The Stafford County Board of Supervisors has voted to defer the decision to return funding meant for the final phase of the Belmont-Ferry Farm Trail until November.

The board had agreed at its meeting on Sept. 21 to cancel the sixth and final phase of the project to complete the trail. The two-mile trail runs winds through the southern section of the county and the Historic Port of Falmouth Park.

The reasons cited for this canceling the final phase of the trail were a lack of funding to complete the project and issues regarding topography, land acquisition, and approvals from the Virginia Department of Transportation. The board plans to revisit the matter with a revised letter to VDOT at their next meeting Nov. 16.

There were also concerns made by residents regarding the planned route of the trail. One option would have been to extend the course across Business Route 3 and to end at the Ferry Farm Shopping Center. Many residents were concerned about the potential safety hazards of crossing Route 3. At the same time, there were objections from area residents about the planned end of the trail being built in their neighborhood.

"I know that people in South Stafford were so passionate about having the trail extended, and I know that we were not successful in doing that," said Falmouth District Supervisor Meg Bohmke. "For the record, I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense to move the trail over to the side of the Dairy Queen. Because then you have people who have to traverse across (Route 3) again, and the one goal in Stafford County is public safety, so why would we have people traversing two times across a road?

The result of the project's cancelation would be the return of funds by the County to VDOT in the amount of $130,000. The board decided to defer at the request of George Washington District Supervisor Tom Coen, who noted that the letter's language regarding the canceled project didn't leave any room to get the funding back should the county decide to revisit the project in the future.

Since it appears the trail plans will not be moving forward, the county also plans to apply for federal funding for other sidewalk projects for Salisbury Drive in North Stafford and the Foreston Woods neighborhood.