3rd and FINAL Madrone Public Input Meeting

[elaine]

When?

Wednesday October 29 6pm-8pm

Where?

9101 SE Sunnybrook Blvd Clackamas OR 97015 at the Sunnybrook Service Center 1/4 mile West of 205

 

It is at this meeting that Alta Planning and Design and Clackamas County will present the hybrid concept plan that participants voted on at the 2nd meeting. You can view the concept map at www.madronewall.com. This is the website that Alta and the County have created.

 

Come to the meeting and give your feedback about their plans for the site, and hopefully we'll hear more from the County about funding so that it can actually become an official park!

 

Thanks!

Kellie

[wayne]

This is IT folks. It is not a done deal either, One of the proposals involve not allowing climbing. Irony?

[elaine]

You are right, Wayne, that the first of 3 proposals did not allow for any climbing, limited site access, and no on-site parking. No one in the meeting ( except for one guy who liked bats), supported option #1.

 

If you cannot attend the meeting on 10/29, please go to the

www.madronewall.com and write your comments to Katie and Chris who are working on this Master Plan.

 

Thanks!

[Drederek]

It was very easy to hit the link and send in comments. They also asked which option you preferred. FWIW the bats in Tenino seem to coexist with the climbers just fine.

[elaine]

The 3rd meeting was held last night. Thanks to those who came!

 

I asked for a timeline so that the public can better understand this process.

 

1) The hybrid plan was approved with climbing, on-site parking, some moderate trail development, restroom, kiosks, bike parking, and an established trail to the top. Riding a bike along 224 along the Carver Curves is rather scary, but I wasn't going to argue bike parking.

 

2) This hybrid plan ( which should be viewed at www.madronewall.com), will go to the PAB ( Parks Board) in January. This is also a public meeting, and they will have this concept plan and the all of the public comment info on their agenda. The PAB typically meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. The PAB will then review and make any other suggestions or rec's, but it's unlikely that they would make any significant changes to what the public voted on.

 

After the PAB reviews and approves, it will go the the BCC ( Commissioners) in January. These meetings are also open to the public and personal comments at these meetings can hold a lot of weight. Keith and I will likely be at this BCC meeting as well. The BCC typically agrees with the public.

 

3) In March/April 2009, the County will then begin to apply for matching grants through Oregon State Parks, and other resources. They will also begin the conditional use application with the state to officially allow recreation on an "Zoned Timber" site.

 

4) The PAB has included $200K in funding in fiscal year 2009-10 to help being Phase 1. $200k is not enough to create the road up from HWY 224 into the parking area in the meadow. Therefore, the County is applying for various matching grants.

 

When will it be open? A date has not been set yet, but it will not be open until Phase 1 is complete ( with parking, bathrooms, and improved trail access to the rock.

 

The "bat guy" was back and there are bats in the cliffs, but none that are endangered. He plans to go back to the site in winter to look in the caves for a particular "Townsend Bat(?)" which is a rare species. These bats apparently seek cave habitat in the winter, which might mean some seasonal closures.....We have not found the bats yet, so it's not an issue right now.

 

Funny that 11 years ago they planned to blow up the place as a quarry and the County could have cared less about the bats then!

 

At the end, I asked the County to make a commitment to this site and to follow through with the publics' wishes. The County has never received so much public feedback and interest about one of their future parks. The County has also never seen such a turnout for our clean up back in September. They are impressed with the level of interest and the work that was done.

 

Matt from Mountain Soles came and spoke. He shared a similar view as another meeting participant who had come to the clean up. One of Matt's customers said he had been climbing out at the site, and when Matt spoke with him about what's been happening with the park development process and the MWPC, the customer said he was "fatigued" with the County's pace and the process. There isn't anything that we can really do to expedite the process any faster. We wish we could.

 

Keith, myself, and many of you continue to be the squeaky wheel. We just need to make sure that the County keeps their promise of the $200K in funding currently in the '09-10 budget as well as a timely application for matching grants. I plan to continue to ask for a timeline about this process and when Phase 1 is about to begin.

 

Thanks for the support! See you at Wayne's event on November 10th!!

[wayne]

WOW Thanks Elaine, I am glad to see such progress. The show should be a celebration of this amazing place! I am so excited to get back there and climb soon!