Most of Outlet Trail closed for repairs

DRESDEN—The Keuka Outlet Trail is closed from Cherry Street to Dresden for an undetermined period of time following flash flooding damage suffered in some areas. The Friends of the Outlet board met Wednesday, May 28 to discuss the damage, showing some areas of the trail that have been washed away by the flood waters.
Board member Steve Knapp showed photos of several areas that were damaged, including a washout at the rope swing and an old railroad bridge that was swept away near Townsend Road. Knapp said the washout at the rope swing was probably one of the worst areas, showing how the friends had to fence off the part of the trail that had been washed away by the flood waters. Knapp said he did not know how long these areas would take to fix, nor how much it would cost to get everything back to normal.
The board discussed enlisting the help of Boy Scout Troop 44 to help do some work along the trail. While the scouts would not be able to do much of the serious bank restoration work or work that involved power tools, there are other areas the scouts may be able to help fill in.
“My impression is the conditions you are seeing here [are] more than a group of boy scouts and volunteers can handle,” board member David Reeve said. “[...] This is a critical time for the friends. This may be the time to turn to the county and ask them to consider stepping up to the plate.”
In other business:
• Keuka College Professor Bill Brown spoke saying he is interested in eliminating some invasive species along the trail. He said he would like to clear out species like honeysuckle and buckthorn to replace with native species. Brown said there is also the possibility of gaining student help.
• The group discussed hiring a surveyor to reestablish a property line so a trailer is not located on Friends of the Outlet property, which has required the group to pay taxes on it. The board decided to wait before formally moving on hiring the surveyor so members could take a look at the financial report before making a decision.