Work begins to improve city walking path

Work began earlier this month on a project that will not only improve a community walking trail but could eventually serve people who commute between Mountain Home and Boise.

City street crews began the first step to repave a 1.2 mile gravel path between North 18th East Street and East 8th North Street across from the city police station.

Known as the Desert Canyon Trail, it connects with the existing walking path that was originally paved in 2002 as part of the Mountain Home Pathway System. The initial 1.3 mile trail begins at North 3rd East Street across from Legacy Park and continues south of the interstate to North 18th East Street near the overpass.

"The Desert Canyon Trail portion... has continually been identified as a major planning goal of the city because it is one of Mountain Home's most scenic assets," said Susie Colthorp, executive assistant with the city public works department. "The beauty of the trail is that it takes people outside of the residential area into a more natural setting with a beautiful view of Bennett Mountain and all of the wildlife and foliage."

Wanting to improve and complete the trail, which for years remained a gravel walkway, city officials applied for a $63,000 grant through the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation in late 2012. Mountain Home was ranked third overall out of 34 communities statewide that received these funds.

The money Mountain Home received was tied into a matching amount from the city along with another $13,000 in cash donations from local people, businesses and organizations.

Colthorp credited the results of a public survey conduced last fall as one of the main reasons why the city garnered the grant. An overwhelming number of the nearly 360 people responding to the poll expressed their support for the existing walking path as well as plans to improve the Desert Canyon Trail. Out of the 94 percent of people that gave the project high marks, 87 percent of them added that they would use the walking path more often if the second phase was completed.

"That was very important to know what the community wanted for their recreational opportunities," said Colthorp, who thanked those who participated in the survey.

City street crews are expected to finish the Desert Canyon Trail project in the spring when they cover the existing path with an asphalt surface. This will allow walkers, runners, bicyclists and those with various disabilities to fully use the entire 2.5 mile trail complex.

Looking ahead, Colthorp remains optimistic that the city will receive additional grant support to purchase amenities for the Desert Canyon Trail area. Previously, the city parks and recreation department added landscaping, benches and signs along the existing path with other organizations adding historical displays along the trail.

But Desert Canyon Trail resurfacing project is just part of a long-term effort aimed at bringing even more amenities to the Mountain Home community. City officials are currently working on a pair of grant applications in hopes of securing an additional $460,000 in state funding to create a multi-use parking area at the trail head next to East 8th North Street.

The city is currently leasing the 8.3 acres of land from the Idaho Transportation Department as part of a currently, 25-year agreement.

This multi-use parking lot, commonly known as a multi-modal area, would primarily serve as a central parking area for Mountain Home residents that commute to and from Boise, said former city planner Bonnie Harper in a previous interview with the Mountain Home News. The parking area would accommodate vans owned by the Ada County Highway District as well as others who carpool.

Using the completed walking path, someone living near Legacy Park could ride their bike down the path to this proposed parking area and catch their ride to Boise. Racks and lockers on the site would allow people to store their bikes and use them to ride home once they return to Mountain Home at the end of the day.

In addition, this multi-modal parking area could serve as a stop for the local Treasure Valley Transit bus service as well as buses that travel between Pocatello and Boise several times a week, according to city public works director Wayne Shepherd. A similar bus service runs to and from Salt Lake City that could also add Mountain Home to its regular route if the city is able to build this multi-use parking area.

"If we can get a facility that ends up being a multi-modal parking lot, that's what we're really trying to do," Shepherd said.

This new complex would replace a similar parking area near Exit 90 on a piece of property that's currently up for sale. In addition to a number of safety and security concerns, the existing asphalt surface there is beginning to deteriorate with a number of potholes starting to develop, Harper said.

The multi-modal proposal represents a "fantastic development for this part of town," Harper added. "It's really exciting. From a planning standpoint, it really enhances what the city has to offer."