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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019.11.07 OSTB Regular Minutes_S MINUTES OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS BOARD REGULAR SESSION November 7, 2019 Red Brick Conference Room, 110 East Hallam St. Aspen CO, 81611 OSTB Present: Graeme Means Howie Mallory Amy Barrow Michael Kinsley Wayne Ives Dist. 1 Dist. 2, Chair Dist. 3 Dist. 4 Dist. 5 Staff Present: Gary Tennenbaum, Kim Arensdorf, Lindsey Utter, Jessie Young, Janet Urquhart, Liza Mitchell Others Present: Chuck Downey, Bill Argeros, John Emerick, Kate Hudson, Andre Wille, Seth Mason, Brendan Langenhuizen Media Present: Andre Salvail, Aspen Daily News, Lee Pruitt, The Sopris Sun, Elizabeth Stewart-Severy(conference call), Aspen Journalism Howie Mallory called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT No public comment APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Wayne Ives moved for the OSTB to approve as amended the 10/17/2019 OSTB regular and executive session minutes. Michael Kinsley seconded. Motion passed(5-0) Penny Hot Springs Draft Management Plan Lindsey Utter discussed the background and public process for the Penny Hot Springs Management Plan. She explained that the hot springs pools along the west bank of the Crystal River are located partially on Open Space and Trails property and partially on Colorado Department of Transportation(CDOT) right of way. The parking pullout along Highway 133 and the downstream pools are within CDOT's right of way. As part owner, CDOT will participate in the traffic portion of the Management Plan, she said. Other uses for the area include parking for climbing, wildlife viewing, fishing and river access. Utter explained that the existing plan for Penny Hot Springs fell under the "Visitor Use Area" within the 2008 Filoha Meadows Nature Preserve Management Plan. An action item within the Plan included"OST will work with CDOT and the Scenic Byway Committee to consider trailhead signage and potentially a kiosk with natural history and resource information and a spotting scope. OST will also work to maintain a safe, sustainable trail to the hot springs." Utter commented on the planning process and public input collected through an online survey. She noted that the comments received from the survey assisted the Steering Committee in 11/07/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 1 of 6 identifying what the hot springs users love about the area and what they would like to see changed. Themes identified for what respondents liked about the area, including enjoyment of the river, natural setting, no entry fee and less management. Current concerns identified by the Committee included issues with sanitation and waste,user behavior, traffic safety, usage access trail, overuse, dogs/dog waste, online promotion and camping. Utter stated that the Steering Committee created a vision statement for Penny Hot Springs: To protect and preserve the natural environment and future use of Penny Hot Springs in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner that is compatible with the location's natural setting and that encourages respect and stewardship. Utter described the management action items in relation to addressing concerns raised by the community, while also preserving the reasons the community love this location. In order for the County to make any improvements or to enforce rules at Penny Hot Springs, first a recreational lease agreement with CDOT is needed, she said. Utter stated that OST staff worked with the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office and Carbondale Fire Department to pull dispatch call data for the last 10 years. The data shows that most common types of calls were related to people sleeping in their vehicles, lost property and suspicious behavior. Utter stated that the rules, guidelines, environmental ethics signage, and outreach education needs to occur to address concerns. The Steering Committee discussed the inclusion of the following rules: no dogs (due to sanitary issues), Leave No Trace (pack in/pack out), no glass, no amplified music, and no camping. Utter noted that educational signage would need to be closer to the springs as to not grab the attention of highway traffic, while also creating opportunity to connect with the users and encourage protection and stewardship of the natural environment. The Committee discussed exit and entry parking, which will help limit the amount of vehicles. Other elements discussed for the design aspect included creating a singular/defined route to the river, signage locations, wildlife viewing and pedestrian flow. Utter stated that proposed river access improvements include building a handrail along the bankside of the access trail for safety, and bank stabilization to address erosion issues. Staff will work with the Forest Service and CDOT to evaluating alternative locations for climbing access to the Narrows and Avocado Gulch, she said. Utter explained that when potential future acquisition opportunities present themselves, the County could evaluate for the purpose of addressing concerns related to the Penny Hot Springs area. She noted that another survey will go back out to the public to receive additional input; the Plan will then be brought back to the OSTB for the March 3 meeting. Graeme Means commended staff on the draft plan input, and noted his support for the proposed "no dogs"regulation. He requested additional language regarding the bank stabilization improvements and user environmental ethics outreach. Means asked about the security of the water rights around the hot springs. Utter noted that the County Attorney's office is currently working on determining water rights in the area. Means asked about alternative locations for climber parking. Utter stated that alternative parking for Avocado Gulch currently requires crossing private property to get to the Narrows. 