{"id":896,"date":"2014-09-09t11:07:12","date_gmt":"2014-09-09t16:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/snyder-associates.u5fz9z3h-liquidwebsites.com\/?post_type=snyder-projects&p=896"},"modified":"2023-07-10t14:24:26","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10t19:24:26","slug":"easter-lake-trail","status":"publish","type":"snyder-projects","link":"\/\/www.dicovercards.com\/projects\/easter-lake-trail\/","title":{"rendered":"mark c. ackelson trail design enhances easter lake park renovations"},"content":{"rendered":"

expanding recreational opportunities through trail connections<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\"east<\/a>

crews work to install a new section of the mark c. ackelson trail.<\/p><\/div>\n

in 2012, numerous stakeholders came together to develop the easter lake water quality management plan in response to severe water quality problems in the lak<\/a>e. this comprehensive plan would serve as the baseline for design work performed by snyder & associates. this work included a new spillway and fish-rearing pond improvements, the creation of lake drainage and hydraulic dredging plan, and extensive stormwater wetland improvements<\/a>, just to name a few.<\/p>\n

a separate but coordinated component of the easter lake restoration plan was the creation of a trail project to encompass the lake and connect with other area attractions. named in honor of the former iowa natural heritage foundation (inhf)<\/a> president mark c. ackelson, the trail project was also designed by the snyder & associates team<\/a>. the trail culminated from polk county conservation\u2019s desire to improve safe access to easter lake park and expand recreational facilities. the result is a\u00a04.1-mile trail loop encompassing the entire lake. a signature bridge located at the west end of the trail serves as an impressive focal point with overlooks at each pier. sidewalk connections to surrounding neighborhoods provide ease of access for residents and visitors alike.<\/p>\n

to further expand the recreational facilities, a multi-use trail connection was made between easter lake park and ewing park located to the west. by tying the parks together, users have access to over 1,000 contiguous acres of park and recreational facilities to enjoy. from ewing park, other trails connect to the north and south along indianola avenue.<\/p>\n

fundraising assistance & phased construction prompts straightforward development<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
\"an<\/a>

an aerial view of the phased construction plan for the mark c. ackelson trail.<\/p><\/div>\n

the loop trail and connecting segments required a concerted fundraising effort. our team provided construction cost opinions, developed promotional materials, and rendered an image of the signature bridge to assist polk county conservation in generating excitement and\u00a0project funding. polk county voters opted to support the polk county water and land legacy bond (pcwll), which provided significant project funding. with the snyder & associates team’s assistance, polk county conservation was also able to leverage the bond funds to secure federal funding assistance<\/a>\u00a0through the transportation alternatives program (tap).<\/p>\n

the detailed trail design and\u00a0construction<\/a>\u00a0process was split into four distinct phases:<\/p>\n