Noblesville has approved an agreement with a landscape architectural firm to create a master plan for the Nickel Plate Trail.
The $182,475 contract with Indianapolis-based Rundell Ernstberger Associates calls for the firm to develop a plan for the Nickel Plate Trail and updating the city’s alternative transportation plan, said Denise Aschleman, senior planner with the city.
“Construction on the Nickel Plate Trail began this summer and due to that change, there is a desire to look at the length of the new trail and develop a land use plan for the future,” Aschleman said.
She also said as part of the firm’s work, the plan will also “plan and prioritize neutral segments” along the trail while filling in gaps on the trail and sidewalks nearby. In addition, Aschleman said Rundell Ernstberger Associates will also update the Noblesville Alternative Transportation Plan to allow for an update to the city’s park impact fee later this year.
Park impact fees are paid by residential property owners to help fund new park infrastructure projects. Those fees are paid by individuals who are seeking a building permit to construct new residential structures, such as single-family dwellings, an apartment, condominium or mobile home within the city limits, according to the city.
The city’s alternative transportation plan is currently updated every five years and is primarily used to look at zoning changes, in addition to changes in land use, in Noblesville, according to Aschleman. Funding for the alternative transportation plan will be paid by park impact fees, while the Nickel Plate Trail plan was already included in the Noblesville Planning Dept.’s 2023 budget, she added.
She said updates to the city’s alternative transportation plan are expected to be completed by the end of the year, while work on the Nickel Plate Trail plan is targeted for completion by next spring. For more on the city’s alternative transportation plan, visit noblesvilleparks.org/176/Noblesville-Alternative-Transportation-P.
