Testimony Testimony
To: City and County Open Space officials
From: Dr. Gerry Stahl
Date: October 14, 1997
Testimony regarding the North Rim Trail corridor
My name is Gerry Stahl. I live at 3900 Pebble Beach and am an Adjacent Property Owner of the North Rim Trail corridor. Along with a number of my neighbors I wrote you a letter on September 22, 1997, expressing our shock at learning of your plan to develop a high traffic, multi-use open space trail through a narrow corridor immediately adjacent to 44 residences in the North Rim subdivision. I would like to thank you for arranging this meeting in response to our letter and providing us this opportunity to submit public input into the planning process for our open space as well as for our backyards.
My neighbors and I would like to take this meeting as an opportunity to begin a partnership with you to create a trail system in North Boulder Valley that is in everyone’s best interests. Tonight I would like to suggest what I consider a critical planning objective that seems to have been overlooked in your planning process. Then, based on the set of planning objectives including this extension, I would like to propose an alternative trail plan for the immediate vicinity of North Rim. I believe that this alternative plan will better meet the planning objectives and significantly reduce the negative consequences of the current plan. In presenting this, to the best of my knowledge I speak for virtually all of the immediately affected adjacent property owners of the North Rim Trail corridor.
First, I would like to say that we love the Open Space. Most of us chose to live in Boulder County, and specifically in North Rim, because of the proximity of the beautiful North Boulder Valley Open Space ¾ although I do not think that any one of us ever imagined that the strip of land alongside our yards could become a high-usage open space trail.
Since writing the letter of September 22 under a tight deadline, I have had the opportunity to review The North Boulder Valley Inventory Report and Area Management Plan of June 3, 1997. Combining projections stated in that document with a vision of the trail system which is gradually becoming clearer, I foresee a very scary future. The Report begins its section on Passive Recreation by stating, "Recent Open Space studies indicate system-wide visitation is steadily increasing at a rate of approximately 12% - 19% annually. Increased visitor use has resulted in conflicts, safety concerns," etc. (Report, p. 127) In a year or two one can project well over 100,000 people a year going along our back fences. These may be conservative projections as news spreads among the equestrian and biking communities of Boulder and north Boulder County that the North Rim Trail corridor is the primary connection between the Eagle Trail and the dirt roads to the North and East.
This would be a disaster, both for the North Rim community and for the open space users. Having a continuous stream of bikers, equestrians, joggers, hikers, dogs and children passing immediately along 44 yards used by homeowners for their parties, children and pets would create countless interactions, confrontations and conflicts. On a beautiful Spring day, an average of one passer-by per minute would mean that neighborhood dogs would never stop barking. Horses would be frequently spooked, causing serious dangers within the extremely narrow confines of the North Rim Trail corridor. It should be remembered that this corridor is barely 9 feet wide in places, between barbed wire and a deep open ditch. There is no room for horses to step aside for bikers, even if everyone was under complete control. This corridor is, for instance, far more confined than the access roads along the farmer’s ditch, where access is forbidden under penalty of "certain death if entered." Other people may want to testify to the fact that there have already been incidents between equestrians and residents along the North Rim Trail corridor even with the current minimal traffic levels. I will leave this point for now as obvious.
What is not so obvious is what to do instead of the current Open Space trails plan. This plan has no doubt resulted from an arduous process that took into account many factors and interests. However, in view of the disastrous probable consequences of the plan, it seems that something is missing. The open space is supposed to "be managed in a way that provides for aesthetic enjoyment, minimizes cumulative impacts to the natural ecosystems and conflicts between users, considers user safety." (Report, p. 127) Implicit in this should be the objective of keeping Open Space trails in the open space ¾ away from residential areas. Since the planning process seems to have forgotten that people go on trails to get out in nature, I propose making this explicit. To the five stated objectives for Passive Recreation, I propose:
Objective #6: Locate trails at least 100 meters from private residences whenever possible.
I would now like to show how this objective can be incorporated within the trail system for the North Boulder Valley Area Management Plan. I propose three trail modifications which I shall call (1) the West Alternative, (2) the South Alternative and (3) the East Alternative. These proposals serve to locate the major trail traffic at least 100 meters from private residences along the west, south and east boundaries of North Rim, respectively.
(1) West Alternative. A new East Beech Trail has been proposed, running from Neva Road to the southwest corner of North Rim. This trail stays away from homes in Lake Valley but swings immediately adjacent to several homes along the west side of North Rim. In preparation for having this trail funnel into our back yards, an existing informal trail from that southwest corner due south through open space to the Boulder Valley Ranch trailhead was permanently closed without notice to users and the fence between open space and North Rim was cut open. The informal trail that used to exist prohibited bikes, but served the needs of equestrians, joggers and hikers who used it to reach Eagle Trail. My proposal is to swing the East Beech Trail at least 100 meters west of the North Rim properties and to continue it due south, roughly along the old informal trail. I will argue in a minute that this alternative would not be in conflict with any of the Open Space planning objectives.
