Mayor Scott Fadness said his 2019 budget plan will fund the first phase of the Nickel Plate Trail, and feedback sessions are planned to get ideas from the public on the details. Fadness told the Fishers City Council on Monday night that the first phase will encompass the trail from 106th Street to 126th Street.
The Fishers Nickel Plate Trail Master Planning Committee, chaired by City Councilman John Weingardt and local resident Amanda Welu, is looking for public comments on what to do with the public space that is part of the planned trail.
“We are encouraging our residents to be bold, be original and be heard,” said Weingardt in a city news release. “It is a blank slate right now, and I can’t wait to see what this community working together can dream.”
The Track-To-Trail campaign is asking for comments on a kick-off weekend that includes:
- Four Day Ray Happy Hour: 4 to 6 p.m., Friday, Sept. 28
- Movies in the Park at the Amp: 7 to 10 p.m., Friday, Sept. 28
- Fishers Farmers Market: 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 29
- Brooks School Park: Noon to 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 30
The kick-off weekend starts a month-long period where the committee will be seeking public input.
Focus groups with educators, students, entrepreneurs, artists and public safety officials will be a part of the process. Neighborhoods and businesses along the trail will also be asked for their ideas. Throughout the month, people will be able to submit their suggestions online or through the mail. This phase of the master plan will conclude with a Community Conversation from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30 at Delaware Township Community Building.
“There are 4.5 miles of future trail in Fishers. Our goal is to create a one-of-a-kind experience, a new kind of public space that happens to have a trail running through it,” said Amanda Welu, Co-Chair and Owner of DELV Design.
The committee has been meeting since May.