NEK Community Hub Master Planning Continues

August 3, 2023


Last October, KT announced that we had been awarded another USDA Rural Business Development Grant to pursue the Master Planning phase of an NEK Outdoor Recreation Community Hub serving as a new KT Welcome Center with offices, parking, workforce housing, as well as host community gatherings, programming, and promote local and regional activities and businesses. This Outdoor Recreation Hub was a top recommendation identified in the 2021 KT Capacity Study, a planning process conducted by Vermont based SE Group Engineers and informed by you, our community, through public forums, surveys, and on site studies to address safety, congestion, and capacity of the Kingdom Trails network in order to enhance the network's positive impact on our host communities. As a community-focused organization, KT is comprised of landowners, community members, business owners, trail users, local officials, friends and neighbors. Our local community's wishes and needs guide our every decision. We are grateful for the direction that the capacity study provides by outlining our community's recommendations for improvements. To learn more about the Capacity Study, visit our website here.



Finalized in 2021, based on public input, the Capacity Study identified the current KT Welcome Center location as a cause of congestion due to insufficient parking for KT staff, trail users at current levels, and safety concerns with road crossings. However, it was clear through this feedback that our community also felt strongly that the Welcome Center remain centrally located in the village of East Burke. The 10-acre parcel of land, which has been owned by KT since 2011 in the village and on the trail network, was identified as the space needed to accommodate a new center as well as a sustainable municipal parking solution. SE Group also explored the safest entrance and exit locations to access the KT-owned parcel. It recommended the purchase of two abutting properties to obtain the safest and lowest impact access on the community to the proposed area. KT worked together with the Tower family, the owners of the two residential homes in front of and abutting KT’s land, to purchase the properties this Spring 2023. Thelma Tower has life tenancy in her home, while KT will seek historic preservation funds to renovate the other to its original character and provide much-needed workforce housing and office space for KT staff. 



*This screenshot captured from the Capacity Study is just a recommendation. In actuality, these will not be the access points nor footprint size of the Community Hub.

Throughout this Master Plan phase, SE Group and KT have continued to engage with stakeholders, plus performed site analysis to inform design concepts. KT has met with KT landowners, neighbors, area businesses, community members, and town administrators to explore visioning as we seek to be conscientious and diligent in consideration for all matters. Please know that we do not take this project lightly, and each step is measured. We serve you, our community, through each decision and action.




As reported last year, the initial timeframe for the Master Plan phase was estimated at 9 months. We are now entering into the final stages of this exploration with design concepts for the building and site soon to come. The intent of the design is to ensure the project captures the vision, programmatic needs, and operational logistics KT and the community are hopeful for. There have been questions as of late regarding parking capacity and other types of details. We promise that as soon as there are findings, we will share them with all!


Please know that we welcome all questions or concerns; we are accessible any day of the week at the KT Welcome Center in person, by phone at (802) 626-0737 or by email at info@kingdomtrails.org. And of course as always, you can also catch us at one of our monthly Community Chats. The next one is August 22nd, 4-5 pm at The Hub, 2099 Darling Hill Rd. Lyndonville.



If interested in the Capacity Study process, below is a compilation of all blog posts and recommended projects completed in the capacity study. 


Capacity Study blog posts throughout the process 

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/community-hub-master-plan

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/capacity-study-done-and-done

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/network-capacity-study-recommendations-are-in

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/kta-network-capacity-study-progress-report

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/network-capacity-study-update

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/kingdom-trails-network-experience-survey

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/network-capacity-study-visioning-survey-results

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/network-capacity-study-public-workshop


Capacity Study recommendations:

https://segroup.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=ff307acd023440d585c3c62aec25b47c


Place Making Recommendations:

Welcome Center Master plan phase 

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/community-hub-master-plan


System Wide Recommended projects completed:

Road widening and stop signs added

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/east-darling-hill-rd-project-end

Rumble strips at road crossings

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/new-safe-road-trail-crossings

Partner with Rural Community Transportation to offer free shuttle between trailheads.

