Jake Prinsen of the Appleton Post-Crescent reports that long-awaited funding from the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program is finally on its way to Appleton.
The grant is for half the cost of the Lawe Street Trestle Trail, a project to transform an abandoned railroad trestle into a trail that spans the Fox River and connects several other trails and bike lanes. Although initially approved by the DNR in 2019, the funding was put on hold by an anonymous objection from a member of the Joint Finance Committee in March 2020, which is described more here.
Now, however, the Joint Finance Committee has “voted unanimously to approve half the cost of the $1.4 million project through the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program,” to the joy and relief of the city.
“The Knowles-Nelson funding was a catalyst for the project to become possible,” said Appleton Parks and Recreation Deputy Director Tom Flick. “Without this funding, the city would take on additional debt and have to push back or eliminate other quality of life and community enrichment projects.”
Featured image by David Wilson, 1997.
