The first phase of a property-wide trail system at the county park will be started in the spring, according to Mike Wood of Woodland Design, a local design company.

Wood developed the master plan for the site a few years ago. This will be the first project in that plan.

Wood made a presentation of the trail design at the commissioners’ meeting on February 7. The official name of the park, which is located behind the county recycling and 911 Center on Route 652 in Berlin Township, is the Wayne County Recreational Complex.

The trail, which will be 1,500 linear feet, will circle around two soccer fields that exist there already.

“Many parents who bring their kids to soccer practice and another sport can use the trail while they wait for practice to end,” Wood said.

A unique feature of the trail will be the creation of nine activity stations that encourage walkers to perform a particular exercise, like doing 10 push-ups or other aerobic exercise, Wood said. The trails can also be used for cross-county skiing and trail bikes.

This is a very popular concept in several community parks in the state, he said.

“The total cost of the project will be $80,000,” said Jim Martin, a private consultant who works with Wood on projects like this. “Forty thousand dollars will come from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), $20,000 will come from the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and $20,000 from the county general fund.”

“This will kick-off a larger trail system at the site, which is planned,” Wood said. “There will be handicapped-accessible parking and the trail’s surface will be a stone-dust calcium mixture that’s easy to walk on, not like concrete.”

At the park, there will be trails for conservation, trails for recreation and places for essential services.

“No restrooms are in the plan, but there may be some in the future,” Wood said.

Once the bids are received, the construction will begin with a timeline of about 60-days for completion.

“This will get people wanting to have the entire trails completed,” he said.