decorahnews.com reader makes suggestion about Trout Run Trail trailhead

(decorahnews.com reader Scott Carlson has been listening to the discussion about Trout Run Trail and sends along this suggestion):

I want to throw out a comment/idea related to the bike trail.  The bike trail is a wonderful addition to our community, providing a beautiful route for exercise and a tourism draw, and the soon-to-be completed loop will make it even more enticing.  From a tourism perspective, the closest comparison is Lanesboro, which similarly offers a beautiful setting and a vibrant downtown.  From a tourism perspective, such comparisons are important as tourist will use comparators when deciding where to visit. 

To this end, one of the key ingredients missing from our trail system is the lack of a defined trail head.  Lanesboro is fortunate to have its trail fully integrated into its downtown, enticing visitors to not only ride the trail but to stop and have ice cream or a meal and do a little shopping. 

Our setting is not seamless.  Our downtown is not as easily accessible for bikes nor is it bike friendly.  It also isn't really clear where one starts the ride -- hatchery, the bridge, etc. -- but none of the attractive options are downtown.  I know there has been talk about a trail head in the past, but it is difficult to identify a suitable site. 

Now there is one -- the substantial lot where Wapsie used to sit (along with an amazingly ugly and dilapidated dairy processing building next to it that should also be razed).  Envision a park-like setting with a parking lot, restrooms, lots of grass with picnic tables and a play area, and the hot dog cart and/or other seasonal food vendors.  Then reconfigure that end of Water street so there is a clearly marked bike route guiding riders to downtown, and make a connection on the east side over to the bike trail.  Now you have a beautiful setting for a trail head that is linked to both our downtown businesses and the trail.  It would also a definite improvement to that end of town; that section really looks bad from an aesthetic viewpoint.  I know it takes $$$, but I wonder what the costs would be for making it a park setting?  I also wonder what the return would be in attracting more visitors with this integration and an increase in tourism revenue.

Just my thoughts, but it strikes me as a relatively lower cost investment with a lot of potential.