One Dearborn news release
A newly completed One Dearborn report catalogs more than 10 miles of existing multi-use and hiking trails available for public use in Dearborn County, as well as opportunities to extend and connect trails with neighboring communities.
One Dearborn contracted in May 2020 with Jack Sutton, an Aurora resident who retired as chief executive officer of Great Parks of Hamilton County in 2019, to complete a county-wide trails analysis. The 2020 Dearborn County Trails Report is now available for viewing at www.1dearborn.org/reports.
“Dearborn County is certainly ahead of the curve in terms of trail initiatives when compared to many communities in the Greater Cincinnati region,” Sutton said. “Our most unique asset, The Dearborn Trail, safely connects people to spectacular public parks and entertainment areas, restaurants and shops in our historic downtown business districts, and the mighty Ohio River truly making southeast Indiana a great place to live, work, and play.”
Trail connectivity is identified as one of Dearborn County’s Big 8 Economic Drivers in the 2019 One Dearborn County Regional Economic Development Action Plan. The plan, which was formed with input from various stakeholders in each Dearborn County community, suggests integrating state, regional and county trails plans.
Although trail connectivity interacts with other Big 8 Economic Drivers such as housing and culture and tourism, the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has further highlighted the importance of trails. Especially during a pandemic, trails are safe venues for recreation, be it walking, jogging or cycling. Tri-State Trails’ monitoring use of trails in the Cincinnati region shows use of the Dearborn Trail between Lawrenceburg and Aurora has risen 71 percent in the first six months of 2020, compared to the first half of 2019.
“Continued trail planning for our region will assure Dearborn County remains competitive. Well planned trail systems offer opportunities for affordable recreation and transportation while preserving open space. They provide venues for health and wellness activities and contribute to the economic vitality of cities and towns. Maintaining up-to-date trails master plans enable community leaders to set priorities for ensuring quality of life for all residents,” said Sutton.
Sutton’s analysis of existing trail inventory included 19 meetings and interviews with 23 individuals representing 14 communities and organizations. He also reviewed nearly 70 trail-related documents such as plans, reports, maps and concepts.
Key findings from the Dearborn County Trails Report:
- The report identified an approximate total of eight miles of existing paved, multi-use trails across the county. The Dearborn Trail accounts for 5.6 miles of that, with loop trails in Greendale, Aurora and Dillsboro filling out the remaining paved trailway.
- Unpaved hiking trails included about 2.5 miles in Hidden Valley and those in three Dearborn County Parks.
- Dearborn County is impacted by two trails identified in the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Outdoor Recreation 2016 Indiana State Trails Plan. The southern portion of the American Discovery Trail national bicycle route follows the Laughery Creek Corridor. The Whitewater River Corridor Trail is an Indiana Visionary Trail which includes a proposed route from Brookville to West Harrison along an inactive railroad.
- Dearborn County is uniquely situated near the midpoint of the Ohio River Recreation Trail, a 274-mile land and waterway self-guided adventure trail promoting tourism, economic development, history, culture, environmental awareness and safety.
- The Dearborn County Community Trails Plan identified seven potential trail projects in the unincorporated county. Six of these projects are trails in the Bright area. A seventh is a 1.25-mile extension of the Dearborn Trail from the end of Aurora’s Lesko Park to the Dearborn-Ohio county line.
- The Town of Dillsboro has a one-mile, paved trail at its town park. Future connectivity opportunities exist if privately-owned trails in town could be obtained for public use.
- The Town of Moores Hill’s Envision 2035 Comprehensive Plan proposes two trails. One is a “Historic College Walk” trail connecting the Moores Hill School campus to the Collegeville Railroad Depot along a railroad. The other proposal is a regional greenway trail providing multi-use trail connectivity between Moores Hill, Milan, Sparta, Aurora and Versailles State Park.
- An element of Great Parks of Hamilton County’s Comprehensive Master Plan and Tri-State Trails’ 2014 Regional Trails Plan is a trail system in western Hamilton County which may one day provide an opportunity for connectivity between Dearborn and Hamilton counties.
- The Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan lists four Dearborn County trail projects:
- Lawrenceburg – Riverfront Trail connection to the Greendale Trail adjacent to the casino.
- Greendale – A trail connecting Broadway Street to the Lawrenceburg Community Schools Campus.
- Greendale – A trail connecting the city to the Ohio state line via Oberting Road.
- Aurora – A Dearborn Trail extension from Lesko Park to Laughery Creek.
- A list of potential trail project funding sources includes federal and state programs and grants. Several non-public sources also exist for trails development.
Sutton also identified “key gaps” in three Dearborn County cities’ trail systems. If solved and the gaps eliminated, the cities and county could boast a seven-mile, continuous trail connecting the river cities of Aurora, Greendale and Lawrenceburg. Those three key gaps include:
- Aurora – According to the 2016 Aurora Riverfront Vision Plan, establish a 0.5-mile downtown riverfront trail connector linking the Aurora end of the Dearborn Trail to the trail at Lesko Park.
- Greendale – Linking Ridge Avenue to the U.S. 50 pedestrian tunnel at Arch Street with a new 0.7-mile trail along the levee adjacent to the Lawrenceburg Community Schools campus.
- Lawrenceburg – Linking a 0.2-mile trail gap at the local casino and the railroad in order to connect levee trails between Lawrenceburg and Greendale.
In concluding his report, Sutton suggests three next steps for Dearborn County’s local governments and trails stakeholders to follow:
- Complete trail development projects that are in the current pipeline. These are Lawrenceburg’s Riverfront Trail Connector and Levee Access trail. In Greendale, the trail connection from Ridge Avenue to the Lawrenceburg Conservancy District fields and Greendale soccer fields, the trail connection from Ridge Avenue to the Lawrenceburg Community School Corporation campus, and the Ridge Avenue trail from the levee to Broadway Street.
- Develop a comprehensive trails master plan for Dearborn County to place focus on closing the aforementioned “key gaps,” refine the Bright trails studies, refine the Dearborn Trail extension from Lesko Park to the Dearborn-Ohio county line, identify funding sources, implement trails master plans, and identify potential trail corridors for connecting the river cities to areas including Dillsboro, Moores Hill, Hidden Valley and Bright.
- Explore the creation of a regional trail district to focus on completion of the Dearborn Trail to ensure its long-term viability and place as a significant asset in the county. A trail district could negotiate and acquire land for trail expansion, provide consistent branding, ensure maintenance, and seek outside funding for trails enhancement.
Mike Perleberg, One Dearborn Director of Marketing & Community Projects, said, “The new Dearborn County Trails Report will provide our county, cities and towns a common document to look to when planning for trails in both the short and long terms. Jack Sutton’s expert analyses of our trail assets and ideas for building on them will help our communities continue to embrace outdoor recreation and pursue new connections between neighborhoods within and beyond our county.”
For more information on One Dearborn or to access the Dearborn County Regional Economic Development Plan, visit: http://www.1dearborn.org/uploadIMG/moxie/Reports/RegionalEconomicDevelopmentPlan.pdf.