Council approves parking, trails expansion project

SIDNEY -- The Sidney City Council has OK'd a project that will improve parking at Memorial Gardens, the Aquatic Center and Hillside Golf Course. 

Sidney City Manager David Scott said the multi-faceted project will repair parking areas.

"What this will do is repair badly washed out areas of parking lots at Memorial Gardens, Hillside Golf Course, and the finishing of the paving at the Aquatic Center parking lot. Memorial Gardens: that's terrible. Every time it rains, half of that gravel ends up in the park, in the grass, in the road. Also it will address a storm water concern at 14th and Jackson Street intersection. That's a very small part of the project. It's something also that will help with the flooding control there," Scott said.

Scott said the focus of this project is expanding the pedestrian trails in Sidney. The goal is to connect the Aquatic Center with the rest of the community, offering a safer way for children to get to the Aquatic Center.

"What we want to do is we want this to connect our Aquatic Center to the trails systems and sidewalks that adjoin neighborhoods to provide the youth a safe path to the Aquatic Center, Legion Park and other city amenities without having to go out on the streets. I know council members have gotten calls from parents on. I know I have gotten calls from many parents on the City needs to make this a priority because we have kids going out on busy streets to get to our pool and our park because there is no connection to the trails," he said.

The expanded trail routes will include the west side of the Lodgepole Valley Youth Camp to the existing trail, east to Fort Sidney Road and north to Toledo Street/Pole Creek Crossing. From there a new sidewalk will be built on the south side of Toledo west.

The project will be funded with a bond that will be paid with revenue from the half-cent sales tax approved by voters.