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Plans are shaping up to extend the Bear Creek Greenway approximately 1.3 miles farther southeast to North Mountain Park in Ashland. The Greenway, which was launched in the 1970s, stretches 17.9 miles from Ashland to an area north of Central Point, generally following Bear Creek’s path. A feasibility study conducted by Alta Planning and Design showed that continuing the path close to Bear Creek would meet the project goals that include finding the most direct route while providing a safe route and interaction with nature. However, that specific route, referred to as the permanent or preferred route, would be the most difficult to construct due to the need to cross the creek in one or more locations. With that in mind, the Ashland Parks and Recreation Commission approved a draft naming the Bear Creek route as the preferred path, but adding options that may be more achievable, especially in the near term. Among the challenges of the Bear Creek route is that about 90 percent of that path is on private property, meaning that the city would have to acquire all those properties, according to Michael Black, APRC director. The route would cost roughly $2.5 million, not including the cost of acquiring the properties. “We only own about 10 percent of that trail,” Black said. “We don’t even have an estimate on what that other 90 percent would be.” Although that route is preferable, it may not be a viable route in the near future, so two other options are included in the draft proposal. The second option, called the short-term option, would be a quicker means that would still extend the path to North Mountain Park, but take the trail away from the creek. That option is considered more feasible while resources are acquired to build the preferred route. The short-term route would follow a new section of the trail to Nevada Street, continue down Nevada Street and cross a bridge into Kestrel Park. From there, it would continue to North Mountain Park along pathways mostly already constructed. However, the bridge at Kestrel Park may need to be replaced at the cost of millions of dollars in order to be secure from flooding. “It’s important to realize right now that we haven’t done surveys and we haven’t hired on an engineer or anything like that,” Black said. A third route was suggested in case the first two options are delayed by fiscal or other constraints. The third option would follow existing paths near the wastewater treatment plant, continue along Nevada Street and Oak Street, and connect back to the Bear Creek Greenway from Sleepy Hollow Street through the city’s recent Mace Property acquisition, according to a staff report. That route would provide a viable alternative but is not recommended as part of the Bear Creek Greenway. Parks Commissioner Jim Lewis said he felt it was too early to discount any of the options. “We want more connectivity in the future, so we really shouldn’t negate any of this right now because it’s so fluid,” Lewis said. Commissioner Rick Landt suggested a change in the draft that a proposed upstream bridge through River Walk on the preferred route be moved to the opposite side of the creek where it would be in the same location as for the proposed short-term route. It was agreed that the route on the north side of the Bear Creek be retained as an alternative route. “This is the most logical route and it creates the least obstacles,” Landt said. The draft, with the options included, was passed unanimously by APRC and now goes to the City Council. In the meantime, APRC will begin looking into estimates for some of the engineering, including for areas requiring bridges. In a separate interview Black said that, if everything goes well and the funds are found, his hope is that the interim route could be ready by 2020. Lee Mills, a Greenway board member and past president of the Bear Creek Greenway Foundation, said the extension through Ashland makes the most sense. “Ashland is probably one of the most bike-friendly communities in our valley,” Mills said. “They of all towns should have a path that goes through town, so you don’t have to go all the way to the north end of town to connect to the Greenway trail.” He said North Mountain Park was selected as a stopping point for the first Ashland expansion because a route to the park could follow Bear Creek closely. “The goal is basically to try and stay as close to the creek as possible,” Mills said. The ultimate goals for the Greenway include expanding past North Mountain Park to Emigrant Lake, as well as expanding north to connect to the Rogue River Greenway, which eventually could link it to Gold Hill, Rogue River and Grants Pass. Contact Daily Tidings reporter Caitlin Fowlkes at [email protected] or 541-776-4496. Follow her on Twitter @cfowlkes6.