Trails Touted As Community Link At Liberty Lake

Reactions following a weekend tour and Wednesday workshop on the proposed Liberty Lake multi-use trail system were positive.

Residents of the lake community cited money as the one pitfall but stressed the importance of linking the old with the new.

“The only downside is the difficulty in getting money,” resident Mark Johnson said. “I don’t think anybody feels that bicycles will be taking over and if they do, I don’t think anybody will say that is bad.”

Residents said they hope the trail system not only links Liberty Lake’s older neighborhoods with MeadowWood but also turns the two into one community.

“It sort of feels like there are two communities out here,” Johnson said. “(The trail system) will help bring those two together.”

Marilyn Robinson, another resident, agreed.

“It’s real important in the Liberty Lake area to have a community that all feels like it is one group,” Robinson said. “Linking the community and safety are real important to me and the whole committee.”

The Liberty Lake Trail Committee adopted a mission statement, established a set of values and defined committee responsibilities during the Wednesday night workshop.

Committee members defined their mission as the development of “an aesthetics system of multi-use paths linking the community, increasing safety, promoting outdoor recreation and encouraging alternative means of transportation.”

Wednesday’s meeting followed a tour of the proposed trail system last Saturday. About 25 people toured the site, which runs primarily along Liberty Lake Drive.

“It’s a lot prettier area than I had envisioned,” said Tom Specht, chairman of the Trails Committee. “It’s got all the wild roses and wild flowers.”

The Trails Committee plans to set up a booth at the Liberty Lake Fourth of July Parade to hand out maps and information on the proposed trail system.

“We want to make sure we link with everybody within the community,” Specht said. “We don’t want them to be surprised at all.”

, DataTimes