The Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development has announced that the Welch Trail in the Village of Westfield is finishing up construction and is near completion. The Welch Trail is a non-motorized, shared-use recreational trail that is approximately 1 1/4 miles long and is being developed along a former historic trolley bed and will provide the public with an access point to Chautauqua Creek, which was previously inaccessible. In addition, the Welch Trail will connect downtown users to an existing greenspace and baseball field. Once completed, the trail will include an overlook area and other amenities along the trail such as benches and picnic tables. The primary uses for the trail include walking, jogging, cycling, inline skating, snowshoeing, and cross-county skiing.
In 2015, the Town of Westfield received a $200,000 grant through the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation to go towards the $312,250 project with the assistance of the Westfield Development Corporation and the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development.
Photos by the Chautauqua County Department of Planning and Development
