Public feedback being sought fortrail-related community needs

ForsythCounty is asking for citizen input on a subarea plan designed to establish anintegrated trail system in the northern portion of the county. The planincludes sidewalks, bicycle paths, multi-use trails and supporting facilitiesthat foster community health through promotion of bicycle travel and increasedwalkability.

Buildingupon the Forsyth County Bicycle Transportation& Pedestrian Walkways 2025 Plan, thesubarea plan also incorporates land-use connections between neighborhoods,county facilities and the county’s natural resources including Lake Lanier,Sawnee Mountain and the Etowah River.

Citizenswill have the opportunity to view the latest proposal and offer input prior tothe plan moving forward for consideration and adoption. A community open housewill be held for citizen feedback on Monday, May 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. at theForsyth County Administration Building located at 110 E. Main Street in Cumming(Suite 220).

“Thesubarea plan brings together the county’s emphasis on health and wellness,along with the focus on town centers and connectivity that were identified as apart of our recently adopted Comprehensive Plan,” said Mills. “Also, thecommunity input received through the recent Parks & RecreationComprehensive Master Plan showed that 75 percent of respondents ranked walking onnature trails as the outdoor activity of most interest to them. We arelistening to our citizens and moving forward with initiatives like the subareaplan that address their input.”

Aspart of the engagement process, a Technical and Stakeholder Advisory Committeewas formed to help guide the plan’s development. The most recent meetings wereheld in the fall of 2017 and in April 2018. The focus of the committee’sfeedback is to assist with technical aspects of the project.