11/07/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 2 of 6 Wayne Ives stated that the goals of the Management Plan are to promote the natural character of the area while providing better access. He suggested that for alternative climbing access CDOT could potentially provide another pullout area. Additionally staff could provide online information and/or a map describing climber access, he said. Barrow applauded the potential signage opportunities, noting that signs will provide education and let people know it is a managed area. She stated that sanitation and waste management should be at forefront of the plan for area improvements. Howie Mallory requested that discussion occur now with CDOT to address parking issues before the Management Plan is put into place. Utter explained that CDOT is taking part with the Steering Committee and they are currently looking into ways to improve parking. John Emerick, Crystal River Caucus Chair, applauded the Steering Committee and OST staff s work on the Management Plan. He noted that three issues brought up by the Caucus included public safety, sanitary conditions and trash. There is concerned that the present Management Plan draft does not emphasize these issues, he said. Kate Hudson, Penny Hot Springs Steering Committee member, Crystal River Caucus member, and Healthy Rivers and Streams Board, stated that the survey of uses for the hot springs focused mainly on hot springs users and did not accurately reflect the climbing community. She stated that HRS is very interested in collaborating with OST in the process of stabilizing the bank and creating structured steps with a railing for hot springs access. She noted that the County is limited with what can be done for parking and signage. Andre Wille stated that parking is currently hard for climbers. He suggested acquiring an access easement through the private property that connects Avocado Gulch to the parking area. Wille noted that the suggested improvements within the plan will help the public respect the natural environment of the Penny Hot Springs area. Bill Argeros, Crystal River Caucus Vice Chair, thanked OST for addressing issues at the Penny Hot Springs area. He noted concern for the health and safety of users, as well as the lack of enforcement and available assistance for emergency issues. Argeros asked the board to consider Pitkin County purchasing a property just upriver of Penny Hot Springs to solve the current issues. He stated that the property has 2,000 ft. of river access,parking opportunities,potential trash receptacles and restrooms,phone access,potential for trail and ADA accessible. Argeros proposed that the property purchase could also offer employee housing with the existing home, or provide a partnership with the Forest Service for ranger housing to assist with enforcement and safety. Means noted that if the property was to be purchased the hot springs water would need to be repositioned. Chuck Downey, Redstone resident, commended the proposed renovation of the streambank. Downey noted that by limiting access through parking now, future overcrowding could be alleviated. 11/07/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 3 of 6 Utter stated that the plan will be updated to clarify safe access and natural stabilization of the river bank. Utter noted that overuse of the area can be somewhat controlled by limiting parking spots, however current parking and climbing access needs to be addressed as it trespasses on private property. Board Action Below Seth Mason and Brendan Langenhuizen entered at 10:20 a.m. Andre Salvail, Lee Pruitt, Bill Argeros and Chuck Downey left at 10.