Open Space Advisory Board 2003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • • Bob Muckle & Cindy Lair both commented they were aware of and sensitive to the Ohmeda after -hours situation, but that the property in,question was not owned by the City. Wayne Varra — Mr. Varra said we need to limit access to the Dyer Road extension and trailhead. Re: the Mesa, Mr. Varra said we must address weed control and that he would like to see the reclamation of the northwest corner. Mr. Varra also suggested an alternative trail layout that utilized the general perimeter layout from Option 1, but incorporated the ridge trail from Option 2. Bob Muckle — Agreed with Mr. Varra on the alternative trail, but suggested the ridge trail be moved slightly to the south to take advantage of an existing social trail and to avoid bisecting an area of sensitive plant species. ** *Secretary's note — This Varra/Muckle suggestion was ultimately dubbed Option la. Gary Mansdorfer — Mr. Mansdorfer noted that comments calling those citizens advocating for more access "selfish" were not warranted. He also called for the need for more scientific evidence in order to justify closing trails, noting that the quality of the parcels in question were only "so -so." Mr. Mansdorfer said he felt that the wording in the Ordinance was subject to interpretation and did not justify the levels of protection the LOSCAB was considering and that the perimeter trail options the LOSCAB were considering limited public access to 1% of the open space acreage. He then presented an alternative trail option that included the perimeter in the northwest corner of the Mesa. Cary Tengler — Mr. Tengler read a short section from the ESCO report that identified the specific passage recommending the highest levels of protection for the northwest corner of the Mesa. He then noted that despite several comments made to the contrary re: the lack of science, that Mr. Buckner, a respected plant ecologist and scientist, had been hired specifically to provide that scientific recommendation. He also took exception to Mr. Mansdorfer's statement about 1% access, noting that open space access, while clearly a subjective measure, cannot be measure by the square acreage of the paths themselves. Mr. Tengler then said he supports Option 1 a as noted above. Bob Muckle — Mr. Muckle said he generally agrees with Mr. Tengler and noted that Mr. Buckner's professional memberships and expertise does not disqualify him. He also noted that Mr. Mansdorfer's characterization of the Mesa remnants as "so -so" was not fair. He then asked Mr. Chris Roe, from Roe Ecological Services, about the impact of trails on wildlife. Mr. Roe noted that the impact of human activity on trails has been proven (at a statistically significant level) to have a negative impact on some wildlife behavior, including elk reproduction. He commented about wildlife buffers and the impact of human activity and suggested that while on -trail use has less impact than off - trail activity, there is clearly an impact on wildlife.