NEK Community Hub Master Planning Continues

Aug 03, 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