posted on: 7/30/2024

The Planning Board endorsed a design option for the next phase of the Community Trail that would wind through Bellamy Park and terminate near Knox Marsh Road.

The city contracted with the engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill to design what’s known as Phase IV of the Community Trail. At the Planning Board’s July 23 meeting, project engineers presented two design alternatives: one that used the current bridge over the Bellamy River into Bellamy Park and a second one that would begin next to the high school fields and cross the river further back in the park.

The option using the current bridge would go through the Bellamy Park Disc Golf Course, creating safety concerns for trail users, the engineers said. In addition, there would be more wetlands impact, and the original bridge is not fully handicap accessible, they said. One drawback of the second option is that it would be more expensive to build a new bridge. The pros, they said, are that the trail would connect directly to the Dover High School, and it would provide parking at its Knox Marsh Road terminus. After the presentation, the Planning Board endorsed the second trail option that would create the new bridge crossing over the Bellamy.

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Planning Board endorses Community Trail Phase IV design

posted on: 7/30/2024

The Planning Board endorsed a design option for the next phase of the Community Trail that would wind through Bellamy Park and terminate near Knox Marsh Road.

The city contracted with the engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill to design what’s known as Phase IV of the Community Trail. At the Planning Board’s July 23 meeting, project engineers presented two design alternatives: one that used the current bridge over the Bellamy River into Bellamy Park and a second one that would begin next to the high school fields and cross the river further back in the park.

The option using the current bridge would go through the Bellamy Park Disc Golf Course, creating safety concerns for trail users, the engineers said. In addition, there would be more wetlands impact, and the original bridge is not fully handicap accessible, they said. One drawback of the second option is that it would be more expensive to build a new bridge. The pros, they said, are that the trail would connect directly to the Dover High School, and it would provide parking at its Knox Marsh Road terminus. After the presentation, the Planning Board endorsed the second trail option that would create the new bridge crossing over the Bellamy.

The city has been using federal grant money administered through the NH Department of Transportation to fund the design and construction of the Community Trail. The grants have provided 80% of the cost, with the city providing a 20% match. Additional grant funding will be needed to fund the second trail option. Once funded, the engineers estimate it will take two to three years to create final design documents and get the necessary permits and rights-of-way for the project. They estimate the actual construction to take one construction season to complete.

Click here to watch the presentation. To provide feedback, email Planning Outreach Coordinator Erin Bassegio at e.bassegio@dover.nh.gov.

For more information on the Community Trail, visit https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/city-operations/planning/community-trail/.

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