Commission discusses creating trailhead standards guide; favors recommendations over binding code

The Trails Advisory Commission discussed creating a trailhead standards guide on Jan. 27 and signaled interest in producing recommended, tiered guidance rather than mandatory zoning rules that could make trailhead creation more difficult for volunteer groups.

Trail Coordinator Andrea Jacobs presented background and examples, including a detailed Los Alamos trailhead inventory and design guidelines she reviewed. Jacobs said standards could be a site-specific inventory or a generalized guide by use-level, and that community planning had indicated they prefer separating standards from zoning to avoid inadvertently blocking otherwise beneficial trailheads.

Commissioner comments favored producing nonbinding, tiered recommendations (for example, different expectations for small neighborhood trailheads versus larger regional trailheads) that could help staff and applicants plan accessible, safe and appropriately sized trailheads. Commissioners suggested the recommendations focus on practical items—vehicular access and driveway permits, trail circulation that avoids driveways, appropriate signage and minimal required infrastructure—so standards would ease permitting and design rather than add regulatory hurdles.

Commissioners discussed existing resources such as State Parks and other agencies’ guidance and proposed forming a small working group or subcommittee of commissioners and staff to draft the recommendations for a future meeting. No formal vote was taken; commissioners asked staff to collect sample language and existing standards for review and return with a draft to the commission.

Ending: Staff will gather model documents and work with interested commissioners to prepare a draft trailhead recommendations guide for review at a future meeting; the commission emphasized the goal of facilitating, not impeding, new trailhead development.