Trail plans move ahead
by Jason Stone

CAVE CREEK – Town council experienced a “Happy Trails” moment at its Monday meeting with an agenda filled with a figurative trail mix.

The council voted to approve a bid for the next phase of work on Spur Cross Trail and awarded a contract for work on the Street‑scape trail project along Cave Creek Road. Additionally, the latest ideas for improvements of Black Mountain Trail were heard.

Approved was a $22,000 bid from Northwest Woodland Services, the only bidder for Phase II of the Spur Cross project. The town wants to extend the trail along Spur Cross Road from Highland Road to approximately 300 feet north of Morningstar Road.

The council also voted to pay $788,000 to AAA Landscape to develop a pedestrian trail for the Streetscape project along the south side of Cave Creek Road through the town core. Council agreed to accept the company’s bid at its last meeting. Construction is expected to start after Wild West Days held in November.

With regard to Black Mountain Trail, the town heard the latest plan for development of the trail head on Schoolhouse Road.

At three public meetings over the summer, area residents told Nebraska‑based HDR Architecture that the trail needs to be clearly identified, but not at the expense of moving vehicular traffic. Earlier plans included asmall wall or boulders to separate hikers on the narrow trail from traffic, but participants at the public meetings expressed safety concerns.

HDR representative George Smith presented the new plan to town council and said the latest idea is to separate the trail and roadway with two‑inch‑high monuments shaped like horseshoes. “It marks where the trail is, and it’s safe for cars to drive over them,” Smith said.

The developed plan still includes parking at Mark Way, about a quarter‑mile west of the trail head. Vehicular and pedestrian traffic has increased significantly, especially since the town opened up an easement encompassing the trail earlier this year.

In other action, town council voted to spend $80,000 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cave Creek’s incorporation. That celebration will be part of the Wild West Days festivities. Town Manager Usama Abujbarah  said that money has already  been budgeted.

Mayor Vincent Francia took the occasion to announce that Gov. Janet Napolitano is slated to be at Harold’s Cave Creek Corral on Nov. 20 to help kick off the anniversary celebration.

“She is thanking us for 20 years of governing ourselves,” Francia quipped.

Reach the reporter at barry@thedesertadvocate.com.