Arlington Park backs Legacy Trail extension

For about a decade, Rick Farmer and other Arlington Park residents have been focused on making the neighborhood more walkable.

Now, as the county looks into extending the Legacy Trail into downtown Sarasota, Farmer sees an opportunity for some synergy. One of the neighborhood’s pet projects has been a 1-mile multi-use recreational trail along School Avenue; it currently runs from Siesta Drive to Webber Street, but has easements to extend north up to Hyde Park Street.

“This might be pie in the sky, but we would love to have the School Avenue trail link to (the Legacy Trail),” Farmer said. “We’ve worked on that trail for approximately 10 years.”

At Tuesday’s Arlington Park Neighborhood Association meeting, members of the Friends of the Legacy Trail provided residents with an update on the status of extension efforts. According to a study completed in December, the cost of extending the trail into Payne Park would be about $15 million — an estimate that does not account for the cost of acquiring the land from CSX Transportation, which owns the railway along which the proposed expansion would occur.

According to Roger Normand, a member of Friends of the Legacy Trail, the proposed route of the extended Legacy Trail would place the path about six blocks from the northeast boundary of Arlington Park. Although it’s early — Normand said the group is currently focused on getting an updated cost estimate for the purchase of the land — he said linking the Legacy Trail to other trails in the city would be essential, and is a conversation that needs to start happening now.

Commissioner Stan Zimmerman, in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting, cautioned that obstacles remain — particularly the cost and the rigors of working with various bureaucratic entities —  but he offered his support for the idea of extending the trail. 

“It’s good for your property values, it’s good for your city, it’s good for your waistline,” Zimmerman said. “I can’t see anything bad about it.”

“It’s good for your property values, it’s good for your city, it’s good for your waistline."

For Farmer, the proposal is not only an opportunity to add an enticing amenity to the neighborhood — it’s a chance to allow residents to move more freely throughout the city. 

“You can’t even drive on 41 anymore,” Farmer said.