Hearing examiner approves campground permit; county pushes developer to fix pinch point on Forest Service Road 298

The Collin County Trails Advisory Committee discussed safety and mitigation after a hearing examiner approved a conditional use permit for a commercial-forest campground on Forest Service Road 298, committee members said. County staff told the committee the permit was approved but that the hearing examiner left mitigation to be negotiated between the county and the developer.

Committee members and county staff focused on a narrow ‘‘pinch point’’ on the road that trail users and residents say is unsafe for mixed vehicle and bicycle use. Will Habel, Palm County Public Works, said the hearing examiner recognized the transportation impacts but ‘‘did not set hard standards for what was to be the resolution’’ and that the developer ‘‘needs to come back with a plan to address the safety … could include 1 or all could include, combination of signage, a separated trail, widening the road.’’

The county described three mitigation options discussed with the developer and Trails Coalition representatives: installing advisory signage, building a separated trail off the road, or widening the roadway to a 24-foot running width to meet local minimum road standards. Staff said their initial county suggestion included a 6-foot gravel path for the first segment as a short-term measure and that engineers recommended a 24-foot road in portions where the trail returns to the roadway.

The committee noted constraints that complicate each option. County staff said some of the land near the pinch point lies outside county right of way on property of the Ring family and that a separated trail might require coordination with that landowner; staff also reported the county is committed to maintaining the first 0.86 miles of the route. County staff emphasized they had not received a final developer response and expected the developer to return with a specific mitigation plan.

Committee members also flagged cost and constructability. Staff offered wide cost ranges for separated paved trails based on previous projects — from several hundred thousand dollars per mile to multimillion-dollar segments near complex structures — and cautioned that a $50,000 allowance discussed in earlier public exchanges would not solve the pinch point.

Discussion distinguished what the hearing examiner ordered from what remains to be negotiated: the conditional use permit was approved and the appeal period closed, but the county and developer must still agree concrete mitigation measures before construction proceeds.

Ending

County staff said they expect the developer to return with proposals and that the committee will be updated once the developer submits its plan. The committee asked staff to continue coordinating with the Trails Coalition and with any landowners whose easements or property might be needed to create a separated corridor.