Morgan Valliant briefly described the Mount Dean Stone property which is currently being called the Woody's property and located just above the South Hill Spur. Conservation Lands Advisory Committee (CLAC) will be making some plans this fall, winter and spring for the 350 acres that City is looking at requiring this fall.
Pelah Hoyt gave a presentation on Mount Dean Stone that included maps showing the Dean Stone corridor and the new trail.
Morgan Valliant clarified a point on the map trail connections with in the presentation that the high, wide and handsome trail does hit existing roadbed and currently runs down and connects to trailheads in Miller Creek so there will be a through option.
John O'Connor- "Can you just comment a little bit more about some of the need for additional public comment on the top portion".
Morgan Valliant explained the uniqueness of the project. This is the first time the City has ever moved forward on an Open Space Acquisition where we actually have our trail built before the City takes ownership. The process this time was more in keeping in line like we do with our developed parks. The developer will actually develop a park within their development to City specs and then turn it over to the City to manage. Morgan Valliant stated that we do still need our public process and rec plan e run through the CLAC committee and to get approved by Park Board.
John O'Connor- The upper parcel is not City land yet. Are you saying that Five Valleys Land Trust and others interested are gracious enough to work within the city planning process on that property because technically they wouldn't need City input to do something with that property would they?
Morgan Valliant- They have been working within the City Process. The City has had to do a little bit of inventing our own process because it is kind of a new situation. It's worth saying that this property is going to become City land by mid-October.
Grant Carlton- This is creating a model for future projects like this project.
Carol Fisher- "I haven't heard anything about the access points and how we are going to deal with the increase at the trailheads. I'm curious about the trailhead and with the House Of Sky that's up Deer Creek too and a parking area is being thought about there? How are we going to deal with the increase use?”
Pelah Hoyt- We are planning some improvements to the skyline ridge area and are in conversation with the Rack about potential improvements to deer creek road. If we can connect to the Pattee Canyon recreation area, which the forest service is interested in exploring because they have a parking lot area already they feel that is sensible. The Sousa trailhead there is more parking there than we originally thought.
Morgan Valliant- I anticipate increase level of parking at the Sousa trailhead. The trailhead is on street which potentially offers hundreds of parking spots but it would be in front of people houses. At this point, there is not really any other access. These are questions to address when we go through public process and develop our plan.