Activity has started, which will eventually improve more of Goblin Drive. This will include sidewalks, curb & gutter, drainage improvements, rebuilt roadway section, and single-lane round-a-bouts designed to easily accommodate regular vehicles, large trucks and busses.
Coordination with the owners of both the prairie and sanctuary began early in the planning and design process with the goal of minimizing impact while also improving access to the natural areas. Such efforts during the design process included reducing disturbance widths as much as possible, a multi-use trail on the east side of the road, and pedestrian crossings for accessing the prairie on the west side of Goblin. One of the more interesting measures being taken is that the owner of the prairie has harvested seed from on-site for use in re-establishing native vegetation in disturbed areas. Zero impact would have been preferred, but unfortunately, some disturbance is to be expected and cannot be avoided altogether.
Specific to the sanctuary, the property is approximately 3.73 acres in size. The city acquired a permanent street right-of-way, drainage easement, and utility easement totaling just over three-quarters of an acre for the project through negotiation with the owners. A temporary construction easement was also acquired that will go away after construction is complete. The clearing and grubbing contract for the area being worked on was released ahead of the roadway construction to make way for relocating power lines on the west side of the road. The image attached is a good visual for the amount of clearing that will be done.