Chelan targets 2029 for Apple Blossom Trail as design work advances

CHELAN – A proposed trail connecting Chelan’s existing walking routes toward Walmart is moving through design, with city staff tentatively targeting construction in 2029 if they can secure the remaining funding.

Public Works Director Jake Youngren told the Chelan City Council at its Nov. 3 workshop that people already walk through the area despite the gap in pedestrian infrastructure. The Apple Blossom Pedestrian Trail would extend facilities from the football field to Apple Blossom Drive, connecting the developing east side more directly with routes toward downtown.

The city has received $200,000 from the Chelan Douglas Transportation Council to prepare construction plans. A development agreement with ABC Holdings also commits $725,000 toward the trail, money the city intends to use as a local match when applying for construction grants.

Youngren described the trail as roughly a $3 million project and said the geography of the area has contributed to its rising cost. Earlier planning work examined whether the trail could be built, how construction would work and what it would cost.

Chelan has applied unsuccessfully for construction funding before. Youngren said completing the design would put the city in a better position to compete for grants because it could show funding agencies a project ready to build.

“I think what will get us over the hurdle is having design drawings,” he said.

The proposed schedule allows design and right-of-way work to continue through 2027 and into the first half of 2028. Staff hope to secure construction funding during that period, seek bids late in 2028 and build the trail in 2029.

The timeline remains dependent on funding and acquiring the necessary right of way. Youngren said staff intend to pursue grant opportunities using the developer contribution as matching money.

For residents walking between the Apple Blossom area and the rest of Chelan, the project would address a gap staff said they see people navigating every day. It would also connect an area expected to accommodate future development with the city’s broader pedestrian network.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media