Robins residents oppose ITC Trail; council declines to move forward on grant applications
January 19, 2026 | Robins City, Linn County, Iowa
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A group of Robins residents spoke against a proposed public trail along ITC property during the City Council meeting on Jan. 19, pressing elected officials to halt planning and question the project’s priority.
Speakers including Cathy Sindelar, Mike Fuller and other neighborhood residents said the trail would reduce property enjoyment, raise safety and crime concerns, increase vandalism risk and had not been adequately noticed to homeowners and homeowner associations. Mayor Chuck Hinz confirmed the City has permission from ITC for the proposed trail location.
City Engineer Kelli Scott told the council the grant under the Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization is competitive, that approval would fund planning as part of a long‑range five‑year effort and that, if funded, construction would not likely occur until about 2031. Scott cautioned the grant could be rescinded and that funds could be declined if the project does not move forward.
Council discussion cited the age of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, public survey results that ranked trails as a low priority, competing infrastructure needs and concern about the degree of commitment implied by applying for grant funding. Several residents asked about alternative alignments, liability and access; Scott and Mayor Hinz said public input would continue during planning.
After discussion, two items related to the trail—Resolution No. 0126‑6 (authorizing a Corridor MPO grant application to plan the ITC Trail) and Resolution No. 0126‑7 (application for regional transportation funds and a contingent local match)—did not receive a motion and therefore died without a council vote or formal action.
The council’s decision not to move forward with the resolutions leaves the project at an early, conceptual stage: no grant application was submitted and no funding commitment was made. City staff indicated public engagement and alternative alignments remain possible in future planning discussions.
Speakers including Cathy Sindelar, Mike Fuller and other neighborhood residents said the trail would reduce property enjoyment, raise safety and crime concerns, increase vandalism risk and had not been adequately noticed to homeowners and homeowner associations. Mayor Chuck Hinz confirmed the City has permission from ITC for the proposed trail location.
City Engineer Kelli Scott told the council the grant under the Corridor Metropolitan Planning Organization is competitive, that approval would fund planning as part of a long‑range five‑year effort and that, if funded, construction would not likely occur until about 2031. Scott cautioned the grant could be rescinded and that funds could be declined if the project does not move forward.
Council discussion cited the age of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, public survey results that ranked trails as a low priority, competing infrastructure needs and concern about the degree of commitment implied by applying for grant funding. Several residents asked about alternative alignments, liability and access; Scott and Mayor Hinz said public input would continue during planning.
After discussion, two items related to the trail—Resolution No. 0126‑6 (authorizing a Corridor MPO grant application to plan the ITC Trail) and Resolution No. 0126‑7 (application for regional transportation funds and a contingent local match)—did not receive a motion and therefore died without a council vote or formal action.
The council’s decision not to move forward with the resolutions leaves the project at an early, conceptual stage: no grant application was submitted and no funding commitment was made. City staff indicated public engagement and alternative alignments remain possible in future planning discussions.
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