Powell Butte Project Advisory Committee: URGENT! Please fill out the Design Process Comment Form!!
The PAC is progressing towards a close and making a recommendation as to which trail and park improvement plan will be the preferred solution. Last night's meeting was the last chance for in-person public input into the process. The only way now for the public to provide input is to fill out the online comment form: http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/index.cfm?c=51455&
The comment form will be open until the end of the year. It is vital that we make our voices heard and show support for increased, sustainable trails on Powell Butte and that increased trail access does not have to come at the determinant of wildlife and habitat. The form allows for detailed comments on each trail design concept; please be as detailed as possible in your answers (like referencing the trail design principles, access and trail experience, and natural resource protection). The concepts range from maintaining/improving existing trails to creating many new trails and routes.
Thanks for taking the time to help shape the future of Powell Butte! Please fill out the form!
Cecily Norris
- Forums:
- Riding Areas:
Upcoming Events
- Stub mountain bike night ride (easy/beginner) - 2012-02-09 18:00
- Stub trail building - XC - 2012-02-11 08:45
- Stub Freeride area build day [W.T.F.] - 2012-02-18 09:00
- NWTA Women's Ride - 2012-02-25 10:00
- Stub trail building - XC - 2012-02-26 08:45
Trial Design Concepts
Cecily
The maps are quite a bit to take in. Which Trail design concept do you like best and least? Which will be most beneficial to the Mnt Bike community? Any other thoughts we should think about while filling out the survey would be beneficial.
Scooter
Powell Butte Survey Confusion!
I just spent the last two hours working on this survey. It's sort of complicated, but there are three main options impacting mountain bike use of the trail system:
Option 1 seems so preserve the trail system pretty much as it is. It would make the upper Cedar Grove Trail (north of the Elderberry Trail) closed to bikes. I thought it already was, myself. I think the sign at the intersection said hikers only. Next time I go back (April???) I'll try riding it, I guess.
Option 2 would add a small new system on the northeast corner of the park (open to bikes or not, I'm not real clear on that- though it does seem that they want to grandfather in the informal trails north of Old Holgate Road, and that they intend them to be for less skilled bikers). The most notable thing about this proposal is allowing uphill only bike traffic on Wild Hawthorne Trail (there is no access currently). In exchange for that, bikes would lose uphill access to the Pioneer Orchard Trail. Very odd, I think. The stated goal is to provide a route that would allow hikers to avoid having to overtake uphill-bound cyclists. I love climbing that trail, and would really miss the opportunity to do so, even if I got the opportunity to climb Wild Hawthorne as a trade. Also, I've never been overtake by hikers on that trail (duh!) and don't know what the heck they're talking about. Hikers would lose access to some of the other trails that go from bottom to top (Mt. Hood and Cougar) so maybe that's what they're worried about.
Option 3 look like a great plan at first glance, but the proposal is vague enough to mean that we either
1. gain several new short trails and a new longer trail
Or
2. we'd lose access to the Pioneer Orchard Trail COMPLETELY!!! In exchange, we'd gain access to one connector trail in the
northwest corner of the park (between Holgate and Elderberry, and
Holgate and new trails down from the road). They're apparently thinking about closing the Pioneer Orchard Trail down completely, in order to enlarge the Wildlife area.
To sum it up, the third option doesn't explicitly state which of the new trails are multi-use, so they could all end up being hiker only (save one short connector that is clearly listed at Hiker/Biker), and it includes an "Option to remove P. Orchard Trail and enlarge wildlife refuge". As this is the longest singletrack trail in the park, and the most fun, challenging climb and descent, this would be a great loss. These two factors make this option like a nice birthday cake with a cyanide pill inside- you could cut out a nice piece of cake, or you could accidentally cut out the piece of cake with the death pill. I wish they were more clear about this plan.
I wasn't able to attend the meetings (I live closer to Forest Park, so it takes me quite a while to get over to the Powell Butte area), so I didn't actually get to hear from the horse's mouth what that plan would likely entail. I don't know why they don't come out and say clearly whether or not they'd close off the Pioneer Orchard Trail. But listing it as an option in this plan (the option isn't in any of the opther plans) makes it seem like a strong possibility. Even though the Proposal is unclear about which of the new trails in the northwest corner would be open to bikes, we'd gain trail access in that part of the park, no matter what. So if the proposal didn't mention closing Pioneer Orchard Trail, this would be the best option.
I'm frustrated by this complication, and would appreciate anyone's insight, especially if they've gone to a meeting and heard a more clear picture of what's currently proposed.
Thanks!
Charley
Powell Butte Survey Confusion!
Thanks for completing the survey and summing up the concepts here! It is a lot to take in and the concepts don’t really clearly favor one over the other, especially between concept 1 and 3. Unfortunately there was not a lot of time at the last meeting /open house for the PAC members to fully discuss each concept in detail and get all our questions answered by the contractors and City staff. I will try and get further clarification on the Pioneer Orchard Trail as mentioned in concept 3 and will post back.
Thanks,
Cecily
comments
In taking the survey there is ample opportunity to make comments.
Keep in mind that there is under 3 miles of single track available to mountain bike use on Powell Butte - according to the confusing posted signage up there. That is the most of any City Park in Portland.
Be sure to mention that there should be no net loss in miles of singletrack open to mountain biking. Building trails per IMBA standards is good! Building trails around, or bridges over wet areas is good! Be creative in your additional comments. Use your own words!
Go to the planning document and take a look at the notes on the maps and charts beginning about page 6 especially the summary of the Nov 12, 2009 meeting: http://www.jlainvolve.com/public/PowellButte/trailconcepts.pdf
Page 6 and following pages will give you a lot of information to be able to make some good comments on.
trail confusion
I too had hard time tryn to pick and choose. What would have helped if they could have made the maps more clear or at least been able to inlarge them. IS there any way for the Parks Dept to hold on on any final descions untill there is more input and least have better materials available for people to see? Be nice to see some improvement, just thought more money was going towards the trails, not to new a house and buildings.
ps second thought about the trail maps, seemed like a slap in the face towards bikers since we cant really see clearly what the impact of the trails would be.
Still curious. . .
Hi there,
I know y'all are busy, but I'm still uninformed as to the real meaning of the various alternatives supplied by PP&R. If we go for more trail mileage, will we lose the Pioneer Orchard Trail (either in the uphill direction or totally)? Asking interested riders to fill out the comment form without detailing the exact changes is really unhelpful on the part of the city!
Charley
ref: curious
AMEN charley, def kinda lackluster on their part
I hope you made these
I hope you made these comments on the feedback form when filling out the survey.
Dennis Veatch
By the way, we met with the
By the way, we met with the parks department last night and your comments were noted and acknowledged regarding the presentation confusion.
Dennis Veatch
Comment Form
Dear Dennis,
I made copious comments on the form, explaining this exact issue. I'm really gratified to find out that the comments were noted. I fill out lots of forms (for the Forest Service, the City and so on), and it's great to know that the policy folks in charge get the messages.
Thanks,
Charley