By Michael Copley
Staff Writer

If Powhatan is awarded the Recreational Trails Program Grant it applied for over the summer, the Courthouse and Village area could feature an expansive trail and sidewalk system comprising the existing village sidewalks, the Scottsville residential community and renovated and expanded trails in Fighting Creek Park.

Karen Bailey, the county’s grant coordinator, and Sherry Swinson, Powhatan’s Director of Economic Development, said they will continue work on the grant application ahead of a February submission deadline. The grant —$100,000 — is available through the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

Swinson said improvements to the existing trails in Fighting Creek Park and work to extend the trail system to connect to the courthouse area would be an “economic engine” for the county, and she said it represents an opportunity for citizen outreach.

“It’s time to start adding recreational amenities to the park,” Swinson said.

Bailey said the Recreational Trails Grant could lead to a larger-scale project. She added that she is looking into another grant that would help fund an active aging project and that could mean money for an expanded trail system around the Scottsville community, adding to the entire circuitous walking system in the area.

The board of supervisors asked Bailey and Swinson to approach local businesses for financial help installing benches along the trail, as a cost-reducing measure.
Eagle Scout projects account for most of the benches along the existing trails, grant organizers said.

Project costs are down from initial estimates: $21,000 is needed to repair the existing trails and $139,000 to add over 5,000 ft. of trail to connect to the sidewalks in the village. Swinson and Bailey told board members the Recreational Trails Program Grant is “highly competitive” but Swinson also said grant officials have indicated that Powhatan’s proposal is “right in line with what they’re looking for.”