Walk This Way: Cranberry Celebrates New Trail to Graham Park

Information submitted by Cranberry Township

Hunters Creek residents have a new way to access nearby Graham Park in Cranberry.

On Oct. 2, residents of the neighborhood joined local officials to celebrate the opening of the new 2,000 foot walking trail with a ribbon cutting ceremony and cookout. The the 5-foot wide crushed stone footpath links 100 homes to the park.

Construction of the trail resulted from a partnership between the Hunters Creek Homeowners Association and the township, which began about a year ago.

Labor for the project was provided by Cranberry's Department of Public Works, while a five-year financial commitment from the Homeowners Association financed most of the materials needed to complete the project, a statement from Cranberry said.

Cranberry secured permits from the Department of Environmental Protection to cross the environmentally sensitive meadow and woodland area.

Township Manager Jerry Andree said the development of a coherent trail and sidewalk network throughout the township has been a major goal identified in Cranberry's 2009 comprehensive plan.  

"It started with our philosophy of connecting our public assets to the neighborhoods," he said.

This isn’t the first neighborhood to connect to Graham Park. The Bellevue plan of homes also is linked by trail to the park. Another trail, from The Crossings neighborhood, is currently under development.

"For the township to build connections to neighborhoods, we encourage partnerships; we want the neighborhoods to take ownership in terms of embracing it, supporting it, promoting it, and contributing to the cost of building it," Andree said. "When we hear a homeowners association say 'We'd love to have one here, too,' we can start working with them quickly and collaboratively.

"It's another step in building our non-vehicular network. It builds connections, it builds ownership. It's all about building relationships to our neighborhoods and our communities."