Funding Secured for the Gorge Trail Gateway
On December 15, 2022, the Central New York Community Foundation (CNYCF) awarded CPF a $63,745 grant from the Dr. Robert J. Viktus Fund in support of CPF’s Gorge Trail Gateway project to improve trail access and visibility from Albany Street (Route 20) starting at Buyea’s Hardware Store Parking Lot. Earlier in 2022, CPF received a memorial gift from Drew and Lauren Bennett, in honor of their parents, David Bennett and Barbara Settel. Much of that gift will also be directed to the Gorge Trail Gateway Project. CPF also worked with the Madison County Planning Department to identify funding opportunities under the Finger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliance (FLLOWPA) grant program for elements of the project that support water quality improvements in Chittenango Creek.
The project will revitalize an underutilized green space at the Gorge Trail Gateway to increase awareness of the Gorge Trail and North Country National Scenic Trail in the heart of the Village of Cazenovia. It will provide the public with a beautiful place to enjoy the sights and sounds of Chittenango Creek while also improving pedestrian safety, trailside amenities and erosion control. CPF will reroute the trail to more closely follow creek contours from the parking lot and add a defined parking area. User amenities at the site will include picnic tables and a kiosk. Trees and shrubs will be planted in the green space and surrounding areas to define the trail and provide vegetative screening for the backs and sides of buildings and commercial use areas. CPF will also install a pedestrian crosswalk and trail entrance at Williams Street, the cross street just north of Buyea’s parking lot, to better define the trail route and provide safer crossing options for Burton Street student walkers. Upon completion, the trail and creek, important scenic and recreational resources in the heart of the village, will be much more visible and accessible for Cazenovia residents and visitors to our community, and the green space areas along the creek will be inviting and easy to use.
CPF began planning the Gorge Trail Gateway in 2021. During the early stages of the project, CPF worked with a project team from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program to refine the conceptual designs for the project through a technical services grant awarded to the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA). Later in 2021, CPF secured a 20-year agreement for public access rights with Earl Buyea, Sr., the owner of the property, in preparation for the fundraising portion of the project. CPF hired local landscape architect, Matthew Vrendenburgh, to further advance the project design. With funding and land-owner approvals in place, CPF is working with Mr. Vredenburgh on final design and permitting with the goal of breaking ground later this season when creek water levels are low.
CPF’s Gorge Trail follows the former bed of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The previously-improved section of the trail parallels Chittenango Creek, a prime trout stream, for two-plus miles from Clark Street north to Bingley Road. CPF’s Gorge Trail is enjoyed year-round by walkers, bikers, fishermen and -women, and cross-country skiers. It is a section of the longest national scenic trail, the North Country National Scenic Trail, that stretches 4,800-miles across eight states, from North Dakota to Vermont.