Design team says Shadow Pines Southside trail on track for fall construction documents

Emma Oakes, landscape architect with Kostich Engineering, gave the Penfield Town Board an update on the Shadow Pines Southside Shared Use Trails project on June 24.

Oakes said the consultant team completed geotechnical investigations, watercourse and wetland delineations, vegetation surveys, and a land survey of areas where a parking lot and potential stream crossings are proposed. She said a basis of design report that bridges the concept plan to construction drawings was issued to the town the same day and that the team is preparing a 50% construction document set and corresponding cost estimate.

"The target timeline for delivering those 50% documents is mid‑July, and we believe we're on target to hit that deadline," Oakes said. She cautioned that agency reviews and permitting could affect the overall schedule but reported confidence that the final construction documents would be ready by fall.

Oakes told the board that two small wetlands were delineated in the northwest portion of the south parcel and that the trail alignment has been diverted to avoid them. She described typical cross sections: crushed‑stone 8–10 foot gateway segments with a 2–3 foot lawn shoulder, and more natural 3‑foot center‑course segments for bikes and runners in the 200‑level areas. The design team also recommended rotating a proposed parking‑lot orientation 90 degrees to move it outside a 200‑foot buffer from the nearby dolomite quarry.

Board members asked for clarification on materials, width, and parking orientation; Oakes and staff said a 50% cost estimate and a draft SWIFT report will accompany the mid‑July submittal. Oakes said the team will begin agency coordination and permitting after the 50% submission.