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City Addresses Concerns about Sandspur Road Trail
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The City of Maitland is addressing concerns expressed by residents related to the Sandspur Trail. The Sandspur Trail will be significant to the vitality of the Maitland community.
The Sandspur Trail, a future 8- to 10-foot sidewalk along the north side Sandspur Road, will provide a non-vehicular, pedestrian, and cyclist connection between the City's east and west sides. Currently, Interstate 4 acts as a significant barrier to connectivity in the city. The Sanspur Road Trail and the Interstate 4 pedestrian bridge eliminates this barrier.
The genesis of the Sandspur Trail began in 2010, when the 2030 Maitland long range plan identified the need to connect Wymore Road to downtown. A 2015 engineering study investigated feasible connections to the forthcoming pedestrian bridge - designed, planned, and engineered by the Florida Department of Transportation. The study concluded that at 10-foot trail on the northern side of Sandspur Road was the most feasibile route on the east side of Interstate 4. In a 2016 Parks & Recreation survey, residents indicated that trails and connections to parks and major facilities were rated as a top priority by a significant margin.
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Here are the facts related to the Sandspur Road Trail:
- The City of Maitland has always preferred to keep as much of the existing attractive tree canopy on Sandspur Road as possible. There are over 400 trees along Sandspur Road. Eight trees, five of them oaks, have been identified for removal or potential removal. An independent arborist evaluated the condition of the trees in question. The arborist rated four of the oaks to be in dead or poor condition. One oak near Maitland Avenue is listed as fair condition. The arborist's report is on the webpage and can be access here. Any tree removed will be replaced with a tree of better quality and structure.
- The Sandspur Road trail would primarily be a recreational trail, like the Cady Way Trail, Seminole Trail, or West Orange Trail. Families, fitness enthusiasts, recreational bikers, and children are most comfortable riding and walking on off-street bike and pedestrian facilities.
- The connections to the City's athletic fields on the west side all the way through to the Maitland Community Park will be a comfortable 5.6-mile round-trip ride for riders of all skill levels.
- It directly links multiple community activity centers, such as the Lake Destiny Soccer Fields, the Keller Ballfields, Fennell Park, the Maitland Community Park, Dommerich, Lake Sybelia Elementary, and Maitland Middle School, allowing residents to choose to use their bikes or feet instead of relying on their cars.
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