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/parking#Shuttle

Utilize technology to notify public of parking lot capacity and status

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/a-weekend-in-the-life-of-our-head-ambassador

Hold monthly KT Community Chats to engage stakeholders on a frequent basis

https://www.kingdomtrails.org/calender-of-events



Trail Pod recommendations completed;

  • Additional Access to Moose Haven Area; Besaw and Shonter’s Shuffle
  • Increased trails and use of parking in Dashney/Burke area; Dashney Loop, Less Lumber 
  • Added new connection to White School and Moose Alley; New School
  • Added new connections on North Darling Hill to White School; Ozias 
  • Added new connection on South Darling Hill to decrease road traffic; Beltway 
  • Enhanced village trail features and accessibility with machine work
  • Began work on a new trail sector in Kingdom Campground to add parking capacity which will connect to South Darling Hill and increase opportunity for West Burke/East Burke expansion

Leadership Transition Announced at Kingdom Trails and the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative

By Sven Cole • July 25, 2025
Dear KT Community, I write to you today as I begin a transition in my relationship with Kingdom Trails. I have made the difficult decision to take the next step in my professional journey and step away from my role as Executive Director. Serving Kingdom Trails and this incredible community over the past eight years has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I am deeply proud of the work I’ve led and supported, from navigating immense global challenges and natural disasters, to forging incredible relationships, with our landowners and community. And throughout this journey, the Northeast Kingdom has become not just where I live, but truly my home. It’s the place I chose to become a mother and where my family has put down roots. That said, I am ready to explore new ways to serve this community, ways that will allow me to continue growing as a leader. I’ve accepted the role of Interim Executive Director for the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, where I will carry forward the work I fell in love with through Kingdom Trails: strengthening our communities and supporting thoughtful economic development. In this new role, I’ll have the opportunity to advocate not only for outdoor recreation, which is so essential to the heart of our region, but also for the many sectors that make the Northeast Kingdom such a unique and vibrant place. Please know I remain deeply committed to Kingdom Trails. This is my home, and it will remain my home. I wish to always be an ambassador for KT, including playing a role in ensuring a graceful, responsible transition with care. The Board of Directors and I have committed to this, to ensure continuity, stability, and the trust you hold in this organization. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity to have served my community through this role, and I look forward to closing this chapter with the same heart and good intention with which I began it. Georgia Gould is stepping in as interim Executive Director to lead the organization through this transition. Georgia has served on the KT Board of Directors since 2021, leading both the Landowner and Trail Advisory Committees. She is a KT Landowner with an impressive mountain biking and cyclocross resume - including a bronze medal in one of her two Olympic bids on Team USA and five career national championships in cross-country and short track mountain biking. Georgia, her husband Dusty, and their two young children are engaged members of the Burke community and the KT team. Her deep ties to the sport of cycling, dedication to providing great trails for all skill levels, and her love of this community make her the perfect choice to lead KT in its next phase. The Board and I are thrilled that Georgia has agreed to lead KT and feel confident that she will hold the mission of the organization at the center as she has throughout her Board service. You can reach Georgia directly and welcome her to this new role at ED@kingdomtrails.org . With deep gratitude, Abby ### Kingdom Trail Association The mission of the Kingdom Trail Association is to provide recreation and education opportunities by managing, maintaining, and building trails to foster the health of our community, surrounding environment, and regional economy. Kingdom Trails strives to accomplish this mission by offering a 100+ mile network of quality, non-motorized, multi-use trails for all levels of ability, incorporating the best of our local scenery and natural diversity. The Kingdom Trails are made possible through the generosity of 106 private landowners. Northeast Kingdom Collaborativ e The mission of the Northeast Kingdom Collaborative is to improve the quality of life for all residents of the NEK through coordinated economic and community development as the vision is a strong, vibrant Northeast Kingdom where we all thrive. The NEKC brings people together to spark positive change in our communities, creating structures that bring partners together across service areas, sectors, municipal and political boundaries to provide solutions for the renewal of the Kingdom. The NEK Collaborative serves as the backbone organization for the federally designated NEK REAP Zone and community partner for USDA Rural Development.

Cannondale Becomes KT's First Corporate Sponsor

By Sven Cole • June 17, 2025
Cannondale Dirt Party a Success
Vermont State Treasurer, Mike Pieciak, speaks at the 2025 Outdoor Recreation Day at the Statehouse

KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse!

By Abby Long • February 13, 2025
KT is taking action—on the trails and in the Statehouse! This 2025 Legislative Session, KT is teaming up with other amazing trail organizations through the Vermont Trails & Greenway Council, to advocate for H.147 a bill to establish the Recreational Trails Compensation Study. Why does this matter? Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy generates $2.1B annually, nearly 5% of the state’s GDP, that's 2nd in the nation after Hawaii (Go VT!) KT alone drives $10M in economic impact annually. Therefore, the state must recognize and incentivize these generous private landowners, including the 106 who make KT possible and allow public access to trails.
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