potential discussion with James River Water Development District Manager Darrell Raschke about the district’s possible takeover of the Firesteel Creek/Lake Mitchell Watershed Project;

• Confirmed April 5 as the date for a meeting with all interested parties about the future of the watershed project;

• Targeted 2011 as the year to implement an improvement project on Sandy Beach, with plans to be developed later this year;

• And discussed an idea to allow local organizations to adopt a stretch of shoreline and keep it clean, similar to the adopt-a-highway program.

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