Trails commission weighs narrower easement, commercial use limits for Eldorado Creek property

At a meeting of the Fairbanks North Star Borough Trails Advisory Commission, members discussed a proposed public easement across a Goldstream property that contains an established route of the Alaska Long Trail and raised concerns about easement width, commercial snowmachine use and enforcement.

Property owner Sarah Tabbert told the commission the trail runs primarily on her parcel and said she and a co-owner are "interested conversation" about selling an easement to the borough but have concerns about commercial operators and the width the borough proposed. "We have never had any intention of closing it to public use," Tabbert said, "although we have some concerns about commercial operations running on the trail." She described recent summer damage from off-season use and said she wants the trail preserved in a form close to its present condition.

Daniel Welch, manager for the borough Division of Natural Resources Development, told commissioners the borough is the land manager for the proposed development parcel and noted the current request is about setting an easement through private property rather than a subdivision requirement. "The borough is the land owner or at least the management owner on behalf of the public through this development," Welch said, and he outlined that the borough's current easement practice follows Title 17 standards when an easement is created through the subdivision process.

Commissioners and staff explained there is no standing borough standard that applies…