City acquires easements to build trail

The state has granted the city of Columbia the easements it needs to build a trail from Shepherd to Rollins, capping a court battle that began last year.

Appointed commissioners recently visited the tract owned by It’s Our Wild Nature off Old 63 that the city plans to build the trail through and valued the easements at $85,000.

According to court documents, no construction other than the trail will be allowed. This means things such as billboards, buildings and pipes would not be allowed near the property.

The city would also be held accountable for cleaning up any debris and trash in the area, as well as maintaining the area for the safety of the people.

The following is not allowed on the property:

Excavation Change of topography Mining, drilling, removal of top soil, sand, gravel, rocks or minerals Spraying of herbicides or pesticides Dumping or burning Hunting or trapping Commercial lumber activities Storage or placement of any trailers, house trailers, signs, billboards, advertisements, equipment, machinery, cars, trucks, garbage, trash, unsightly materials or items of any nature whatsoever

The city originally sued in July to compel the owners of the land near Hinkson Creek to sell easements that would be part of the Shepard to Rollins trail, a $2.8 million project the city council approved last February.

But It’s Our Wild Nature, the owners of the land, sued the city to stop the acquisition. Members of the group said Tuesday they’re still concerned that plans to build the trail could ruin the area’s natural habitat.