By: Stephanie Prokop
MANSFIELD Outdoor enthusiasts who appreciate scenic views of the county may be one step closer to enjoying them thanks to a recent donation of land by a former township farming family.
The land, five miles of former railroad right of way in Mansfield, is being donated to Burlington County for its cross-county Kinkora Rails to Trails project.
The project is set to extend from the Delaware River to the Rancocas Greenway in Pemberton.
County Freeholder Bill Haines Jr. said the donation will serve as a major "springboard" for the development of the project.
Freeholders on Jan. 24 accepted the donation from the daughters of Reuben and Mae Greenburg, who previously sold the 300-acre Greenburg Farm on Route 206 to the county for farmland preservation, according to county officials. The five-mile right of way was not included in the farm sale.
Daughter June Guttell, speaking on behalf of her sister Beverlee Bradin, said in a press release, "My sister and I want to honor our parents with something permanent that everyone can enjoy. Mom and Dad both enjoyed the outdoors and loved to walk. This donation to the county would mean a lot to them because they cared deeply about Burlington County."
The cost of the entire trail is estimated at $1 million for acquisition and $2.3 million for development, according to county officials. The project was set into motion during 2003 and is still in the land acquisition phase.
The county contacted the fewer than 10 landowners who have property along the proposed trail, and acquisitions are still being finalized. The old Kinkora railroad right of way runs through Mansfield, Springfield, Wrightstown and Pemberton Borough.
"Even though there aren’t a lot of property owners, (the rate of development) depends on them," said Freeholder Loretta O’Donnell.
She said the trail will be approximately 30 feet wide, and that 10 of those 30 feet will be cleared of weeds and manicured for hiking and bike riding.
The trail will not have any conventional "rest stops" along it, but it will go through parts of the village of Columbus in Mansfield and will end at the Pemberton Historic Railroad Museum, which Ms. O’Donnell said she hopes will bring more foot traffic through the area.
Even though the railroad was abandoned in the early 1980s, and the rails were taken out, the path that the railroad followed is largely intact and runs through what the freeholders describe as the "farm belt" of the state.
"I can’t wait for the county to build the trail so I can see other families enjoying hikes and bike rides in the farm country," Ms. Guttell said.
The only place where the proposed trail intersects with a major route is at Interstate 295, and, according to Mr. Haines, an alternative route is being looked into.
When the public trail is completed, hikers and bikers will be able to enjoy scenic views, in addition to crossing several creeks and passing through municipal parks and the villages of Columbus, Jobstown and Juliustown before ending at the Pemberton Historic Rail Museum.