•40 a.m. Crystal River Streambank Stabilization Gary Tennenbaum stated that due to a high water year the Crystal River streambank has naturally eroded to the point where the trail is starting to deteriorate and is becoming a hazard. The erosion will soon affect Helms Ditch, which was piped through an agreement with Cold Mountain Ranch to allow the trail to be built on top of the ditch. He noted that due to the Crystal Trail being impacted by the erosion area the OST program will need to fund the project as a capital improvement. OST staff has been working with DHM and Lotic Hydrological to generated options for achieving streambank stabilization in a sustainable manor, Tennenbaum said. He explained the recommended design options: Alternative A would include full slope stabilization by creating a fill slope and applying vegetation to prevent erosion, which would cost $1,090,565. Alternative B is a modified version that significantly reduces costs, but keeps many of the aesthetic characteristics of Alternative A, with the cost being $586,200. Alternative C keeps the floodplain deck that is in Alternative A and B,but uses a soil nail retaining wall to protect the trail in the critical eroded area; this limits restoration but would offer a solid repair. Alternative D is a soil nail retaining wall all the way to the river's edge for approximately 600 linear feet to protect the critically eroded areas and replaces the floodplain deck. Tennenbaum noted that once an option is chosen the County will need to look into additional funding from Healthy Rivers and Streams along with other funding sources. If approved by the OSTB today, the recommendation will be provided to the BOCC for the 2020 budget meeting, Tennenbaum said. Seth Mason, Lotic Hydrological representative, noted that there are trade-offs involved in developing designs alternatives around permanency, aesthetics and ecological functions. He stated that in both Alternatives A and B the critical erosion zone is address. Within the conceptual design a backfill section will be filled and compacted to provide a base for the fill slope. The flood plain deck with riprap fill will then be revegetated to prevent erosion, he said. Mason noted that while Alternative B protects the trail, Alternative A extends further from the critical zone. Mason stated that removing the mid-channel bar and providing stabilization will help reroute river to avoid further erosion. He noted that none of the design options would affect the bridge. Brendan Langenhuizen, Lotic Hydrological representative, stated that with both Alternatives A and B the riprap liner would extend out further from the slope to prevent erosion. 11/07/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 4 of 6 He noted that Alternative A provides the longest flood plain deck to restore the slope to address potential longer-term issues, whereas Alternative B limits the compacted fill to the critical zone only. Tennenbaum recommended the OSTB choose Alternative A or B, as both protect the ditch and the trail. He noted that Alternative B needs significant consideration due to the cost savings and proficiency in protecting the critical area around the ditch and trail. Barrow asked about the constructability timing and revegetation schedule. Mason stated that some time is required to allow for revegetation, and therefore there is always a risk with flooding. Tennenbaum clarified that by watching the snowpack timing for revegetation can be monitored. Barrow noted concern that with the project only at 30% design actual construction cost could be higher than anticipated. Tennenbaum stated that the there is a 20% contingency as a buffer for any unanticipated costs. Wayne Ives asked if there an option between Alternatives A and B. Langenhuizen stated that the variance between Alternatives A and B could be determined by amount of fill and extending the base area. Kate Hudson asked the OSTB to consider a partnership with HRS Board, in order to provide input with design selection to determine what is beneficial for the river and riparian area. She requested a representative from Lotic Hydrological to come to the HRS meeting on November 21. Tennenbaum agreed to attend and have a representative from Lotic Hydrological. He recommended the OSTB choose Alternative B with the option to change upon HRS input after the November 21 meeting. Board action below BOARD AND STAFF COMMENTS The OSTB discussed the 2020 meeting schedule. Tennenbaum stated that the BOCC approved the final plat for the Highland Bavarian property, in which OST achieved a conservation easement and trail easement. Means commented about the Aspen Daily News article "Bringing the world's buried wetlands back from the dead", which refers to the decline in wetlands worldwide. He pointed out the importance of OST's efforts to conserve wetland ecosystems. BOARD ACTION Penny Hot Springs Draft Management Plan Wayne Ives recommends the approval of the Penny Hot Springs Draft Management Plan as amended. Graeme Means seconded. Motion passed(5-0) Crystal River Streambank Stabilization 11/07/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 5 of 6 Graeme Means recommended the BOCC to approve the funding Alternative B for the Crystal River Streambank Stabilization, with the option to change via input from Healthy Rivers and Streams and potential additional funding. Michael Kinsley seconded. Motion passed (5-0). EXECUTIVE SESSION The OSTB entered executive session at 11:40 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 acquisitions, negotiations and attorney consultation. The OSTB adjourned the executive session at 1:40 p.m. ADJOURN The OSTB meeting of November 7, 2019 adjourned at 1:40 p.m. Approved: Attest: owie Mallory, Chair Kimberly Arensdorf Pitkin County Open Space &Trails Board Pitkin County Open Space &Trails Administrative Specialist 11/07/2019 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 6 of 6