It looks like the people that own the old papermill property have finally taken down the fence that was blocking the Struble Trail at Dorlan Mill Road.
When I got back from my ride I saw this article explaining the situation in the Daily Local News.
This photo looks on the trail from Dorlan Mill Road.
Struble Trail, access road fence removed
By DANIELLE LYNCH, Staff Writer
08/02/2008
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Staff photo by Larry McDevitt The fence is down at the trailhead of Struble Trail near the old Shryock Paper Mill property.
UPPER UWCHLAN — Fences that blocked the northern tip of the Struble Trail and the access road to Marsh Creek State Park have been removed. But, a balance of $125,000 must still be paid before the purchase is completed.The removal of the fences falls on the heels of an agreement reached between the Natural Lands Trust and Shryock Brothers landowners, John and Linda Shelton. The Sheltons purchased the 44-acre Shryock Paper Mill property in 2005. Since then, a portion of the Struble Trail and an access road to the Marsh Creek State Park had been closed to the public.Natural Lands Trust, a land conservation organization, entered negotiations with the Sheltons in August 2007. On June 19, Natural Lands Trust announced it reached an agreement to purchase 28.5 acres of the land owned by the Sheltons. The agreement has been contingent on approval of a final subdivision in Upper Uwchlan as well as securing funds needed from the state, county and township toward the purchase.
Upper Uwchlan supervisors approved plans for a five-lot parcel on July 21. Two of the lots will be turned over to the state's parks and two of the lots will go toward county open space, according to Upper Uwchlan Township Manager John Roughan Jr.The subdivision's remaining lot, where the old paper mill stands, will remain with the property owners, Roughan said. This lot, which is roughly five acres, is zoned as a limited industrial district, according to Roughan. As part of the agreement, the landowners have granted an easement to go through the part of the parcel that they will retain, according to Natural Lands Trust spokesman Oliver Bass. The easement will allow Struble Trail to cross the Sheltons' property and be expanded to the northwest, he said. Specifically, this 20-foot-wide easement will run parallel to the Brandywine Creek and Route 282, according to Roughan. The Chester County Commissioners announced they would contribute a $1.5 million grant toward the $3.125 million purchase. Gov. Ed Rendell recently announced the state would give $1.5 million toward the purchase, too. Natural Lands Trust President Molly Morrison said this leaves a balance of $125,000 needed to officially complete the sale agreement. She said there have not been any discussions about the funding between the Natural Lands Trust and Uwchlan. But she said there are discussions going on between the trust and Upper Uwchlan about the township's contribution toward the project.Upper Uwchlan is where the majority of the property is. Roughan said the Upper Uwchlan supervisors' position is that the board would either contribute money to the sale if needed or donate money to Natural Lands Trust. Roughan said he is waiting to confirm details of the sale with Natural Lands Trust.Now that the fences are down, members of the FriendsOfTheStrubleTrail.org say they believe it looks better, but they are also not sure what this means, because the no trespassing signs are still posted."I believe it was Mr. Shelton's intent to reopen the parking area and part of the trail to the public, and by removing the fences and concrete barriers, I think he fulfilled the role," Roughan said, adding that he believes the removal of the no trespassing signs was merely overlooked. Several attempts to reach Shelton for comment about the fence removal were unsuccessful. An attempt to reach his attorney was also unsuccessful. To contact staff writer Danielle Lynch, send an e-mail to dlynch@dailylocal.com.
©Daily Local News 2008
This photo is from the trail looking at the old paper mill. I gues you can park at the trail head-- there were no signs prohibiting parking.
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