WILMINGTON — Thursday night’s Wilmington City Council meeting centered on the proposal to build a 2.2-mile bike trail along Davids Drive, stretching to Route 134. The council opened the floor to residents, offering them a chance to voice their opinions on the project.
Michael Crowe, director of public service representing the administration, was in attendance to provide details and answer questions. The project, which requires the city to pay $241,000 upfront with the promise of later reimbursement, has already been budgeted. However, the council’s approval is needed to proceed.
A significant point of contention arose from the funding mechanism. “So the question is, is us spending $241,000 to get this trail, is that the best use of that money, or do we want to put that towards other projects that need attention?” questioned one council member.
Another highlighted ongoing community concerns: “The complaints I usually get are in regards to the condition of our streets and that we need more police and firemen. I haven’t got a single phone call saying that we don’t have enough bike trails.”
Although the trail project was included in the budget, there was lingering confusion over whether the funds had actually been allocated. Several council members called for discussions with the Clinton County Commissioners to see if they could secure financial contributions for the trail project. While the commissioners had sent an email approving the project, the council members wanted to meet with them to explore potential financial support from the county.
Community input varied. Representatives from Alkermes and EMSAR expressed strong support, emphasizing how their employees would benefit from the trail. Conversely, a resident raised concerns about the trail’s proposed location, arguing that the industrial area along Davids Drive might not be suitable for a bike path.
Following the meeting, the Clinton County Trail Coalition issued a statement on Facebook, expressing gratitude to the city council and Mayor Pat Haley for considering the community’s input:
“We are so grateful to our City Council members and Mayor Haley for listening to the community and our ideas about the creation of the Davids Drive trail last night. We look forward to working together and learning about their decision at the next meeting on June 6 at 7 p.m. Until then, we need to continue to have our voices heard about our desire to see this project through to completion. We can email or post letters to City Council members and the Mayor, encouraging them to see the value of expanding the trails in our community and encourage them to give a thumbs up to this project that they previously approved.”
After further discussion and more clarification needed, the council plans to revisit the issue and potentially make a final decision on June 6 at 7 p.m.
