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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019.01.03 OSTB Regular Session minutes_S MINUTES OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS BOARD REGULAR SESSION Jan. 3, 2019 Grace Church 1776 Emma Road, Basalt OSTB Present: Graeme Means Howie Mallory Amy Barrow Michael Kinsley Wayne Ives Dist. 1, Chair Dist. 2 Dist. 3 Dist. 4 Dist. 5 Staff Present: Gary Tennenbaum, Dale Will, Paul Holsinger, Janet Urquhart, Kim Arensdorf, Richard Neiley BOCC Present: George Newman Graeme Means called the meeting to order at 9:08 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT None. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Wayne Ives moved to approve the OSTB regular session minutes and joint OSTB-BOCC regular and executive session minutes of Dec. 4, 2018 as amended. Amy Barrow seconded. Motion passed(5-0). Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail Plan debrief Gary Tennenbaum explained the BOCC's approval of the Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail Plan puts the plan in motion, and specifically puts the first phase of the plan in motion. That phase is construction of a trail between Redstone and the summit of McClure Pass. Tennenbaum said he has spoken to Forest Service District Ranger Karen Schroyer and that OST will initiate a third- party NEPA review in February or March. OST will propose the alignments proposed in the plan; the NEPA review will look at the proposed alignment, a highway alignment, a no-trail option and potentially other, as-yet-unidentified alignments. The review will take up to a year and a half, he said. Outside of the federal process, OST will meet with stakeholder groups to discuss potential alignments to be included in the NEPA review. Ultimately, approval of an alignment on the national forest, if there is an approval, is up to the Forest Service, he said. For the Redstone-to-Hays Falls trail section, OST will work with CDOT because that trail section is proposed within the Hwy. 133 right-of-way, Tennenbaum said. If the Forest Service and CDOT approve a trail alignment, it will then be up to the Open Space and Trails Board to recommend that the BOCC fund trail construction. Tennenbaum said the hope is that grant money is available to help fund the project. In addition, the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association has offered to help build the trail, he said. 01/03/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 1 of 4 In addition to the trail component, the plan's adoption puts various biodiversity initiatives contained in the plan into motion, Tennenbaum said. The county is currently advertising for a natural resource planner and ecologist—a new position within OST. That person will be responsible for working with consultants on biodiversity projects in the Crystal Valley and elsewhere, he said. Projects slated to begin or occur in 2019 include Crystal River restoration work, initiatives to improve bighorn sheep resiliency in the Crystal Valley, working with the Forest Service on noxious weed treatments, working with the Forest Service on prescribed burns in the Braderich Creek and Avalanche Creek areas, as well as looking at habitat improvements on Smuggler Mountain. The natural resource planner will also work on getting information about OST's biodiversity efforts out to the public, Tennenbaum said. Richard Neiley entered the meeting at 9:41 a.m. Wayne Ives asked if OST would hire a consultant to manage the NEPA process on its behalf. Yes, Tennenbaum said. The natural resource planner will work with that consultant. Howie Mallory asked if the natural resource planner would work on projects outside the Crystal Valley. Yes, Tennenbaum said. The individual will be OST's liaison on other studies and manage the work of OST's ecological consulting group, which involves consultants in various specialized disciplines. Mallory also asked about the 2019 costs associated with the trail plan. Tennenbaum said he would total up all of the costs for 2019 and provide them to the board; none of the costs will be construction costs, he said. Mallory also asked if Tennenbaum would be the project manager for the Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail Plan. Tennenbaum said Lindsey Utter and Jessie Young will oversee the project directly and work on the NEPA process; he will oversee them. Tennenbaum said he will work on the stakeholder process and work with higher-ups in CDOT, the Forest Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. He said a new way of collaborating with CPW is evolving; where wildlife data is lacking, the county will work with CPW to collect it. Graeme Means asked if OST would pay for the NEPA and CDOT reviews. Yes, Tennenbaum said, but he said he does not anticipate much expense for the CDOT portion as much of the engineering work has already been done. Means also asked about the Open Space Board's role moving forward. The board will recommend funding, Tennenbaum said. The board will continue to have lead roles in other management planning processes, he said. Michael Kinsley asked if the Roaring Fork Watershed Biodiversity Initiative's work would be complete in time to incorporate its findings into the NEPA review. Most of