Open Space Advisory Board Agenda and Packet 2022 03 09

Home Browse Search

Open Space Advisory Board Minutes February 9, 2022 Page 3 of 6 Staff is also concerned about trail damage and erosion on open space trails. They will wait for the melting of snow to fully evaluate the extent of the damage. There is considerable trail damage on Davidson Mesa, where crusher fines were blown off during the high winds the day of the Marshall Fire. There was already trail work scheduled soon for Davidson Mesa, so that repairs will be mostly bundled into that work. Staff will apply for FEMA support where applicable: they are hoping for funding for fences, irrigation, and vegetation that supports soil stabilization. Ember would like to form a Tiger Team for fire -related issues because decisions are happening quickly, and she would like to get a quick response from citizens of the board. Peter and Thomas both volunteered to serve. Ember warned the fire and workload would almost certainly significantly impact the City and Department priorities. Some areas are currently closed after the fire, but Davidson Mesa is the only fully closed property. Staff is hoping to re -open it in March. In addition, the Harper Lake parking lot is closed as part of the limited vehicle access to the adjacent burned neighborhood off Washington Ave. The Powerline Trail at Hillside Open Space is also closed to limit access to the adjacent burned neighborhood. Jessamine asked for clarifying questions from the board. Helen asked if FEMA grants could cover the trail wind damage at Davidson. Ember thought not since there was already a work order for repairs in 2021, which probably will disqualify the project for consideration. David asked if Davidson's different trail surface options had been discussed after seeing the wind damage. Ember thought the issue was maintenance frequency rather than trail surface type. The area where gravel blew away was in areas that hadn't been rolled recently. Maintenance and repairs had been previously scheduled for the 2021 Contract to address the shortfall. Sections of Davidson Mesa repaired in 2021 appeared unimpacted (also, more standing grass remained, creating wind protection). David also asked if the Davidson Mesa Dog Off -leash Area (DOLA) fence would be fixed first. Ember said it was being given first priority since it is a beloved amenity and also a safety issue. She added that there had been a delay for the project to ensure compliance with the FEMA funding and documentation process. She is hoping to put out a fencing contract this month. David asked if there would be open space fire cleanup volunteering opportunities. Ember said they are hoping to do so once the snow melts. They are looking for volunteers to remove debris. But staff will probably use contractors for building fencing. Also, they might be looking for volunteers for weeding in the spring since mullein and knapweed might respond aggressively to the fire. Charles commented that he was shocked by the wind damage on the trails at Davidson Mesa. He felt that opening Davidson Mesa should be a priority. He asked if it could be opened before the trail work was done. Ember replied that they are sensitive to people needing that space. She commented that they would work with the trail contractor to open the property as soon as one trail connection from US 36 Bikeway to the McCaslin trailhead has been established. Charles asked if there was any plan to 5