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Commissioners Minutes
May
1, 2007
The
Board of Adams County Commissioners met this day with the following
present: Chairman Bill
Brown, Mike Paradis and Joe Holmes, Commissioners, Clerk Sherry Ward,
Building Inspector Don Horton, Pam Murphy and concerned citizens of the
New Meadows area.
Public
Hearing on zone change for proposed Elkridge Subdivision located North of
Meadows Park Subdivision, contiguous with the Packer John Park from
Agriculture/Timber/Grazing (ATG) to Rural Residential (R-1).
Whereas
the following proceedings were had, to-wit:
Chairman
Bill Brown opened the public meeting with an explanation of how the
meeting will be conducted:
each citizen will be allowed to ask questions. Bill gave a description of the
proposed subdivision location.
Bill stated the Board has not given permission to go through the
park. Bill said a local
committee was formed last year regarding the Packer John Park. The committee reported their
findings to the Board. Bill
then asked Mike McCabe of Lightyear Development to five an overview of what
the developer proposes to do to the Packer John Park and the
subdivision. Mike McCabe
passed out pictures of Packer John Park and the subdivision. Mr. McCabe said a possible 36
lots, loop road, one access through the park, one through the Meadows Park
Subdivision and possibly a 3rd access through the Dick Clay
property.
Stacy
LaFay asked if a wildlife corridor has been addressed. Bill said a perimeter fence would
need to be put in place to fence out livestock. Fish and Game will give direction on the type of fence
it will need to be.
Rod
Jeffries stated the County should take care of the park. Bill stated we could take care of
the park by levying ourselves.
Mike Paradis said we do have a Park and Recreation Fund and we
could levy but taxes will be raised.
Neal
Michaels stated it is the County responsibility and if taxes need to
be raised then it should be done.
Bill stated the County took the park over when the State did not
want to take care of it.
Laurie
Gerring asked it an evaluation has been done on the cost to run the
park. Bill said the
committee did not have costs.
Rick
Moore asked who is going to take care of the park if the County has
no money?
Mike
McCabe said money would come from the CC&R’s toward the park. A Parks & Recreation grant
could pay for 80% of the construction. Rick Moore also stated the cabin is very important to
the people. Don Horton said
that public land sold or donated have historically been maintained by
volunteers. Bill stated upon
taking over the park, the County would need to have ordinances in place
for the Sheriff’s department to enforce law within the park.
Marla Krigbaum would like to see the
developer/subdivision owner commit to a very long-term maintenance plan
for Packer John Park. Mike
McCabe said they clearly plan to contribute just how much is not
known. Mr. McCabe said the
Washington Group did a study on traffic through the Park, the study came
back saying 80-90% of the homeowners would be second home families, the
traffic would be minimal.
Lynn Yancy asked
about public safety, what is planned. Bill said one access through the park, one through the
Meadow Park Subdivision and one possibly through Dick Clay’s
property. Bill is concerned
about the north end of the subdivision, fire travels uphill and an
emergency access is needed on the north end. The question of how to control the emergency accesses
was discussed; ballards or knock down gates need to be used.
Stacy LaFay asked if
Mr. McCabe would elaborate on the access road through Dick Clay’s
property. Mr. McCabe said
the access would be off of Wallace Lane. Bill said it would be for emergency only and the
developer would incur the cost.
Mike Paradis said Dick Clay said he would consider granting access
through his property.
Peggy Devor asked
who is going to maintain roads.
Rod Jeffries asked
what would the subdivision do to the wildlife population. Rod said Adams County needs to
take notice of what is happening in Valley County, population is
devastating to the County.
Bill said Adams County is very concerned about growth; which is
why a moratorium was put in place so ordinances could be upgraded for the
growth the County is facing.
Bill said property owners have rights to do as they desire with
their own property, if the Dryden’s wish to develop their property then
they have that right. Fish
& Game will be able to comment on the wildlife in the next phase of
the subdivision process.
Mike said Dean Dryden has the right to develop his property is he
chooses. Impact zones were
discussed, New Meadows being 1/8 of a mile from the City.
Neal Michael asked
Mr. McCabe if they really need a road through the Park, Neal said he
doesn’t believe a road needs to be placed through the park and he thinks
each of those present need to ask themselves if they want a road through
the park.
Mr. Eddie Osborn
said he got an easement through the Forest Service and that it was a very
time consuming process.
Nita Branstetter
asked about the Parks and Recreation Fund. Bill said the County has four parks; Packer John, one
on the Salmon River near Pinehurst, the Veterans Park and the County Park
near the old Courthouse.
Bill asked Marla Krigbaum
to give the history on the Packer John Park.
Nita Branstetter
asked how the Parks and Recreation Fund started. Don Horton said he believes
logging receipts and federal funds from the 1997 flood created the fund.
Neal Michael asked
if grants are available to update the park? Yes a grant can be had.
Donna Campbell said
if everyone in the County paid $1.00, funds could be used for updating
the parks.
Sean McConnor asked
Mr. McCabe what the minimum lots are? Mr. McCabe said he would have to guess at 30
lots. Sean asked the Board
if they would change the zone without egress? The Board said they would have to really talk about
it.
Morris Krigbaum
asked if the Board is considering ordinances for law enforcement. Bill said yes they are. Morris said looking at pictures
of the park and Meadow Park traffic, the road would be better placed west
or east not through the middle of the park. The Board said for the County to accept the road it
must be paved first.
Laurie Gerring asked
if you could block the access through Meadow Park or must it be left
open? A discrepancy of who
has easement through the Meadow Park is in question. Bill said possible arbitration
would need to be processed to find the answer.
Sandy Dryden read
her letter she prepared.
Claus White said he
is in support of the rezone.
Ed Osborn stated he
is in support of the rezone.
Stacy LaFay stated
he is in support of the rezone.
Mark Colafranceschi
stated he is in support of the rezone.
Susanne Bond stated
she is in support of the rezone.
Peggy Devore stated
Packer John has fallen by the wayside, soon there will be nothing left to
protect. She is in favor of
the rezone.
Bill stated the hearing
would be left open for written comments, ending on May 11, 2007. The Board will make a decision on
Monday, May 14, 2007.
ATTEST:__________________________
____________________________
Sherry Ward, Clerk of the Board
Bill Brown, Chairman of the Board
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