12/10/2008: "Turtleback Plan Passed With Council Review In Six Months"

The County Council held a public hearing Tuesday (December 9) on a Turtleback Management Plan, (story) but no one from the public showed up to testify.

Normally this would have meant a quick approval of the Draft Management Plan pdf (1094\k file), but that was not the case on Tuesday.

A problem for the council was they were not happy with the lack of a clear public use plan, but they are not allowed to change what is presented to them by the Land Bank, they can only approve it or reject it, so in order to have some control over details, the council voted to pass the Plan, but required the Land Bank to “come back in six months with a progress report of how it is moving ahead with this plan.”

This will not allow them to have any oversight on public use, since the motion only stated they would receive a progress report, not an opportunity to approve or reject it.

Councilman Alan Lichter abstained from voting for the motion. He had suggested that the motion should specifically include a reference to mountain bikes, but Myhr refused to accept the amendment to his motion.

Some on the Council expressed their concerns that the plan was not complete on how the public may access the land, and in particular where and to what extend bikers would be allowed on the land, and were hesitant to pass the plan as presented.

Land Bank director Lincoln Bormann said when they come back with a progress report, it will include the Master Trail Plan for all public uses, including horseback riding, biking, and walking and jogging trails.