Chris Fischer said during Public Comments at Monday’s city council meeting he had visited the Miner’s Rock area for the first time in several years and was surprised at the changes. “This area is no longer a quiet section of the park. The forest floor has been crisscrossed with trails, roads, foot-worn paths and various access means resembling an invasive spider web… I have trouble wondering how anyone can justify this form of impact upon a place.” He said he could not see how the new project related to preserving and caring for the land, and asked council “to review the project and the full extent of plans being considered,” adding that the Parks Commission has not acted as proper stewards.
Faith Shah said she wanted to be supportive of the new downhill trails project, but cannot “because I know too much.” She pointed out the initial environmental assessment by botanist Theo Witsell was only recently published, “and there are recommendations in here that should frighten everybody in this room.” She pointed out Witsell’s document listed globally rare species and species of conservation concern in the park, and then showed a photo of what she described as a dolomite glade buried in dirt and rocks to make a jump for cyclists. She showed another photo of a very unique geological feature tagged to be developed. Shah said she was not faulting the workers but the process, and said she had plenty more to say if any alderman wanted to hear it.
Pat Costner said she recently toured the construction area at LLCP and saw 40-ft. wide areas “cleared, mumbled and bumbled… it’s like doing surgery with a hacksaw.” Her main point was clearing up where the money came from. She had called the Walton Family Foundation and was directed to a staff person who told her the Foundation gave the grant to fund the project at LLCP, but what she really wanted to know about was the process. She said she learned it was someone from WFF who approached Parks about the potential for a project, and the “process was anything but a normal grant-making process.”
Pat Matsukis lamented that Parks chose to ask for forgiveness rather than permission, and asked how the plan at LLCP can go from one trail to six with no evacuation plan and no security plan. She asked about the budget to run the new downhill trails enterprise. Matsukis said the Waltons might give Parks a million dollars, “but everybody in this town has given you a million dollars in blood, sweat, tears and equity.” She said the town wanted a peaceful, wonderful space that would continue for generations, and now “we have a switchblade happening out there.” She also wanted to hear regular reports from ESPD.
Tracy Johnson stated she had full faith in the Parks Department and was inclined to leave it to them to do the jobs they were trained to do. She noted that several comments regarding the new project at LLCP bring up environmental impact. However, she said there was not the same hue and cry about a contractor in town clearing land and cutting down trees to put up a building or about the lead in the city’s old water pipes. Also old homes have lead-based paints. Environmental impact reports keep being mentioned, so she recommended every house in the city limits should get one.
Michael Shah stated Parks Director Justin Huss has done as much as he can, but he has a big job. Shah said the crews working on the downhill trail project are doing excellent work. They are creating trails through 400-million year-old rock formations, but do not have enough management. Shah also mentioned he came upon two sizable sinkholes not marked with warning signs.
In another vein, Harold Meyer said he has been trying to gather the information but it seems difficult to gauge how much water the city buys from Carroll-Boone Water District versus how much was sold to find out how much water is lost through leakage. He also mentioned inequities in how water rates are assessed.