Happy Hollow trail details

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eomaha
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Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2003 10:29 am
Location: West Omaha

Happy Hollow trail details

Post by eomaha »

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Trail's design calms most dissent

Dundee-Memorial Park neighbors got a look Tuesday at the city's final plan for the controversial recreational trail along Happy Hollow Boulevard.

They asked lots of questions, and some of them were pointed.

But landscape architects' effort to minimize the trail's impact and preserve the historical character of the neighborhood through ornamental signage and railings won over most people.

"They did a good job of not chopping down trees," said Gary Wence, who lives on the corner of Burt Street and Happy Hollow Boulevard. "It's a good compromise."

The Happy Hollow Trail is Omaha's first attempt at constructing an inner-city recreational trail. The firm of Beringer Ciaccio Dennell Mabry did the design.

Dave Ciaccio and Omaha Parks chief Larry Foster held five informational meetings about the proposed trail last fall. Despite heated opposition, the City Council voted to go ahead with it in December.

Tuesday's open house at Dundee Presbyterian Church was the last public meeting.

Construction will begin in October. Completion is slated for June 2005, Ciaccio said.

Ciaccio and assistants Todd Maiellaro and Kevin Strehle answered questions for more than two hours Tuesday from a steady stream of visitors.

The new trail will begin just west of the Dodge Street overpass, run east along Dodge Street and north along the west side of Happy Hollow Boulevard to Underwood Avenue.

From Underwood, it will follow Happy Hollow to Metcalfe Park and then turn east to the Northwest Radial.

The trail from Dodge to Underwood will be an 8-foot-wide ribbon of concrete. From Underwood to Metcalfe Park, it will follow existing sidewalks and put bikers into the street in designated lanes or routes.

Several people were upset Tuesday that at least six trees planted by the Dundee-Memorial Park Association along Happy Hollow will be relocated.

But they were pleased that ornamental steel safety railings along Elm Creek, between Dodge and Underwood, will be painted a deep "Dundee green" with gold accents.
barndog
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Post by barndog »

Thats good news. Does anyone know if it will parrallel NW radial all the way DT.
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