(2) South Alternative. A short North Rim Access Trail currently connects the North Rim Trail corridor to the Sage Trail. This is a useful connection, but it unnecessarily routes traffic behind three North Rim residences. This trail should be modified to cut diagonally northeast over to the point where it goes downhill to Pebble Beach Drive, maintaining a distance of at least 100 meters from the residences.
(3) East Alternative. An Axelson Trail is currently under consideration. Without my proposed Objective #6, it is likely that this trail would aim for the northeast corner of North Rim, bringing trail traffic along 13 North Rim back yards. I suggest that a trail to the east swing toward the middle of North Rim’s east border, remaining at least 100 meters from any residence.
I have attached a map indicating these trail alternatives. I think the advantage of these alternatives is obvious. Now I would like to briefly indicate why I think these alternatives would not have any disadvantages. I will do this by referring to the objectives of the Open Space Program for passive recreation management (Plan, p. 79):
Objective #1: Provide a variety of appropriate quality passive recreation activities and outdoor education opportunities. The North Rim Trail corridor does not provide a quality open space aesthetic experience where it immediately adjoins subdivision lots. It is not an appropriate setting for quality passive recreation activities and outdoor education opportunities. If people want to see our houses, they should walk on the sidewalks of Pebble Beach Drive. By contrast, the proposed alternative trails are aesthetic and appropriate.
Objective #2: Preserve scenic vistas and undeveloped views. The proposed alternative trails would not impact scenic vistas. The West Alternative trail would run near an existing fence of a private ranch. None of the proposed alternative trails would be visible from any highway. On the other hand, the sections of the North Rim Trail corridor that are adjacent to private residences do not provide undeveloped views to trail users; they provide views of the backs of houses.
Objective #3: Provide trails, access points, and passive recreational facilities to accommodate appropriate uses and to connect with adjacent trail systems. The West Alternative trail would provide a convenient and direct connection between the Beech/Neva trailhead and the Boulder Valley Ranch trailhead. The other alternatives would provide the same connections as the trails they modify. The combined alternative trail system would provide full connectivity of the North Boulder Valley Area along routes that are aesthetic and appropriate for all uses.
Objective #4: Provide safe passive recreational experiences. The North Rim Trail corridor would be hazardous under conditions of two-way traffic. There is insufficient space for horses, bikes, children and dogs to pass safely without incident. It is narrowly confined, between 9 and 15 feet wide. It is bordered by a six foot deep open ditch, a steep slope, concrete conduits and a barbed wire fence. There are urban hazards including neighboring dogs, sprinkler systems and children. The alternative trails are in unconfined areas owned by Open Space; trails there could be made as wide as necessary, with room for horses or baby carriages to step aside easily.
Objective #5: Minimize passive recreation impacts to natural, cultural, and agricultural resources. The alternative trails would cause minimal impact to natural, cultural, and agricultural resources. According to the North Boulder Valley Inventory Report, the areas they go through (particularly along the old informal trail to the South) are quite barren, except for diffuse knapweed, Mediterranean sage, and bindweed. There are no affected wetlands, no Bell's twinpod, no prairie dogs and no raptors. Increased use of the North Rim Trail corridor would actually cause more impact on fauna and flora than our proposed alternative trails. Many of the adjoining property owners have made an effort to fight noxious weeds and to establish trees and flowers that attract birds and animals. With these efforts and water from the ditch, this corridor is a richer natural environment than the sites of the proposed alternative trails. We have a wide variety of birds, including owls and eagles using our trees; they would be as disturbed by the projected increased traffic as would their human neighbors.
Proposed Objective #6: Locate trails at least 100 meters from private residences whenever possible. The trails currently planned are immediately adjacent to 44 private residences. The adjacent property owners of the North Rim Trail corridor are virtually unanimously opposed to increased traffic behind their homes. They foresee increased noise, trash, vandalism, accidents and liabilities. There have already been conflicts between homeowners and horse riders. Such conflicts would undoubtedly intensify under the current plan in which the primary connection between Eagle Trail and Neva Road abuts all these homes. The alternative trails would keep almost all trail traffic far enough from any private residence to avoid these undesirable interactions.
In conclusion, I hope that we can work together to come up with a plan for a trail system in North Boulder Valley that is in everyone’s best interests. I hope that you will seriously consider the proposed planning Objective #6 and the three trail alternatives that I outlined. I believe that these proposals have the backing of virtually all of my neighbors who are directly affected.
I think it is essential that we agree on the role, if any, that parts of the North Rim Trail corridor will play in the trail system before progress on the East Beech or Axelson Trails proceeds any further. Believe me, we would much rather work with Open Space personnel, volunteering to help build trails that make sense, than have to fight the Open Space bureaucracy in every way we can to prevent trails with disastrous consequences. But we need guarantees.
Thank you.
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