the data collection will occur this summer; the study may not be complete but the data will be available for the NEPA review, Tennenbaum said. Kinsley also said he hopes the stakeholder process allows people to get involved in designing the trail and not just reviewing what is proposed. Tennenbaum said he believes the first phase of the trail will be singletrack, but its alignment will be up for discussion with stakeholders. Kinsley said individuals who are "less warrior-like and more diplomatic" should be recruited to participate in the discussions. The process will be open to all, Tennenbaum said. Kinsley said the 01/03/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 2 of 4 first phase will not only be a learning experience for OST,but will give the community a sense of whether OST is dealing in good faith. Graeme Means offered these observations: OST should think about the local aspects of the trail and make the first phase a trail that serves as a connection to Redstone for local residents; the board needs to think about the program's trail mandate in relation to its environmental responsibilities; the process going forward is an opportunity to re-establish public trust in the process; and OST should look to "rebrand"the trail project as a corridor improvement project since it involves more than just a trail. Tennenbaum said the trail project should be branded as a trail project but Crystal Valley biodiversity projects should be called out as such. Aspen's Castle Creek Bridge project was mistakenly viewed by the public as just a trail project when it was much more than that, Amy Barrow noted. The trail plan is what the public has heard about,but the plan has come to encompass much more than a trail; it is a vision that includes ecological enhancement of the corridor and needs to discussed as more than a trail plan, said Howie Mallory. He called for regular updates to the board as the process moves forward; board members need to be ambassadors of the project, Mallory said. Wayne Ives said he intends to be involved in the process and urged other board members to participate, as well. Michael Kinsley suggested OST reach out to the county's Healthy Rivers and Streams Board as the process moves forward; Tennenbaum said the HRSB will be involved when the project involves the river. OST and HRSB will be jointly funding riparian improvements separate from the trail, he said. George Newman said public meetings regarding the project should be joint meetings of both the Open Space Board and Board of County Commissioners so everyone hears the public input. BOARD AND STAFF COMMENTS Dale Will noted the retirements of both OST's Fran Soroka and county Treasurer Tom Oken and their contributions to the Open Space and Trails program during their tenures. Board members agreed Open Space and Trails should draft a letter thanking Oken and arrange for the presentation of a plaque to Soroka to recognize her contributions. Wayne Ives said the Crystal River Working Group has scheduled another meeting on Jan. 25, 2019 and that he hopes to attend. It is time for the group to identify some potential projects, he said, noting most of the impaired sections of the river are downstream from Redstone. Howie Mallory asked how the OST agricultural lease program's lease rates compare to market rates in the private sector. He would like to have that information to respond to public questions, he said. There is no logical comparison, given the high land values of the upper Roaring Fork Valley, Paul Holsinger explained. In the local agricultural land market,private landowners pay ranchers to put land into agricultural use in order to get the lower property tax rate associated with an agricultural exemption, he said. In such cases, ranchers do not pay to lease land,but rather, are paid to use the land. Gary Tennenbaum updated the board on plans to conduct a public survey this spring regarding dog use on the Jaffee Park River Trail. There is a segment of the public that would like the trail 01/03/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 3 of 4 formally designated as an off-leash, voice-control area for dog walking, he said. Ultimately, the decision will be up to the Open Space and Trails Board, Tennenbaum said. EXECUTIVE SESSION The OSTB entered executive session at 10:19 a.m. in accordance with (CRS 24-6-402(4)(a)), (CRS 24-6-402 (4)(e)) and (CRS 24-6-402 (4)(b)) for the purpose of Emma-area site visits, acquisitions, negotiations and attorney consultation. The OSTB adjourned the executive session at 1:50 p.m. BOARD ACTION Lambert property acquisition Michael Kinsley moved to recommend that the BOCC approve an expenditure of$1.35 million for the purchase of the Lambert property on the condition that Pitkin County is satisfied with the condition of the houses and bridge on the property, as well as the legal access from the property onto the county's easement on the former railroad grade. Howie Mallory seconded. Motion passed (5-0). ADJOURN The OSTB Regular and Executive meetings of Jan.3, 2019 adjourned at 1:52 p.m. Approved: Attest: 1<— �;' Chair J rquhart ans, ' • n County Open Space &Trails Board ' s Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator 01/03/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 4 of 4