By Sarah Opdahl

As planning for the potential Margerie Reservoir Trail continues, the Margerie Trail Advisory Committee is hoping for input from residents. They have released both an interactive map and a survey to gather anonymous feedback. To complete the survey, visit https://bartonloguidice.mysocialpinpoint.com/margerie-reservoir-trail/margerie-reservoir-trail-home, which is currently open until Friday, January 31. At the same link, you will find an interactive project map, which highlights the two trail options—a t 1.84 and 1.52 miles each respectively—and many features along the trail, such as spots where boardwalks and retaining walls are needed.

Public input is being sought on many trail aspects, from which trail option would be preferable and surface material to whether benches would be desired and what aesthetic elements people would like to see incorporated. New Fairfield resident and Advisory Committee member Jeff Main is hopeful that many residents will express their thoughts about the project.

A career ecologist and naturalist, Main is thrilled to be a part of planning for the trail. He is most excited about the trail’s potential to create community connections among neighbors who may not have otherwise met, as well as the open space providing a connection to a unique natural location in town. He is also glad to make the space more ecologically and environmentally sound. In researching the trail options, he saw firsthand the thick growth of invasives and trash that is prevalent in this corridor. Additionally, he is excited  about the possibility of a safe, centrally located trail in town for people to recreate.

Main’s story with the trail goes back over two decades when he moved to New Fairfield and a local physician suggested that it would be the perfect spot to create a walking path. Carrying that forward, all the while managing the trail systems in Westchester County parks, he is pleased to see this long-held dream possibly coming to fruition.

The Margerie Trail Advisory Committee has worked for the past two years on the early planning for a potential trail, following the receipt of a $2.2 million grant to support the study. Happily, Main explained that a large portion of the grant will be put toward the construction of the trail.

Some trail opposition was expressed in recent months and it is clear on the interactive map that those  concerns are being heard, with the notation of a buffer zone being created to protect an existing eagle’s nest and care being taken with spacing from nearby condominiums in Danbury. There are also vocal supporters of the trail who tout the many possible benefits that go beyond usage, including increased property values.

Many of us quickly pass by Margerie Reservoir in cars on Route 37 heading to and from Danbury, but there are some who imagine that space from New Fairfield to Danbury as a place to slow down and appreciate the natural world. Now is the time to jump in on the topic and join others  in considering this space—you can start by completing the survey.