Lu Engineers provided design and construction services for a 5-mile Multi-Use Trail Project in the Village of Sackets Harbor, funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009.

This Project involved the design of a trail that linked several historic areas, including the Village Historic District, a War of 1812 Battleground, and the historic Madison Barracks site. Each of these areas is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As such, extensive coordination with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation was necessary in order to achieve final trail design approval. Additional coordination with New York State Department of Transportation and New York State Department of State was necessary, as federal funding of the project required extensive negotiations to satisfy NEPA and SEQRA requirements. Based on our cultural resources assessment, the build alternative was for a multi-use stone dust trail built on fill, eliminating the need for excavation.

Negotiation with private landowners to acquire easements was necessary to complete the design of the trail according to the vision of the Village of Sackets Harbor. Several environmentally sensitive sites within the project limits were identified, and Lu Engineers to successfully designed the trail location along an alignment that minimized impacts to these areas. The trail was also designed to fit the context outlined in the Village of Sackets Harbor Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP).

The trail provides year-round recreation opportunities to the public and enhances the historic context of the Village and the surrounding area.