So much time has elapsed since he filed for a permit to construct the North Brook Trail that the topography has changed, Rails to Trails Committee Chairman Robert Gilchrist informed members last week.
The trail, which would follow portions of the abandoned CNE railroad bed to connect Canaan, Norfolk center and Winchester, traverses wetlands and has several beaver dams that create pools of standing water. A 150-foot-boardwalk, constructed of pressure-treated lumber, was planned to span the pools.
Gilchrist told the members that the permitted area for the multiple-use, handicap-accessible trail may have to be extended to 275 feet in length and the trail may have to be raised by another six inches.
Gilchrist has drafted revised plans that, with the committee’s support, will be proactively resubmitted to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
It has been more than a year since the town submitted its proposal to DEEP and multiple inquiries have been made about why it was taking so long. Gilchrist said he had finally heard from the director of land management, who promised to coordinate the process and get back to him.
Gilchrist said he would like to put all elements of the project out to bid at the same time to determine total cost.