Over the past two years, Monroe County has spent a lot of time restoring the trail network in Northampton Park, doing things such as improving drainage and clearing ash trees felled by emerald ash borers from the paths.
Now, the county is looking forward.
It's holding an open house to discuss the trails from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, at Northampton's Knollwood Lodge on Salmon Creek Road. Officials want to get a sense of which trails are most and least popular, which trails are confusing, whether there are trails that should be marked, and what people use the trails for.
“It's always good to get a variety of different viewpoints on what we could do with the trail system there,” said Robert Kiley, deputy director of the county Parks Department, adding that county parks are places for everybody.
At 973 acres split between Ogden and Sweden, Northampton Park is one of the county’s largest parks and a popular west-side asset. Its 6.1 miles of trails get a lot of use from hikers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers. It’s also one of four parks in the county system where horseback riding is allowed.
The county has hired EDR, a land planning and design firm, to help gather feedback and to study the park’s trails.
“This study will help identify areas within the park, within the trail system there, that need maintenance, that are heavily used, or trail systems that aren't really used,” Kiley said.
He also said they'd like to pinpoint the trails that see extremely wet conditions during the spring and fall so they can either abandon or reroute them.
It's also a chance for some groups to advocate for new uses in the park. Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists, or GROC, has been calling for its members and supporters to attend the open house and urge the county to open the trails to bicycles.
Last year, the county initiated a similar outreach and study effort regarding trail use in its parks around Irondequoit Bay, including Ellison, Tryon, Lucien Morin, and Abraham Lincoln parks, and Irondequoit Bay Park West.
At the time, GROC advocated for allowing bicycles on trails at more of those parks, while Rochester Accessible Adventures encouraged members of the disability community to tell the county how the parks' trails could better serve them.
County Legislator Robert Colby, whose district includes Northampton Park, said in a news release that he is grateful the county is taking a fresh look at its trails and encouraged users to provide their input.
"Together, we are building a safer, more welcoming space that reflects the priorities of Westside residents and ensures Northampton Park remains a place for everyone to enjoy," Colby said.
