The Allen Township Board of Supervisors Sept. 22 meeting incited some drama when a local community voiced its grievances about a pedestrian trail that runs right through their neighborhood.

The community in question is Homestead Estates. The Homestead Trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, running and nature trips, according to AllTrails, but the problems arise where the trail runs directly past four homes on Bullshead Road.

One community member, new to the neighborhood, brought this matter to the board’s attention, citing his daughters were scared and nervous to play outside by themselves. When asked why, they said strangers often stop to stare at them, making them uncomfortable. Joe, who did not mention his last name, said this isn’t his only experience with invasive outsiders.

“We’ve had many strangers come onto our yard, ride their bikes between our trees (and) take pictures,” he said.

Joe has also had parents ask him if their kids can use his trampoline while his daughters are using it, he said.

While other residents seemed to share Joe’s unease about strangers in their neighborhood, they offered a different solution instead.

Rather than tearing up the path as he had initially suggested, they asked the board to make the trail private, so it would be open only to Homestead Estates residents. Many outsiders use the trail as a cut-through to get to a park or another trail, when either can be easily accessed by going around the community instead.

“The path allows the neighborhood to remain a close community,” said Maria, a resident who also didn’t provide her last name. “(It) allows us to pass each other and say hello or catch up briefly.”

Several other homeowners were in agreement, even those whose houses sit next to the trail. The other residents argued there are certain compromises to living in Homestead Estates, including buying a house along a walking trail, but there are still preventive measures that can be taken. One resident, in particular, said she had built a fence and put trees around her property to act as a deterrent to trespassers.

However, the trail wasn’t always open to the public, it was noted. In the beginning, it was only open to residents before public access was gradually allowed.

The board said if Homestead Estates residents wish to return to a resident-only trail, the township would have to abandon the easement and give it to the neighborhood. If that were the case, maintenance and upkeep would be the homeowners’ responsibility.

One problem arose with Rick Gotch, a resident who has been maintaining the trail for 12 years. Each year, Gotch has put down mulch, investing his own time and labor into keeping the trail looking presentable. He had no objection to taking steps to discourage public traffic nor did he object to removing the path, but he did ask the board, in lieu of removing the easement, to do a one-time deal of putting down some fabric and a three-inch stone walkway, so he would no longer have to mulch the path.

“I’ll take it from there,” he said.

After much discussion, the board finally came to the agreement to give the community members time to come to a decision among themselves before presenting their decision to the board.

“I’ve lived this scenario, and it doesn’t get better. It gets worse,” said board member Gerald Montanari. “My concern would be the people’s kids, break-ins, issues like that. I know they realize it can happen, but at the same time, when it happens, it’s too late,” he said.

“It’s the board’s intention to do what’s best,” Vice Chairman Gary Behler agreed. “I think the community themselves should come up with a consensus of what they want to do, and we’ll do the best we can to design/implement whatever that consensus is.”

Another board member, Bruce Frack, decided he’d like to get together with some other board members to walk around and work from there.

“I’d like to do it the right way,” Frack said. “That’s the way I do things.”